Kategoria BISAC: Medical >> Neuroscience

Prion diseases, also known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), exist in both humans (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)) and animals (scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), chronic wasting disease) and have the unique property of being infectious, sporadic or genetic in origin.

Although the precise nature of the infectious agent responsible for TSEs is not definitely identified, it is now clearly demonstrated that a protein named PrP (for Prion Protein) plays a critical role in the transmission and pathogenesis of TSEs.

This book provides the general...

In recent years, cannabis research has concentrated on the potential of cannabinoids as therapeutic substances, particularly in serious chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis. Most volumes published on cannabinoids so far concentrate on the biological activity, biochemistry and pharmacology, whereas this volume concentrates on the diseases, the physiological effects and therapeutic use of cannabinoids. The volume editor Prof. Mechoulam was the first who isolated the prime active constituent (THC, Tetrahydrocannabiol) of marijuana. He published extensively on the pharmacological...

Vanilloids mediate their effects by selective agonism of an ion channel, the vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1). TRPV1 is a ligand-gated, non-selective, cation channel preferentially expressed in small-diameter, primary afferent neurons, including nociceptive sensory nerves. In addition to be activated by capsaicin and related vanilloids, TRPV1 responds to heat and extracellular acidification, and will integrate simultaneous exposures to these stimuli. The aim of this book is to summarize recent insights in the role of TRPV1 in pain and inflammation, and to discuss how modulation of this...

In multiple sclerosis (MS), conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) has proved to be a valuable tool to increase diagnostic confidence and for monitoring the efficacy of experimental treatment. However, cMRI has limited specificity and accuracy of cMRI to the most disabling aspects of the MS pathology, known to occur in and outside macroscopic lesions. Modern quantitative MR techniques have the potential to overcome the limitations of cMRI, and their application is changing dramatically our understanding of how MS causes irreversible disability. In detail, there is an increasing...

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an enigmatic immune mediated disease of the central nervous system that affects about 350,000 individuals in the US, and many more around the world. The mechanism of this disease is largely unknown and there is no cure for it. However, there are several well-characterized experimental animal models that help us understand and speculate about potential mechanisms of pathology in this disease. Many of the experimental therapies designed for this disease rely on testing the drugs in animal models before using it in clinical trials. This book combines for the first...