The NMDA receptor plays a critical role in the development of the central nervous system and in adult neuroplasticity, learning, and memory. Therefore, it is not surprising that this receptor has been widely studied. However, despite the importance of rhythms for the sustenance of life, this aspect of NMDAR function remains poorly studied. Written
The costs associated with a drug's clinical trials are so significant that it has become necessary to validate both its safety and efficacy in animal models prior to the continued study of the drug in humans. Featuring contributions from distinguished researchers in the field of cognitive therapy research, Animal Models of Cognitive Impairmen
'My first serious blackout marked the line between sanity and insanity. Though I would have moments of lucidity over the coming days and weeks, I would never again be the same person ...' Susannah Cahalan was a happy, clever, healthy twenty-four-year old. Then one day she woke up in hospital, with no memory of what had happened or how she had got there. Within weeks, she would be transformed into someone unrecognizable, descending into a state of acute psychosis, undergoing rages and convulsions, hallucinating that her father had murdered his wife; that she could control time with her mind. Everything she had taken for granted about her life, and who she was, was wiped out. Brain on Fire is Susannah's story of her terrifying descent into madness and the desperate hunt for a diagnosis, as, after dozens of tests and scans, baffled doctors concluded she should be confined in a psychiatric ward. It is also the story of how one brilliant man, Syria-born Dr Najar, finally proved - using a simple pen and paper - that Susannah's psychotic behaviour was caused by a rare autoimmune disease attacking her brain. His diagnosis of this little-known condition, thought to have been the real cause of devil-possessions through history, saved her life, and possibly the lives of many others. Cahalan takes readers inside this newly-discovered disease through the progress of her own harrowing journey, piecing it together using memories, journals, hospital videos and records. Written with passionate honesty and intelligence, Brain on Fire is a searingly personal yet universal book, which asks what happens when your identity is suddenly destroyed, and how you get it back. 'With eagle-eye precision and brutal honesty, Susannah Cahalan turns her journalistic gaze on herself as she bravely looks back on one of the most harrowing and unimaginable experiences one could ever face: the loss of mind, body and self. Brain on Fire is a mesmerizing story' -Mira Bartók, New York Times bestselling author of The Memory Palace Susannah Cahalan is a reporter on the New York Post, and the recipient of the 2010 Silurian Award of Excellence in Journalism for Feature Writing. Her writing has also appeared in the New York Times, and is frequently picked up by the Daily Mail, Gawker, Gothamist, AOL and Yahoo among other news aggregrator sites.
This book, now in an extensively revised second edition, describes the crucial role of zinc signaling in biological processes on a molecular and physiological basis. Global leaders in the field review the latest knowledge, including the very significant advances in understanding that have been achieved since publication of the first edition. Detailed information is provided on all the essentials of zinc signaling, covering molecular aspects and the roles of zinc transporters, the zinc sensing receptor, and metallothioneins. Detection techniques for zinc signals, involving genetically encoded and chemical probes, are also described. The critical contributions of the zinc signal in maintaining health and the adverse consequences of any imbalance in the signal are then thoroughly addressed. Here, readers will find up-to-date information on the significance of the zinc signal in a wide range of conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, skin disease, osteoarthritis, and cancer. The book will be of value for researchers, clinicians, and advanced students.
The Essence of Analgesia and Analgesics is an invaluable practical resource for clinicians giving pain relief in any clinical setting, describing the pharmacologic principles and clinical use of all available pain medications. As well as detailed overviews of pain processing and analgesic theory, sections are dedicated to oral and panteral opioid analgesics, neuraxial opioids, NSAIDs, local anesthetics, anticonvulsant type analgesics, NMDA antagonists, alpha adrenergic analgesics, antidepressant analgesics, muscle relaxants, adjuvant medications, and new and emerging analgesics. The concise format of the chapters allows for quick and easy reading and assimilation of information. Enhanced by summary tables and figures, each chapter provides an overview of a particular drug, covering chemical structure, mode of activity, indications, contraindications, common doses and uses, advantages and disadvantages, and drug related adverse events. Key references are also provided. Edited by leading experts in pain management, this is essential reading for any clinician involved in pain management.
A team of authors from prestigious academic schools contributed to draw up a project that would give a detailed account of astrocyte's morphology and physiology, examining thoroughly all the astrocyte's types; giving an accurate description of their morphology, location, function in the brain; and illustrating their physiology and pathology in terms of dealing with neurons through "gliotransmitters," ionic channels, and membrane receptors expression. This book gives an overview of the crucial role of astrocytes in the physiology of the CNS and in the pathogenesis of several CNS disorders suggesting that the shift from a neurocentric view to one that incorporates astrocytes in disease models for drug discovery is a critical step in renewing drug development strategies to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
The ubiquitous presence of glutamate and GABA receptors in the nervous system makes these receptor systems pivotal to our understanding of neurotransmission. Cloning of the molecular components of these receptor systems has provided insights to the selectivity of many drugs and detailed characterisation at the molecular level is emerging. Moreover, continuous development of novel and selective drugs has revealed detailed information on the mechanism of receptor activation and regulation. However, the rapid development of different aspects of glutamate and GABA receptor research makes it increasingly difficult to establish a general view of the field. Studies of the receptors are a multi-disciplinary task employing many specialised techniques. This book conveys recent discoveries in a framework of the basic concepts in the field of glutamate and GABA receptor research. Glutamate and GABA Receptors and Transporters: Structure, Function and Pharmacology is suitable for postgraduate students studying ligand gated channels but also beneficial for industrial and academic research scientists in both the glutamate and GABA field. Universities offering programs in neuroscience, molecular pharmacology or medicinal chemistry will find this a valuable reference.
This new Springer volume, which comes complete with a free DVD, is a comprehensive and detailed overview of the synapse with emphasis on the glutamatergic synapse. Most chapters relate the synapse’s functional aspects to its molecular mechanisms. This approach shows which mechanisms are characterized on both the functional and structural level and can thus be considered firmly established. It’s an important text for neuroscientists and disease-oriented clinicians in neurology.
