This thorough volume delves into antiepileptic drug discovery with a comprehensive collection of innovative approaches for the development of antiepileptic therapies, focusing on novel molecular targets for antiepileptic drugs, computer-aided approaches for the identification of new drug candidates, and therapeutic strategies to overcome refractory epilepsy. The last section illustrates the potential benefits that network pharmacology and rational drug repurposing could bring to the antiepileptic drug discovery community. Written for the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology series, chapters include the kind of detailed description and implementation advice to ensure results in the laboratory. Authoritative and practical, Antiepileptic Drug Discovery: Novel Approaches aims to provide medicinal chemists, pharmacologists, and other researchers with the tools need to further explore the study of pharmacoresistant epilepsy and the discovery of new antiepileptic drugs.

This collection demonstrates how late-Victorian and Edwardian neurology and fiction shared common philosophical concerns and rhetorical strategies. Between 1860 and 1920 witnessed unprecedented interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and artists, finding common ground in the prevailing intellectual climate of biological determinism.

This volume provides an update on the multitude of technical and experimental approaches in understanding the development and plasticity of the mammalian sensory thalamus and neocortex. The focus is on visual and somatosensory thalamus and neocortex in rodents and carnivores, and functional imaging studies in developing and aging human neocortex. It further provides a synthetic theoretical framework for future studies.

In the last 50 years a wealth of information has allowed us to understand the contribution of various regulatory factors that alter mRNA and protein s- thesis to a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. However, such regulation is only one of many factors that contribute to the levels of a given p- tein. One major factor that has been relatively obscure until recently has been the contribution of protein degradation to the regulation of the steady state level of protein expression and protein function. This rapidly evolving field has made a significant mark on the scientific community, as highlighted by the Award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2004 to Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko and Irwin Rose for their pioneering work on the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) of protein degradation, which is the subject of this volume. In recent years e- dence has been accumulating that suggests a role for UPS function in both ph- iological and pathological settings. In particular, studies have implicated a central role for the UPS in cell cycle regulation, cancer and neurodegeneration. Two points are however worth bearing in mind: First, ubiquitin's function appears to extend far beyond the UPS and protein degradation; second, there are other important systems of intracellular protein degradation, most notably autophagic systems through the lysosomes, and these may also be involved in disease pat- physiology.

This book focuses on extrapyramidal signs and symptoms of all types of dementia, and addresses the issue of the artificial boundary between dementias and Parkinsonism, which represent the two most common symptoms found in degenerative central nervous system diseases. In Movement Disorders in Dementias, movement disorder specialists from around the world write on topics generally restricted to dementia experts. Important motor issues related to either medication in demented patients (drug-induced movement disorders) or manifestations common to all forms of dementia, regardless of underlying cause (gait disorders, falls, fear of falling), is followed by analysis of the relationship between motor and cognitive symptoms, from their common pathogenesis to specific medical treatments. Movement Disorders in Dementias is aimed at general neurologists, dementia specialists, movement disorders specialists, neuropsychologists and geriatricians.

This volume provides a comprehensive understanding of HIV/AIDS and neuro-AIDS, including a history of the disease, and an explanation of many of the conditions that can arise in afflicted patients, including opportunistic infections, central nervous system tumors, spinal cord disorders, myopathies and progressive encephalopathy, amongst others.

Clinicians will gain a greater understanding of the complex mechanisms of the disease. Beginning with a basic introduction to HIV infections and Neuro-AIDS, practitioners will find useful data on advances in molecular biology, neuroepidemiology, neuroimaging, neuropathology, neuropharmacology, as well as information on the development of therapeutic strategies appropriate for the disorder, including groundbreaking retroviral therapies.

In addition, the socioeconomic and political constraints that hinder treatment and disease management in developing parts of the world are presented.
* A comprehensive understanding of HIV/AIDS and neuro-AIDS, and the progression of the scientific community s understanding of the disease
* Detailed information on fields such as neuroepidemiology, neuropathology, neuropharmacology, and neuroimaging and their contributions to HIV/AIDS research
* Subject specific chapters on conditions associated with HIV/AIDS, including opportunistic infections, central nervous system tumors, and myopathies, amongst others"

Neuroinflammation has been implicated recently in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases. The cross-talk between neurons and non-neuronal cells seems to be a critical step in the progression of neurodegeneration and molecules that have a beneficial role may turn into harmful players. Thus, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are involved in axonal growth and regeneration as well as synaptic plasticity, may also have detrimental effects. Recent evidence has linked MMPs to conditions like ischemia, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and suggested that, together with their role in the degradation of extracellular macromolecules, MMPs could work as important signalling molecules from injured neurons to the microglia.
Thus, MMP-3 has been shown to induce the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from microglia via activation of ERK and NF-kB-dependent pathways. Increasing evidence highlights the importance of a balanced cross-talk between neurons and non-neuronal cells and indicates that the presence of reactive astrocytes, the activation of microglia and the release of inflammatory mediators may contribute to the progression of many central nervous system disorders, independently of the nature of the primary pathogenic event. However, many aspects still remain controversial and much more effort is needed to understand the role of neuroinflammatory mediators and processes in these conditions.
This volume brings together renowned, international scientists to discuss current knowledge and views on the mechanisms of neuroinflammation, on its role in the context of different neurodegenerative diseases (i.e. Alzheimer's, prion disease, HIV-associated dementia, multiple sclerosis, pain) and on the potential approaches for future therapeutic strategies.

This volume in the International Review of Neurobiology series addresses the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of epilepsy in elderly patients. Demographically, the elderly comprise both the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population and the adult age group with the highest incidence of epilepsy, yet there are relatively few publications devoted to this clinical subgroup. The intersection of these two complex processes-epilepsy and advancing age-will have an increasing impact on medical and community care. The etiology, prognosis, and differential diagnosis of epilepsy can all be affected by the normal aging process and by the frequent comorbidities encountered in an elderly population. Chapters in this book review the effects of aging on brain function and on drug metabolism and interactions, covering the gamut of research from animal models of aging and epilepsy to clinical trials and outcomes. Topics also include the dangers of misdiagnosing status epilepticus, the special issues encountered in recruiting and retaining elderly clinical trial participants, and the use of antiepileptic drugs in the elderly. In both the clinic and the research laboratory, a better understanding of how epilepsy may differ between younger and older patients will be valuable in determining the best possible care for geriatric patients with epilepsy.

The proposed book will act as a guide for scientists and clinicians to the unique information that MRS can provide. It will be a comprehensive overview of clinical and pre-clinical MRS applications and potential clinical utility of MRS biomarkers in degenerative brain diseases from leading experts in the field. MRS has proven to be a powerful complementary tool to MRI for the diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression and response to treatment because it can detect changes in cell density, cell type, and biochemical composition, not just structural changes. As the population in the developed world continues to age, neuroimaging for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases becomes increasingly important and there has been a recent surge of clinical and pre-clinical applications of MRS indicating that this technique can provide robust and non-invasive biomarkers of degeneration.

1. Epilepsy: Past, Present, and Future 2. Epilepsy Classification: Seizures and Syndromes 3. Epilepsy Mimics 4. Epilepsy Diagnosis 5. Approach to the First Episode of Seizure 6. Epilepsy Pharmacotherapy: The Anti-epileptic Drugs 7. Epilepsy and Women 8. Drug-resistant Epilepsy 9. Status Epilepticus: The Current Status 10. Epilepsy Surgery

As the parent of a child recognised as autistic as a pre-teen or teen, it can often feel difficult to find the answers you need. Children who make it to late primary/early secondary age before being picked up by the system tend to present with traits that are harder to spot, meaning it can be harder to engage professionals in the diagnostic process and gather the necessary support. Cathy Wassell, CEO of Autistic Girls Network, has tailored this handbook to support parents with older children or teenagers who are at the identification stage, walking them through the basics in an engaging and accessible manner. She addresses key challenges for this age group, including co-occurring conditions, puberty, and safeguarding, as well as looking to the future, advising on schooling options, and beyond. Designed to help parents become fully informed and ensure a nurturing and positive environment for our autistic young people, this is a guide with a focus on difference - not deficit.

The "Handbook of Clinical Neurology" (Series Editors: Michael J. Aminoff, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, USA; FranAois Boller, Bethesda, USA; Dick F. Swaab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands)has an international reputation as the ultimate reference tool for neurologists involved in clinical research and for neuroscience research workers. It offers comprehensive coverage of the whole field of neurology edited and written by an international list of contributors including the leading workers in the field. This volume is particularly for all those interested in the fundamental aspects of muscle disease or involved with care of patients with these disorders. However, a further separate volume in the Handbook of Clinical Neurology series will be devoted to the muscular dystrophies. The contents include coverage of the latest developments in the subject such as the regulatory nuclear and mitochondrial genetic mechanisms, the proteins involved in muscle function and their remarkable interactions, the nature and function of ion channels and ionic activity, and the complexity of inflammatory cascades that has led to a wider appreciation of the nature of muscle diseases and suggests new approaches for their management. Clinically there has been the recognition and description of new entities and improved classifications of groups of disorders such as the distal myopathies, and the discovery of disease-causing mutation for many of the muscular dystrophies and hereditary myopathies.

Why a book on molecular neurology? Molecular neuroscience is advancing at a spectacular rate. As it does so, it is revealing important clues to the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of neurological diseases, and to the therapeutic targets that they present. Medicines work by targeting molecules. The more specific the targeting, the more specific the actions, and the fewer the side effects. This book highlights, for graduate and MD-PhD students, research fellows and research-oriented clinical fellows, and researchers in the neurosciences and other biomedical sciences, the principles underlying molecular medicine as related to neurology. Written by internationally recognized experts, this well-illustrated and well-referenced book presents the most up-to-date principles and disease examples relevant to molecular neurology, and reviews the concepts, strategies, and latest progress in this field. This book will interest anyone studying the molecular basis of neurology, or developing new therapies in neurology.
* Describes the newest, molecular aspects of neurological disorders
* Provides an introduction to neurological disorders for basic scientists
* Updates clinicians and clinical researchers on the most recent developments

This volume examines ways in which service delivery to individuals with autism can be improved from both ends of the basic-applied research spectrum. It introduces the concept of translational scholarship and examines real-world value in developing relevant interventions. Each area of coverage reviews current findings on autism from basic research and, then, discusses the latest applied research literature to create a roadmap for researchers, clinicians, and scientist-practitioners to develop new, effective strategies as children, adolescents, and adults with autism continue to learn and grow. Featured coverage includes: Why practice needs science and how science informs practice. The social learning disorder of stimulus salience in autism. Assessment and treatment of problem behaviors associated with transitions. Understanding persistence and improving treatment through behavioral momentum theory. The behavioral economics of reinforcer value. Increasing tolerance for delay with children and adults with autism. Autism Service Delivery is an essential resource for researchers, clinicians and scientist-practitioners, and graduate students in the fields of developmental psychology, behavioral therapy, social work, clinical child and school psychology, occupational therapy, and speech pathology.

This book examines the role that dopamine plays in schizophrenia, examining its role in not only the symptoms of the disease but also in its treatment. It also reviews all neurotransmitters that have been implicated in schizophrenia, exploring the genetic data, clinical data implicating the transmitter, and the preclinical data exploring how a transmitter may interact with dopamine and contribute to the dopaminergic phenotype observed in the illness. This book will serve as an educational tool for instructors, a guide for clinicians, and be of interest to researchers. It is a good reference for researchers specialized in one particular area and interested in learning about other areas of pathology in schizophrenia and how they may all feed into each other. The book concludes with an overall integrative model assembling as many of these elements as possible.

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder with cardinal motor signs of resting tremor, bradykinesia and lead-pipe rigidity. In addition, many patients display non-motor symptoms, including a diminished sensation of smell, gastrointestinal problems, various disorders of sleep and some cognitive impairment. These clinical features - particularly the motor signs - manifest after a progressive death of many dopaminergic neurones in the brain. Although currently available, conventional therapies can reduce the signs of the disease, the progression of this neuronal death has proved difficult to slow or stop, and the condition is relentlessly progressive. Hence, there is a real need to develop a treatment that is neuroprotective, one that slows the pathology of the disease effectively. At present, there are several neuroprotective therapies in the experimental pipeline, but these are for the patients of tomorrow. This book focuses on two therapies that are readily available for the patients of today. They involve the use of exercise and light (i.e. photobiomodulation, the use of red to infrared light therapy ( =600-1070nm) on body tissues). The two therapies are tied together in several ways. First, in animal models of Parkinson's disease, they each have been shown to offer the key feature of neuroprotection, stimulating a series of built-in protective mechanisms within the neurones, that helps their survival, to self-protect and/or self-repair. There are also some promising indications of neuroprotection and many beneficial outcomes in parkinsonian patients. Further, both exercise and light therapies are similar in that they are non-invasive and safe to use, with no known adverse side-effects, making their combination with the conventional therapies, such as dopamine replacement drug therapy and deep brain stimulation, all the more feasible. Given the heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease in humans, tackling the condition from a range of different angles - with a number of different therapies - would only serve to enhance the positive outcomes. This book considers the use of exercise and light therapies, proposing that they have the potential to make a powerful "dynamic duo", offering a most effective neuroprotective treatment option to patients.

The study of brain function is one of the most fascinating pursuits of m- ern science. Functional neuroimaging is an important component of much of the current research in cognitive, clinical, and social psychology. The exci- ment of studying the brain is recognized in both the popular press and the scienti?c community. In the pages of mainstream publications, including The New York Times and Wired, readers can learn about cutting-edge research into topics such as understanding how customers react to products and - vertisements ("If your brain has a 'buy button, ' what pushes it?," The New York Times, October19,2004), howviewersrespondtocampaignads("Using M. R. I. 's to see politics on the brain," The New York Times, April 20, 2004; "This is your brain on Hillary: Political neuroscience hits new low," Wired, November 12,2007), howmen and womenreactto sexualstimulation ("Brain scans arouse researchers,"Wired, April 19, 2004), distinguishing lies from the truth ("Duped," The New Yorker, July 2, 2007; "Woman convicted of child abuse hopes fMRI can prove her innocence," Wired, November 5, 2007), and even what separates "cool" people from "nerds" ("If you secretly like Michael Bolton, we'll know," Wired, October 2004). Reports on pathologies such as autism, in which neuroimaging plays a large role, are also common (for - stance, a Time magazine cover story from May 6, 2002, entitled "Inside the world of autism").

Fifty years ago, enthused by successes in creating digital computers and the DNA model of heredity, scientists were con?dent that solutions to the problems of und- standing biological intelligence and creating machine intelligence were within their grasp. Progress at ?rst seemed rapid. Giant 'brains' that ?lled air-conditioned rooms were shrunk into briefcases. The speed of computation doubled every two years. What these advances revealed is not the solutions but the dif?culties of the pr- lems. We are like the geographers who 'discovered' America, not as a collection of islands but as continents seen only at shores and demanding exploration. We are astounded less by the magnitude of our discoveries about how brains cogitate than by the enormity of the tasks we have undertaken, to explain and replicate the higher functions of brains. Five decades of brain research have led to the emergence of a new ?eld, which spans the entire range of brain cognition from quantum ?elds to social interactions, and which is combined by the conceptions of nonlinear neurodynamics operating simultaneously at and across all levels. A new breed of scientists has emerged, schooled in multiple academic disciplines, comfortable in working with data from different levels, and conversant with the mathematical tools that are essential to cross boundaries.

Societal, ethical, and cost-related issues, not to mention the need for sound scientific methods, have led to new and refined methods for the evaluation of health risks associated with neurotoxic compounds, relevant and predictive of exposure, relatively inexpensive, and ideally amenable to high throughput analysis and a reduction in animal use. "Cell Culture Techniques" presents thorough traditional chapters, such as those on various cell culture methods that have evolved over the years, as well as innovative approaches to neurotoxicologic testing. Accordingly, this detailed volume describes how stem cells, computational biology, and other novel powerful methods can now be applied to address the challenges of neurotoxic testing. As part of the "Neuromethods" series, this work provides the kind of intensive description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results in the laboratory.

Practical and authoritative, "Cell Culture Techniques" serves both the novice and the experienced neurotoxicologist by inspiring the further development of mechanistically-driven, cost-effective, high throughput series of tests needed to meet the many contemporary challenges."

This comprehensive and practical book fills the current knowledge gap about the incidence and characteristics of seizures in all kinds of cerebrovascular disorders. Chapters are divided according to the nature of cerebrovascular diseases and highlight incidence, early versus late onset seizure types, pathophysiology, electro-clinical manifestations, treatment and prognosis. Authored by leaders in the field of epilepsy and stroke, Seizures in Cerebrovascular Disorders is an excellent resource for the daily management of patients suffering from this disease overlap.

Creative thinking and collaborative scientific research have advanced our understanding of autism, and we are now beginning to synthesize the data into evidence and theories. Autism: Current Theories and Evidence presents current theories about autism and the evidence that supports them. The goal is to show how the scientific method is revealing the biological bases of this spectrum of disorders, thereby leading the way to their treatment and prevention using evidence-based medicine. This book has 20 chapters divided into 6 sections: Molecular and Clinical Genetics; Neurotransmitters and Cell Signaling; Endocrinology, Growth and Metabolism; Immunology, Maternal-Fetal Effects and Neuroinflammation; Neuroanatomy, Imaging and Neural networks; and Environmental Mechanisms and Models. The subjects cover a wide range of current scientific work in the field of autism, with strong and growing evidence to support them, and demonstrate both the breadth and depth of current autism research. The reader is encouraged to consider how theories and the scientific method, in the hands of these and other dedicated researchers, are leading to greater knowledge and continued progress in autism research.

The purpose of this book is to teach psychologists with a neuropsychology background about cognitive remediation, the evidence in the research literature, and how to develop and conduct a treatment plan and evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. The approach is illustrated using the computer-assisted cognitive remediation program developed by the author (NeurXercise). Twenty-nine different cases are presented in depth, following the outline presented in the earlier portions of the book. Treatment planning emphasizes Luria's concepts of alternate functional systems and double dissociation. Pre- and post-treatment neuropsychological testing results are presented along with ecological validity and generalization to daily functioning. The cases are presented by etiology and each section concludes with what can be learned about that etiologic process from the cognitive remediation results. This section includes blast injuries, which are still being characterized in the literature, as well as effective treatment of patients with head injury, stroke, post-neurosurgical sequelae, co-morbid disorders, subcortical disorders, attention deficit disorder, and learning disabilities. The book identifies the most commonly used neuropsychological test instruments for evaluating cognitive deficits, discusses their input and output characteristics, and does the same for the NeurXercise computer-based exercises so that the connection between testing and treatment is easy to see and develop. In addition to discussing this in the appropriate sections of the book, these are summarized in the appendixes as a reference for correlating test findings and appropriate exercises for remediating deficits.

The concept of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is often difficult to grasp, even for Magnetic Resonance physicists. Introduction to Diffusion Tensor Imaging uses extensive illustrations (not equations) to help readers to understand how DTI works. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of DTI images, the design of DTI experiments, and the forms of application studies. The theory of DTI is constantly evolving and so there is a need for a textbook that explains how the technique works in a way that is easy to understand - Introduction to Diffusion Tensor Imaging fills this gap.
* Uses extensive illustrations to explain the concept of Diffusion Tensor Imaging
* Easy to understand, even without a background in physics
* Includes sections on image interpretation, experimental design and applications