This volume provides a comprehensive look into the innovative methods used to explore the visual system. From the way the brain processes vision, an imperative part of the human experience, to the role eye movement plays in a range of questions concerning visual perception, memory, attention, free will, and even topological diagnoses, this in-depth handbook gives neurologists, ophthalmologists, and neuro-ophthalmologists an invaluable tool to help them better understand the visual system.

Disorders of the retinal and cerebral cortex, and those that affect control of eye and lid movements are thoroughly discussed, along with groundbreaking visual rehabilitative methods, and chapters on individual parts of the visual system. Practitioners will find a useful resource that lays out fundamental concepts, while seamlessly summarizing clinical and laboratory methods for neuro-ophthalmological evaluation.

The material is perfect for early-stage physicians or long practicing specialists who wish to learn the latest developments in the field.
* A comprehensive resource that explores the innovative methods used to understand the visual system
* An in-depth study of how the brain processes vision, and the role certain functions such as eye movement play in visual diagnosis and memory
* Clinical and laboratory methods of evaluation that are perfect for physicians and specialists in any stage of practice

Neuromodulation is an emerging field that explores the use of electrical, chemical, and mechanical interventions to heal neurological deficits. Suchneurostimulation has already shown great promise with disorders and diseases such as chronic pain, epilepsy, and Parkinson s disease. This is the first concise reference covering all of the basic principles of neuromodulation in a single affordable volume for neuro-residents, fellows, and basic clinical practitioners, edited by two prominent clinical experts in the field.

This volume emphasizes essential observations from all of the important clinical phases involved in any neuromodulation: targeting, intraoperative assessment, programming, complications, and complication avoidance. There are commonalities to all neuromodulation procedures that must be brought to the forefront to form a cohesive presentation of neuromodulation, and such emphasis will give readers a more solid grounding in the fundamentals needed to embrace this field as a cohesive clinical entity.
Chapters offer point-counterpoint commentary for varied perspectivesAppendix distills current guidelines in easy, accessible formatChapters follow story of patient care, effectively emphasizing general principles with supporting examplesOffers outstanding scholarship, with over 20% of chapters involving international contributors"

This volume provides clinicians and scientists with the latest information concerning the muscular dystrophies, paying special attention to the way advancements in molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and other biological sciences provide comprehensive insights into a group of disorders that have only been studied for the past two decades.

Information on both pathogenesis and prospects for treatment are covered, with an emphasis on clinical implications, both now and in the foreseeable future. Clinical wisdom is combined with invaluable perspectives from the most highly experienced physicians, experts, and scientists to bring an authoritative and complete examination of the muscular dystrophies, their diagnosis, and treatments protocols. Insights from this handbook will both enhance and forward efforts for practitioners who care for, and manage, patients with this group of disorders.
* Valuable insights into the muscular dystrophies, including treatment, diagnosis, and care and patient management
* A comprehensive compilation of the combined wisdom of the most highly regarded physicians, experts, and scientists studying the muscular dystrophies
* An evaluation of the way advances in molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and other biological sciences continue to advance the study of these disorders

The Handbook of Clinical Neurology Vol 100: Hyperkinetic Movement Disorders discusses hyperkinetic disorders related mainly to basal ganglia dysfunction and pathology. It contains 13 sections and 51 chapters written by authoritative and experienced investigators and clinicians in this extremely broad and diverse group of diseases and syndromes. The first section on choreoathetoid diseases and syndromes includes chapters on Huntington's disease and Huntington's disease look-alikes; spinocerebellar degenerations; neuroacanthocytosis; entatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy; neuroferritinopathy; neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation; mitochondrial disorders; acquired hepatocerebral degeneration; benign hereditary chorea; and "senile chorea." The remaining chapters focus on the abnormal involuntary movements associated with each disease or syndrome. These include immune-related chorea, vascular chorea, metabolic disturbances that can induce chorea, chorea in other medical settings (e.g., postpump chorea in children, cancer-related paraneoplastic syndromes), myoclonus, essential tremor, and dystonia, including dystonia plus syndromes. There are also chapters on tardive dyskinesia, unusual clinical syndromes, and tics and stereotyped movements in children. The text is a valuable resource for neurology and psychiatry residents, practicing neurologists and psychiatrists, and specialists in movement disorders.

This selection of articles from the Encyclopedia of the Eye covering retina, optics/optic nerve and comparative topics constitutes the first reference for scientists, post docs, and graduate students with an interest beyond standard textbook materials. It covers the full spectrum of research on the retina - from the basic biochemistry of how nerve cells are created to information on neurotransmitters, comparisons of the structure and neuroscience of peripheral vision systems in different species, and all the way through to injury repair and other clinical applications.

*The first single volume to integrate comparative studies into a comprehensive resource on the neuroscience of the retina

*Chapters are carefully selected from the Encyclopedia of the Eye by one of the world's leading vision researchers

*The best researchers in the field provide their conclusions in the context of the latest experimental results

The serotonin 5-HT6 receptor represents a novel pharmacological target whose impact on physiopathology of CNS functions remains undetermined. Some receptor antagonists have been synthesized and they show a modulatory role in learning and memory processes and food intake. The pharmacology of 5-HT6 receptor agonists is still under evaluation. However, both 5-HT6 antagonists and agonists seem to exert potential antidepressant activity. Recently, a second messenger system has been discovered. 5-HT6 receptor function is becoming more and more intriguing. Thus, the aim of the present book is to try to clarify the pharmacology of 5-HT6 receptors.

written by expert researchers covers all published literature to date in the field of 5-HT6 receptors

The thalamus is a group of cells placed centrally in the brain that serve a critical role in controlling how both sensory and motor signals are passed from one part of the cerebral cortex to another. Essentially, all information reaching the cerebral cortex and thus consciousness is relayed through the thalamus. The role of the thalamus in controlling the flow of information (such as visual, auditory, and motor) to the cortex has only recently begun to be understood. This book provides an in-depth look at the function of the thalamus and its role as relayer of information to the cerebral cortex. The authors explore how the thalamus controls messages that are passed to the cortex and they introduce the novel suggestion that the thalamus serves a critical role in controlling how messages pass from one part of the cortex to another. Exploring the Thalamus is a comprehensive, up-to-date reference for researchers. It discusses problems concerning the function and structure of the thalamus and concludes each chapter with thought-provoking questions regarding future research.
Key Features:
* Focuses on thalamocortical interrelationships
* Discusses important problems concerning the function and structure of the thalamus
* Concludes each chapter with thought-provoking questions requiring future research

This volume explores sleep medicine, sleep science, and the sleep disorders that keep one-quarter of the U.S. population from getting this necessary component of normal cognitive functioning and survival.

With an emphasis on diagnostic techniques, particularly imaging, this handbook shines newfound attention on the genetic and clinical aspects of sleep medicine. Advances in basic science are explored, including a better understanding of sleep-wakefulness and new models of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep mechanisms. Advancements in the understanding of sleep-wake-dependent genes, gene products, and the role of sleep duration in mortality and morbidity are also presented, along with fascinating noninvasive neuroimaging studies that demonstrate marked changes in function during different sleep states.

Clinicians will gain new insights into the diagnosis of sleep disorders and sleep science. In addition, researchers will have an invaluable tool that will form a foundation for new approaches into the ongoing study of sleep medicine.
* A comprehensive resource for the study of sleep science, sleep medicine, and sleep disorders
* Fascinating noninvasive neuroimaging studies that demonstrate marked changes during different sleep states
* A state-of-the-art reference that summarizes the clinical features and management of many of the neurological manifestations of sleep disorders

This book provides a comprehensive description of how human sensory systems function, with comparisons of the five senses and detailed descriptions of the functions of each of them. In addition to describing anatomy and function, the book also provides insight as to how sensory information is processed in the brain to provide the basis for communication and for our perception of our surroundings.
The information is presented in a way that is suitable for individuals from diverse disciplines and educational backgrounds. It gives the clinician an understanding of the function of normal and diseased sensory systems and provides a convenient, up-to-date source of information relevant to individuals in the fields of communication and communication disorders. This book is ideal for scientists, clinical researchers, and students in neurology and neuroscience.
Key Features
* Provides comparative descriptions of the anatomy and physiology of all five sensory systems including pain
* Focuses on neural and central processing of sensory information
* Describes parallel processing and stream segregation and the different targets for sensory information including the emotional brain

With recent advances of modern medicine more people reach the "elderly age" around the globe and the number of dementia cases are ever increasing. This book is about various aspects of dementia and provides its readers with a wide range of thought-provoking sub-topics in the field of dementia. The ultimate goal of this monograph is to stimulate other physicians' and neuroscientists' interest to carry out more research projects into pathogenesis of this devastating group of diseases.

With recent advances of modern medicine more people reach the "elderly age" around the globe and the number of dementia cases are ever increasing. This book is about various aspects of dementia and provides its readers with a wide range of thought-provoking sub-topics in the field of dementia. The ultimate goal of this monograph is to stimulate other physicians' and neuroscientists' interest to carry out more research projects into pathogenesis of this devastating group of diseases.

The increasing realization among behaviorists and psychologists is that many animals learn by observation as members of social systems. Such settings contribute to the formation of culture. This book combines the knowledge of two groups of scientists with different backgrounds to establish a working consensus for future research. The book is divided into two major sections, with contributions by a well-known, international, and interdisciplinary team which integrates these growing areas of inquiry.
Key Features
* Integrates the broad range of scientific approaches being used in the studies of social learning and imitation, and society and culture
* Provides an introduction to this field of study as well as a starting point for the more experienced researcher
* Chapters are succinct reviews of innovative discoveries and progress made during the past decade
* Includes statements of varied theoretical perspectives on controversial topics
* Authoritative contributions by an international team of leading researchers

Stress is a universal phenomenon that impacts adversely on most people. Following on the heels of "Stress Science: Neuroendocrinology" and "Stress Consequences: Mental, Neuropsychological and Socioeconomic," this third derivative volume will provide a readily accessible and affordable compendium that explains the phenomenon of stress as it relates physically and mentally to war, conflict and disaster. The first section will be dedicated to study of the link between stress and various forms of conflict. Specific instances of conflict will be discussed - the Gulf wars, Korea, Hiroshima bombing, the Holocaust, 9/11, Northern Ireland, terrorism in general, torture. The second section will explore the stress impact of more general physical disasters such as airline and vehicle accidents, earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. The final section will focus on the clinical relationship between conflict stress and various mental diseases - PTSD, suicide, disaster syndrome, etc - as well as the adverse impact of stress on human physical health in general.

Comprised of about 100 top articles selected from Elsevier s "Encyclopedias of Stress," the volume will provide a valuable desk reference that will put relevant articles readily at the fingertips of all scientists who consider stress.

Chapters offer impressive and unique scope with topics addressing the relationship between stress generated by war, conflict and disaster and various physical/mental disorders Richly illustrated with over 200 figures, dozens in color Articles carefully selected by one of the world s most preeminent stress researchers and contributors represent the most outstanding scholarship in the field, with each chapter providing fully vetted and reliable expert knowledge"

Published since 1959, "International Review of Neurobiology" is a well-known series appealing to neuroscientists, clinicians, psychologists, physiologists, and pharmacologists. Led by an internationally renowned editorial board, this important serial publishes both eclectic volumes made up of timely reviews and thematic volumes that focus on recent progress in a specific area of neurobiology research.

With recent advancements in new knowledge, it has become evident that psychostimulants and related drugs of abuse are influencing our central nervous system (CNS) remarkably and could alter their function for a longtime. This volume is the first to focus on substance abuse induced brain pathology in the widest sense as it covers alterations in neuronal, glial and endothelial cell functions under the influence of acute or chronic usage of substance abuse.

Published since 1959, "International Review of Neurobiology" is a well-known series appealing to neuroscientists, clinicians, psychologists, physiologists, and pharmacologists. Led by an internationally renowned editorial board, this important serial publishes both eclectic volumes made up of timely reviews and thematic volumes that focus on recent progress in a specific area of neurobiology research.

This volume is a collection of articles covering "Novel Approaches to Studying Basal Ganglia and Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders. "Topics covered include molecular profiling of direct and indirect striatal medium spiny neurons, the role of epigenetics in development and function of basal ganglia and transgenic animal models for Parkinson's disease.

This fully revised 2e provides the only unified synthesis of available information concerning the mechanisms of higher-order memory formation. It spans the range from learning theory, to human and animal behavioral learning models, to cellular physiology and biochemistry. It is unique in its incorporation of chapters on memory disorders, tying in these clinically important syndromes with the basic science of synaptic plasticity and memory mechanisms. It also covers cutting-edge approaches such as the use of genetically engineered animals in studies of memory and memory diseases. Written in an engaging and easily readable style and extensively illustrated with many new, full-color figures to help explain key concepts, this book demystifies the complexities of memory and deepens the reader s understanding.
More than 25% new content, particularly expanding the scope to include new findings in translational research. Unique in its depth of coverage of molecular and cellular mechanisms Extensive cross-referencing to Comprehensive Learning and Memory Discusses clinically relevant memory disorders in the context of modern molecular research and includes numerous practical examples
"

Stress is a universal phenomenon that impacts adversely on most people. This volume provides a readily accessible compendium that explains the phenomenon of stress, the neural, endocrine and molecular mechanisms involved, the clinical effects, and the impact on individuals and society. Clinical attention focuses on disorders of the stress control system (e.g. Cushing s Syndrome: Addison s Disease) and the adverse impact of stress on human physicaland mental health . Detailed reviews address disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, major depression, psychoses and related disorders such as combat fatigue and burnout. The work covers interactions between stress and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer s disease and Parkinson s disease, as well as stress-immune-inflammatory interactions in relation to cancer and autoimmune and viral diseases. Emphasis is alsoplaced on the role of stress in obesity, hypertension, diabetes type II and other features of the metabolic syndrome which has now reached epidemic proportions in the USA and other countries.
Chapters offer impressive scope with topics addressing animal studies, disaster, diurnal rhythms, drug effects and treatments, cognition and emotion, physical illness, psychopathology, immunology and inflammation, lab studies and tests, and psychological / biochemical / genetic aspects

Richly illustrated with over 200 figures, 75 in color

Priced affordably, this compendium of articles appeals to the end user interested in stress research who would not otherwise purchase the larger Encyclopedia of Stress

Articles carefully selected by one of the world s most preeminent stress researchers and contributors represent the most outstanding scholarship in the field, with each chapter providing fully vetted and reliable expert knowledge "

Intercellular communication is part of a complex system of communication that governs basic cellular activities and coordinates cell actions. The ability of cells to perceive and correctly respond to their environment is the basis of growth and development, tissue repair, and immunity as well as normal tissue homeostasis. Errors in cellular information processing are responsible for diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, diabetes, and neurological and psychiatric disorders. There is substantial drug development concentrating on this and intercellular communication is the basis of much of neuropharmacology. By understanding cell signaling, diseases may be treated effectively and, theoretically, artificial tissues may be yielded. Neurotransmitters/receptors, synaptic structure and organization, gap junctions, neurotrophic factors and neuropeptides are all explored in this volume, as are the ways in which signaling controls neuroendocrinology, neuroimmunology and neuropharmacology. "Intercellular Communication in the Nervous System"provides a valuable desk reference for all scientists who consider signaling.

* Chapters offer impressive scope with topics addressing neurotransmitters/receptors, synaptic structure and organization, neuropeptides, gap junctions, neuropharmacology and more * Richly illustrated in full color with over 200 figures * Contributors represent the most outstanding scholarship in the field, with each chapter providing fully vetted and reliable expert knowledge"

Developmental Neuroscience is one of the six core disciplines in Neuroscience, and yet no single volume, non-textbookreference exists on the market that provides researchers with more in-depth, high-levelinformation on developmental neurobiology. Currently, anyone interested in the field at a higher level must sift through review articles published frequently and the more specific handbooks that focus on aspects of development rather than the field as a whole.

This reference is the first of its kind to fill this need. It pulls together the relevant articles on the topic from the 10-volume Encyclopedia of Neuroscience (Academic Press, 2008) and serves as an affordable and immediate resource for scientists, postdocs, graduate students with an interest beyond the basic textbook materials on the subject.
The first and only comprehensive, single-volume reference for developmental neuroscience that goes beyond the basic textbook informationThe 93 chapters cover topics ranging from cell fate determination, path finding, synapse generation, neural stem cells, to neurodegeneration and regeneration, carefully selected from the "Encyclopedia of Neuroscience" by one of the great developmental neuroscientists, Greg LemkeThe best researchers in the field provide their conclusions in the context of the latest experimental results"

Stress is a universal phenomenon that impacts adversely on most people. This volume provides a readily accessible compendium that focuses on the physical and psychological consequences of stress for individuals and society. Clinical attention focuses on disorders of the stress control system (e.g. Cushing s Syndrome: Addison s Disease) and the adverse impact of stress on human physical and mental health. Detailed reviews address disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, major depression, psychoses and related disorders such as combat fatigue and burnout. The work covers interactions between stress and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer s disease and Parkinson s disease, as well as stress-immune-inflammatory interactions in relation to cancer and autoimmune and viral diseases. Emphasis is also placed on the role of stress in obesity, hypertension, diabetes type II and other features of the metabolic syndrome which has now reached epidemic proportions in the USA and other countries.
Chapters offer impressive scope with topics addressing animal studies, disaster, diurnal rhythms, drug effects and treatments, cognition and emotion, physical illness, psychopathology, immunology and inflammation, lab studies and tests, and psychological / biochemical / genetic aspects Richly illustrated in full color with over 200 figures Articles carefully selected by one of the world s most preeminent stress researchers and contributors represent the most outstanding scholarship in the field, with each chapter providing fully vetted and reliable expert knowledge"

This well-established international series examines major areas of basic and clinical research within neuroscience, as well as emerging and promising subfields.

This volume explores interdisciplinary research on Attention and interaction of Attention with other cognitive processes including perception, learning, and memory. The papers cover major research on attention in Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology. The volume presents recent advances on attention including binding, dynamics of attention, attention and perceptual organization, attention and consciousness, emotion and attention, development of attention, crossmodal attention, computational modeling of attention, control of actions, attention and memory, and meditation.

This volume provides a broad overview of important new advances in the field of Neuropharmacology. In 20 chapters, a selection of international contributors discuss topics including endocannabinoid function, pain, stress, astrocytes etc, and new possibilities for treatments of neurological diseases with neuropharmacological approaches.
- Cutting-edge articles in neuropharmacology
- Discusses new possibilities for treatments of neurological disorders
- Very international authorship providing a global view of the state of research

The importance of chloride ions in cell physiology has not been fully recognized until recently, in spite of the fact that chloride (Cl-), together with bicarbonate, is the most abundant free anion in animal cells, and performs or determines fundamental biological functions in all tissues. For many years it was thought that Cl- was distributed in thermodynamic equilibrium across the plasma membrane of most cells. Research carried out during the last couple of decades has led to a dramatic change in this simplistic view. We now know that most animal cells, neurons included, exhibit a non-equilibrium distribution of Cl- across their plasma membranes. Over the last 10 to 15 years, with the growth of molecular biology and the advent of new optical methods, an enormous amount of exciting new information has become available on the molecular structure and function of Cl- channels and carriers. In nerve cells, Cl- channels and carriers play key functional roles in GABA- and glycine-mediated synaptic inhibition, neuronal growth and development, extracellular potassium scavenging, sensory-transduction, neurotransmitter uptake and cell volume control. Disruption of Cl- homeostasis in neurons underlies pathological conditions such as epilepsy, deafness, imbalance, brain edema and ischemia, pain and neurogenic inflammation. This book is about how chloride ions are regulated and how they cross the plasma membrane of neurons. It spans from molecular structure and function of carriers and channels involved in Cl- transport to their role in various diseases.
* The first comprehensive book on the structure, molecular biology, cell physiology, and role in diseases of chloride transporters / channels in the nervous system in almost 20 years
* Chloride is the most abundant free anion in animal cells. THis book summarizes and integrates for the first time the important research of the past two decades that has shown that Cl- channels and carriers play key functional roles in GABA- and glycine-mediated synaptic inhibition, neuronal growth and development, extracellular potassium scavenging, sensory-transduction, neurotransmitter uptake and cell volume control.
* The first book that systematically discusses the result of disruption of Cl- homeostasis in neurons which underlies pathological conditions such as epilepsy, deafness, imbalance, brain edema and ischemia, pain and neurogenic inflammation.
* Spanning topics from molecular structure and function of carriers and channels involved in Cl- transport to their role in various diseases.
* Involves all of the leading researchers in the field.
* INcludes an extensive introductory section that covers basic thermodynamic and kinetics aspects of Cl- transport, as well as current methods for studying Cl- regulation, spanning from fluorescent dyes in single cells to knock-out models to make the book available for a growing population of graduate students and postdocs entering the field.

This book addresses a fundamental question about the nature of behavior: how does the brain process reward and makes decisions when facing multiple options? The book presents the most recent and compelling lesion, neuroimaging, electrophysiological and computational studies, in combination with hormonal and genetic studies, which have led to a clearer understanding of neural mechanisms behind reward and decision making. The neural bases of reward and decision making processes are of great interest to scientists because of the fundamental role of reward in a number of behavioral processes (such as motivation, learning and cognition) and because of their theoretical and clinical implications for understanding dysfunctions of the dopaminergic system in several neurological and psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, drug addiction, pathological gambling, ...).

* Comprehensive coverage of approaches to studying reward and decision making, including primate neurophysiology and brain imaging studies in healthy humans and in various disorders, genetic and hormonal influences on the reward system and computational models.

* Covers clinical implications of process dysfunction (e.g., schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, eating disorders, drug addiction, pathological gambling)

* Uses multiple levels of analysis, from molecular mechanisms to neural systems dynamics and computational models.

" "This is a very interesting and authoritative handbook by some of the most outstanding investigators in the field of reward and decision making "," Professor Edmund T. Rolls, Oxford Center for Computational Neuroscience, UK

A single volume of 41 articles, Hormone/Behavior Relations of Clinical Importance is an authoritative selection of relevant chapters from the Hormones Brain and Behavior 2e MRW, the most comprehensive source of neuroendocrinological information assembled to date (AP July 2009).
The study of hormones as they impact the brain and, subsequently, behavior is a central topic in neuroscience, endocrinology and psychiatry. This volume offers an overview of neuroendocrinological topics, approaching the subject from the perspective of hormone-brain function, hormone-behavior relations, sex differences, and the impact on various diseases/pathologies. Many basic human behavioral functions are subject to the influence of hormones - sexual orientation, the experience of pain, fertility, immunity - as are clinical conditions such as diabetes, substance abuse disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, TBI, pain, Alzheimer's, stress/anxiety, affective disorders, and more. There is considerable commercial clinical potential in the study of hormones - drug companies are currently developing a Cholecystokinin (hormonal peptide) booster to reduce appetite in those who suffer from sever obesity, and catamenial epilepsy (features seizure exacerbation in relation to the menstrual cycle) is resistant to treatment by standard antiepileptic medications, but may be hormonally controlled. These issues and more are covered, and there is simply no other current single-volume reference with such comprehensive coverage and depth.
Authors selected are the internationally renowned experts for the particular topics on which they write, and the volume is richly illustrated with over 150 figures (50 in color). A collection of articles reviewing our fundamental knowledge of neuroendocrinology, the book provides an essential, affordable reference for researchers, clinicians and graduate students in the area.
- Offering outstanding scholarship, each chapter is written by an expert in the topic area and approximately 25% of chapters are written by international contributors (7 countries represented)
- Provides more fully vetted expert knowledge than any existing work with broad appeal for the US, UK and Europe, accurately crediting the contributions to research in those regions
- Heavily illustrated with 150 figures, approximately 50 in color, presenting the material in the most visually useful form for the reader
- Fully explores various clinical conditions associated with the hormones and the brain (PTSD, TBI, Stress & Anxiety, eating disorders, diabetes, addictive disorders, Alzheimer's, affective disorders)
- Broad coverage of disorders makes the volume relevant to clinicians as well as researchers and basic scientists