This book shows how to develop efficient quantitative methods to characterize neural data and extra information that reveals underlying dynamics and neurophysiological mechanisms. Written by active experts in the field, it contains an exchange of innovative ideas among researchers at both computational and experimental ends, as well as those at the interface. Authors discuss research challenges and new directions in emerging areas with two goals in mind: to collect recent advances in statistics, signal processing, modeling, and control methods in neuroscience; and to welcome and foster innovative or cross-disciplinary ideas along this line of research and discuss important research issues in neural data analysis. Making use of both tutorial and review materials, this book is written for neural, electrical, and biomedical engineers; computational neuroscientists; statisticians; computer scientists; and clinical engineers.

Epilepsy is a devastating group of neurological disorders characterized by periodic and unpredictable seizure activity in the brain. There is a critical need for new drugs and approaches given than at least one-third of all epilepsy patients are not made free of seizures by existing medications and become "medically refractory". Much of epilepsy research has focused on neuronal therapeutic targets, but current antiepileptic drugs often cause severe cognitive, developmental, and behavioral side effects. Recent findings indicate a critical contribution of astrocytes, star-shaped glial cells in the brain, to neuronal and network excitability and seizure activity. Furthermore, many important cellular and molecular changes occur in astrocytes in epileptic tissue in both humans and animal models of epilepsy. The goal of Astrocytes and Epilepsy is to comprehensively review exciting findings linking changes in astrocytes to functional changes responsible for epilepsy for the first time in book format. These insights into astrocyte contribution to seizure susceptibility indicate that astrocytes may represent an important new therapeutic target in the control of epilepsy. Astrocytes and Epilepsy includes background explanatory text on astrocyte morphology and physiology, epilepsy models and syndromes, and evidence from both human tissue studies and animal models linking functional changes in astrocytes to epilepsy. Beautifully labelled diagrams are presented and relevant figures from the literature are reproduced to elucidate key findings and concepts in this rapidly emerging field. Astrocytes and Epilepsy is written for neuroscientists, epilepsy researchers, astrocyte investigators as well as neurologists and other specialists caring for patients with epilepsy.

Fundamental biochemical studies of basic brain metabolism focusing on the neuroactive amino acids glutamate and GABA combined with the seminal observation that one of the key enzymes, glutamine synthetase is localized in astroglial cells but not in neurons resulted in the formulation of the term "The Glutamate-Glutamine Cycle." In this cycle glutamate released from neurons is taken up by surrounding astrocytes, amidated by the action of glutamine synthetase to glutamine which can be transferred back to the neurons. The conversion of glutamate to glutamine is like a stealth technology, hiding the glutamate molecule which would be highly toxic to neurons due to its excitotoxic action. This series of reactions require the concerted and precise interaction of a number of enzymes and plasma membrane transporters, and this volume provides in-depth descriptions of these processes. Obviously such a series of complicated reactions may well be prone to malfunction and therefore neurological diseases are likely to be associated with such malfunction of the enzymes and transporters involved in the cycle. These aspects are also discussed in several chapters of the book. A number of leading experts in neuroscience including intermediary metabolism, enzymology and transporter physiology have contributed to this book which provides comprehensive discussions of these different aspects of the functional importance of the glutamate-glutamine cycle coupling homeostasis of glutamatergic, excitatory neurotransmission to basic aspects of brain energy metabolism. This book will be of particular importance for students as well as professionals interested in these fundamental processes involved in brain function and dysfunction.

This volume presents methods for the analysis of genomic variability in vertebrate neurons and broadens our knowledge in the ways we understand the brain and its neurons. The chapters in this book are divided into 5 parts, and cover the following topics: principles and approaches for discovery of somatic mosaicism in the brain, aneuploidy and ploidy variation, DNA copy number variation, LINE-1 retrotransposition, and genetic and genomic mosaicism in aging and disease. In Neuromethods series style, chapters include the kind of detail and key advice from the specialists needed to get successful results in your laboratory. Cutting-edge and authoritative, Genomic Mosaicism in Neurons and Other Cell Types is a valuable resource for learning about the latest techniques for the analysis of genome and genetic mosaicism in vertebrate neurons.

The 2nd World Congress on Genetics, Geriatrics and Neurodegenerative Disease Research (GeNeDis 2016), will focus on recent advances in geriatrics and neurodegeneration, ranging from basic science to clinical and pharmaceutical developments and will provide an international focum for the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, and care initiatives. Advances information technologies will be discussed along with their implications for various research, implementation, and policy concerns. In addition, the conference will address European and global issues in the funding of long-term care and medico-social policies regarding elderly people. GeNeDis 2016 takes place in Sparta, Greece, 20-23 October, 2016. This volume focuses on thesessions that address neurodegenerative diseases.

In this provocative text, a noted neuroscientist reexamines Freud's posthumously published Project of Scientific Psychology in the light of modern neuroscience. This expanded "thermodynamics of the mind" model includes robust conceptions of the cellular and neural processes that accompany creation of consciousness and memory, their contributions to such conditions as depression, dissociative disorders, and schizophrenia, and implications for practice, from imaging to talk-based therapies to pharmacotherapy. Central to this construct is Freud's proposal of specific "omega" neurons as the most volatile carriers of consciousness between mind and brain, which is applied to current issues regarding complexity and executive functioning. In addition, the book is extensively referenced, allowing readers to investigate these and related phenomena in greater detail. Among the topics covered: Neural reductionism in Freud's "Project" and neuropsychoanalysis. Thermodynamics and brain self-organization. Conflicting information and the dissociated mind. The Cartesian model of the mind and the binding problem. Neuroendocrine and immune response to stress. The concept of omega neurons and modern chaos theory. Rigorous, challenging, and occasionally startling, The Brain and Conscious Unity is a milestone in the neuroscience and mind/brain literature to be read and discussed by psychiatrists, psychologists, and neuropsychologists.

The Migraine Brain, edited by David Borsook, Arne May, Peter J. Goadsby, and Richard Hargreaves, makes a major contribution to the field, addressing the increasingly sophisticated neuroimaging techniques that have allowed researchers to begin to define functional and anatomical characteristics of migraine and other less-common types of headache. Of particular focus is how imaging is changing the way we understand migraine. This includes changes in function, structure and chemistry of the migraine brain. Included are sections that focus on particular aspects of migraine, for example the migraine aura: those symptoms that cause visual sensitivity (blinding white light), sensory difficulty (loud noises, painful touch, and hot/cold spells), slurred language, and motor dysfunction.
Extensively illustrated throughout, The Migraine Brain provides a general overview of the history of migraine, its pathophysiology, as well as in-depth details on the Clinical Perspectives and the different imaging techniques in use (MR, fMRI, DTI, VBM, PET, fMRI, and MEG). It also includes details on modulation of the brain using such techniques as TMS. The book concludes with a discussion of future uses of imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of migraines and other headaches.
A collation of the top thinkers in the field and the only book of its kind, The Migraine Brain is necessary reading for neurologists and neuroscientists.

This work is motivated by the ongoing open question of how information in the outside world is represented and processed by the brain. Consequently, several novel methods are developed. A new mathematical formulation is proposed for the encoding and decoding of analog signals using integrate-and-fire neuron models. Based on this formulation, a novel algorithm, significantly faster than the state-of-the-art method, is proposed for reconstructing the input of the neuron. Two new identification methods are proposed for neural circuits comprising a filter in series with a spiking neuron model. These methods reduce the number of assumptions made by the state-of-the-art identification framework, allowing for a wider range of models of sensory processing circuits to be inferred directly from input-output observations. A third contribution is an algorithm that computes the spike time sequence generated by an integrate-and-fire neuron model in response to the output of a linear filter, given the input of the filter encoded with the same neuron model.

Drawing on shared research experiences and collaborative projects, this book offers a broad and timely perspective on research on the hand and its current challenges. It especially emphasizes the interdisciplinary context in which researchers need to be trained in contemporary science. From language to psychology, from neurology to the social sciences, and from art to philosophy and religion, the chapters discuss various aspects involved in hand research and therapy. On the basis of concrete and validated case studies, they approach hand function and gestures from different perspectives - not only neurological and medical, but also philosophical, evolutionary and anthropological. By highlighting the overlaps between different areas of research, the book seeks to foster better communication between researchers, and ultimately a better understanding of hand function and its recovery. It offers essential information and inspirations for students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of psychology, epistemology, bioengineering, neuroscience, anthropology and bioethics.

Using historical and anthropological perspectives to examine mind-body relationships in western thought, this book interweaves topics that are usually disconnected to tell a big, important story in the histories of medicine, science, philosophy, religion, and political rhetoric. Beginning with early debates during the Scientific Revolution about representation and reality, Martensen demonstrates how investigators such as Vesalius and Harvey sought to transform long-standing notions of the body as dominated by spirit-like humors into portrayals that emphasized its solid tissues. Subsequently, Descartes and Willis and their followers amended this 'new' philosophy to argue for the primacy of the cerebral hemispheres and cranial nerves as they downplayed the role of the spirit, passion, and the heart in human thought and behaviour. None of this occurred in a social vacuum, and the book places these medical and philosophical innovations in the context of the religious and political crises of the Reformation and English Civil War and its aftermath. Patrons and their interests are part of the story, as are patients and new formulations of gender. John Locke's psychology and the emergence in England of a constitutional monarchy figure prominently, as do opponents of the new doctrines of brain and nerves and the emergent social order. The book's concluding chapter discusses how debates over investigative methods and models of body order that first raged over 300 years ago continue to influence biomedicine and the broader culture today. No other book on western mind-body relationships has attempted this.

The world within reach is characterised to a large extent by our ability to sense objects through touch. Research into the sensation of touch has a long history. However, it is only relatively recently that significant advances have been made in understanding how information about objects we touch is represented in both the peripheral and central divisions of the nervous systems. This volume draws together the increasing body of knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying tactile sensation and how they relate to tactile perception.
Individual chapters address; the response of mechanoreceptors to stimuli (including movement and shape), the role of the somatosensory cortex in processing tactile information, the psychophysics and neurophysiology of the detection and categorisation of somesthetic stimuli, perceptual constancy, recent findings in regard to short term and long term plasticity in the somatosensory cortex and the psychophysical correlates of this plasticity, and parallel versus serial information processing in the cortex.
The authors look at past and current research, and comment on the direction of future investigation, relating findings from psychophysical studies of tactile behavior to our growing understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms.

This detailed volume collects protocols for experimentation into how neurons connect to produce the extraordinary functionalities of the nervous system. Contributed by experts and pioneers in their respective techniques, the book covers synapses in the brain and in culture, their constituents, their structures, their dynamics, and the assemblies they form, all in the structure of a laboratory guide. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Synapse Development: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide to minimizing the barrier to entry for the integration of new approaches with existing expertise, producing syntheses that will foster novel perspectives on the many ways in which synapses form, transform, and transmit.

Our visual system can process information at both conscious and unconscious levels. Understanding the factors that control whether a stimulus reaches our awareness, and the fate of those stimuli that remain at an unconscious level, are the major challenges of brain science in the new millennium. Since its publication in 1984, Visual Masking has established itself as a classic text in the field of cognitive psychology. In the years since, there have been considerable advances in the cognitive neurosciences, and a growth of interest in the topic of consciousness, and the time is ripe for a new edition of this text. Where most current approaches to the study of visual consciousness adopt a 'steady-state' view, the approach presented in this book explores its dynamic properties. This new edition uses the technique of visual masking to explore temporal aspects of conscious and unconscious processes down to a resolution in the millisecond range. The 'time slices' through conscious and unconscious vision revealed by the visual masking technique can shed light on both normal and abnormal operations in the brain. The main focus of this book is on the microgenesis of visual form and pattern perception - microgenesis referring to the processes occurring in the visual system from the time of stimulus presentation on the retinae to the time, a few hundred milliseconds later, of its registration at conscious or unconscious perceptual and behavioural levels. The book takes a highly integrative approach by presenting microgenesis within a broad context encompassing visuo-temporal phenomena, attention, and consciousness.

Presents a comprehensive review of nonhuman primate audition and vocal communication. These are obviously intimately related topics, but are often addressed separately. The hearing abilities of primates have been tested experimentally in a large number of species across the primate order, and these studies have revealed both consistent patterns as well as interesting variation within and between taxonomic groups. Recent studies have shed light on how variation in anatomical structures along the auditory pathway relates to variation in auditory sensitivity. At the same time, ongoing studies of vocal communication in wild primate populations continue to reveal new insights into the social and environmental contexts of many primate calls, and the range of known primate vocalizations has increased dramatically with the development of more sophisticated and accessible auditory equipment and software that enables the recording and analysis of higher-fidelity and broader-band recordings, including documenting very high frequency (i.e. ultrasound) vocalizations. Historically the relative importance of primate calls has been evaluated qualitatively by the perception of the researcher, but new methods and approaches now enable a greater appreciation for how signals are used and perceived by the primates in question. The integration of anatomical and behavioral data on acoustic communication and the environmental correlates thereof has significant potential for reconstructing behavior in the fossil record. This confluence of factors and accumulating evidence for the sophistication and complexity in both the signal and its interpretation indicate that a book synthesizing this information across primates is warranted and represents an important contribution to the literature.

Evolution gave rise to a prominent insect diversity at every level of ecological niche. Since then, hordes of insects have threatened human and cattle health as well as most of all green lands and agricultural crops. Now, the insect problem expands from many mutant forms of yellow dengue fever mosquitoes to highly-resistant larvae of most all various phytophageous species. The tremendous expansion of insects is due not only to an increasing resistance capacity to insecticides, but also to a strong capacity for adapting to different climate and environmental changes, including global warming. Obviously insects display a number of rudimentary systems to build an extremely efficient organism to survive in a changing world. In many species, one pheromone molecule is enough to trigger mating behavior. Therefore, insects have become crucial models not only for evolutionary studies, but also for understanding specific mechanisms underlying sensory-based behaviors. Most of insect species such as ants, beetles, cockroaches, locusts, moths and mosquitoes largely rely on olfactory cues to explore the environment and find con-specifics or food sources. A conglomerate of renowned international scientific experts is gathered to expose the insect problem on the various continents of the planet and propose an alternative to the use of toxic insecticides. Sex pheromones, specific chemical signals necessary for reproduction, and pheromone detection in insects are described with full details of the olfactory mechanisms in the antennae and higher centers in the brain. Thus, new synthetic pheromones and/or plant odors with specific molecular target sites in the insect olfactory system are proposed for sustainable development in agricultural and entomological industries. Disrupting insect pheromone channels and plant odor detection mechanisms is solemnly envisioned as a unique way to control invasive insect pest species while preserving human and environment safety.

This book will provide current understandings about two ubiquitously expressed metabotropic GPCRs, G-coupled purinoreceptor type 2 (P2Y) and Takeda G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 5 (TGR5). G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of proteins implicated in majority of cellular responses. The two receptor sub-families play a central role in many physiological functions as well as in many pathological conditions. This book offers up-to-date information on the physiological functions, signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms of P2Y and TGR5 receptors. In addition, this book provides a comprehensive overview about the abnormalities of P2Y/TGR5 receptors and their contribution in the development and progression of pathological conditions. It also covers the currently available natural, chemical and pharmacological agents targeting these two receptor families and their therapeutic implications in P2Y and TGR5 associated disorders. This book is a valuable source for beginners and researchers to follow the rapidly progressing field of these two GPCR subfamily members.

This book is the first to summarize the progress of research on neural functions of the the delta opioid receptor (DOR) to date. This receptor, a member of the opioid receptor family, was traditionally thought to be primarily involved in pain modulation. Recent new findings have shown its unique role in neuroprotection and many other functions. Many scientists from a number of independent laboratories have now confirmed that DOR can provide neuroprotection against hypoxic/ischemic injuries. They have also found that it plays a role in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological events such as hypoxic encephalopathy, epilepsy, acupuncture, Parkinson's disease, etc. by regulating ionic homeostasis, glutamate transportation and signaling, and balancing intracellular survival/death signals. The book will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of DOR research and provide a blueprint for future directions.

Focusing on two central themes--the psychobiological evolution from youth to adult and the effects of drugs on the developing central nervous system--this important reference elucidates the mechanisms of chemical dependency in adolescents. Its multidisciplinary coverage analyzes addiction across major domains of human functioning against the backdrop of hormonal, cognitive, and other changes that accompany the transition to adulthood. Chapters discuss legal as well as illicit drugs, examine age-related social contexts, and present the latest findings on links between drug use and mental disorders. Throughout, the contributors make clear that education is more valuable to understanding--and preventing--substance abuse than are prohibition and zero-tolerance thinking. Included among the topics: Cognitive development, learning, and drug use. Neurobiology of the action of drugs of abuse. Findings in adolescents with substance dependence based on neuroimaging tests. Alcohol abuse in adolescents: relevance of animal models. Effects of chronic drug abuse on the chronobiology of sleep in adolescents. Neurological and cognitive disorders arising from the chronic use of drugs of abuse. The multiple lenses for understanding its subject and the sensitivity with which causal nuances are treated make Neuroscience of Drug Abuse in Adolescence an invaluable resource for clinical and child psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and addiction counselors.

Ions, their transport across membranes, and their flow through specialized ion channels are central to the understanding of brain function, normal and pathological. The first part of this book deals with the regulation of ions in brain extra- and intracellular fluids. Regulation is effected by the blood-brain barrier, and by membrane ion pumps and other transport mechanisms of neurons and glial cells. Normally adjusted for optimal neural function, ion levels can change and alter the excitability of neurons and influence synaptic transmission in healthy and diseased brains. After an introduction to the electrophysiology of epilepsy, and a description of experimental seizure "models," the second part discusses the roles of the faulty regulation of ions and of the diseases of ion channels in generating epileptic seizures. The mechanisms of action of various anticonvulsant drugs are also considered. The third part is devoted to the phenomenon of spreading depression and its likely role in human diseases. The final chapters of the book deal with the role of ions in the devastation caused by lack of oxygen and by insufficient blood flow to brain tissue, and the reasons for the exceptional vulnerability of certain classes of central neurons in hypoxia and stroke. The book will be of interest to neuroscientists, neurobiologists, neurophysiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, and to their students and trainees.

This book is intended for use in advanced graduate courses in statistics / machine learning, as well as for all experimental neuroscientists seeking to understand statistical methods at a deeper level, and theoretical neuroscientists with a limited background in statistics. It reviews almost all areas of applied statistics, from basic statistical estimation and test theory, linear and nonlinear approaches for regression and classification, to model selection and methods for dimensionality reduction, density estimation and unsupervised clustering. Its focus, however, is linear and nonlinear time series analysis from a dynamical systems perspective, based on which it aims to convey an understanding also of the dynamical mechanisms that could have generated observed time series. Further, it integrates computational modeling of behavioral and neural dynamics with statistical estimation and hypothesis testing. This way computational models in neuroscience are not only explanatory frameworks, but become powerful, quantitative data-analytical tools in themselves that enable researchers to look beyond the data surface and unravel underlying mechanisms. Interactive examples of most methods are provided through a package of MatLab routines, encouraging a playful approach to the subject, and providing readers with a better feel for the practical aspects of the methods covered. "Computational neuroscience is essential for integrating and providing a basis for understanding the myriads of remarkable laboratory data on nervous system functions. Daniel Durstewitz has excellently covered the breadth of computational neuroscience from statistical interpretations of data to biophysically based modeling of the neurobiological sources of those data. His presentation is clear, pedagogically sound, and readily useable by experts and beginners alike. It is a pleasure to recommend this very well crafted discussion to experimental neuroscientists as well as mathematically well versed Physicists. The book acts as a window to the issues, to the questions, and to the tools for finding the answers to interesting inquiries about brains and how they function." Henry D. I. Abarbanel Physics and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego "This book delivers a clear and thorough introduction to sophisticated analysis approaches useful in computational neuroscience. The models described and the examples provided will help readers develop critical intuitions into what the methods reveal about data. The overall approach of the book reflects the extensive experience Prof. Durstewitz has developed as a leading practitioner of computational neuroscience. " Bruno B. Averbeck

This set includes Volumes 1-7 of 15 short atlases reimagining the classic 5 volume Atlas of Human Central Nervous System Development. A handy paperback edition completes the coverage of the first trimester of human brain development. Serial sections from specimens between 4mm and 60mm are illustrated and annotated in great detail, together with 3D reconstructions. An introduction and glossary summarize these earliest stages of human Central Nervous System development. Key Features 1) Classic anatomical atlases 2) Detailed labeling of the earliest phases of prenatal neurological development 3) Appeals to neuroanatomists, developmental biologists and clinical practitioners. 4) Persistent relevance - brain development is not going to change.

Circadian rhythms influence most of our life activities, notably getting up and going to sleep every day. This new edition of Circadian Physiology delves into the mechanisms surrounding how these rhythms work, the physiology and biology behind them, and the latest research on this cutting-edge field. The book also discusses a wide variety of practical topics including the prevention of jet lag, management of shift work, sleep disorders, depression, and the optimal times for physical and intellectual activities. To facilitate its use as a textbook, the book contains summaries, suggestions for further reading, links to pertinent websites, and exercises at the end of each chapter. It also includes software for data analysis, tutorials, and simulation programs discussed throughout the text. In addition, more than a thousand references have been added, resulting in a total of more than 6000 references. The text has been thoroughly updated as a result of major advances in recent years. This edition adds discussion on the anatomical and physiological characterization of photoresponsive ganglionic cells in the mammalian retina, molecular circadian clocks in cells of multiple organs other than the hypothalamus and the pineal gland, and advances in the understanding of post-translational mechanisms in the operation of the molecular clock.

Neuropathology of Drug Addictions and Substance Misuse, Volume 2: Stimulants, Club and Dissociative Drugs, Hallucinogens, Steroids, Inhalants and International Aspects is the second of three volumes in this informative series and offers a comprehensive examination of the adverse consequences of the most common drugs of abuse. Each volume serves to update the reader's knowledge on the broader field of addiction as well as to deepen understanding of specific addictive substances. Volume 2 addresses stimulants, club and dissociative drugs, hallucinogens, and inhalants and solvents. Each section provides data on the general, molecular and cellular, and structural and functional neurological aspects of a given substance, with a focus on the adverse consequences of addictions. Research shows that the neuropathological features of one addiction are often applicable to those of others, and understanding these commonalties provides a platform for studying specific addictions in more depth and may ultimately lead researchers toward new modes of understanding, causation, prevention, and treatment. However, marshalling data on the complex relationships between addictions is difficult due to the myriad material and substances.

This book provides an overview of neural information processing research, which is one of the most important branches of neuroscience today. Neural information processing is an interdisciplinary subject, and the merging interaction between neuroscience and mathematics, physics, as well as information science plays a key role in the development of this field. This book begins with the anatomy of the central nervous system, followed by an introduction to various information processing models at different levels. The authors all have extensive experience in mathematics, physics and biomedical engineering, and have worked in this multidisciplinary area for a number of years. They present classical examples of how the pioneers in this field used theoretical analysis, mathematical modeling and computer simulation to solve neurobiological problems, and share their experiences and lessons learned. The book is intended for researchers and students with a mathematics, physics or informatics background who are interested in brain research and keen to understand the necessary neurobiology and how they can use their specialties to address neurobiological problems. It is also provides inspiration for neuroscience students who are interested in learning how to use mathematics, physics or informatics approaches to solve problems in their field.