This volume of"International Review of Neurobiology" concentrates on modern concepts of focal epileptic networks. The volume addresses specific topics such as seizures (including transition and termination), limbic networks, alteration of metabolism, and neocortical focus and malformation of cortical development, among others.

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.

Our knowledge about the mechanisms involved in pathophysiology of epilepsy has rapidly expanded during last decade
This special volume brings overview about modern concepts of epileptic focus organization and about the altered neural network dynamics which results in propensity of the brain tissue to generate spontaneous and repeated seizures
"

ATP acts as main energy source and is pivotal for numerous signaling cascades both inside the cells (by fuelling various transport systems and donating phosphate groups) and between the cells (by chemical transmission). Similarly glutamate acts as an important molecule for both intercellular signaling though glutamatergic transmission and cell energetics by contributing to ATP production. In this collection of chapters, written by the leading experts in the field of cell metabolism and energetics, intracellular signaling and neurotransmission we covered various aspects of the interfacing between these two fundamental molecules. This book will be particularly useful for researchers, students, physicians and psychotherapists working in the field of neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry.

How do we become aware of things and events in the outside world, and how does the brain control the muscular system and behavior? This book examines the history of Western attempts to explain how messages might be sent from the sense organs to the brain and from the brain to the muscles. It focuses on a construct called animal spirit, which would permeate philosophy and guide physiology and medicine for over two millennia.
The authors' story opens along the Eastern Mediterranean, where they examine how Pre-Socratic philosophers related the soul to air-wind or pneuma. They then trace what Hippocrates, Plato and Aristotle wrote about this pneuma, and how Stoic and Epicurean philosophers approached it. They also visit Alexandria, where Hellenistic anatomists provided new thoughts about the nerves and the ventricles. Thereafter, the authors return to the Greek mainland, where they show how Galen's pneuma psychikon or spiritus animae would provide an explanation for sensations and movements.
Galen's writings would guide science and medicine for well over a thousand years, albeit with some modifications. One change, found in early Christian writers Nemesius and Augustine, involved assigning perception, cognition, and memory to different spirit-filled ventricles. After examining how pious Scholastics later dealt with the nerve spirit, the authors turn to how questions began to be raised about it in the 1500s and 1600s. Here they examine the rise of modern science with its revealing experiments, microscopic observations, and attempts to break with the past. Descartes, Swammerdam, Borelli, Glisson, Willis, Newton, Hartley, Boerhaave and Haller are among the featured players in this part of the story.
Nevertheless, the animal spirit doctrine continued to survive (although modified), because no adequate replacement for it was immediately forthcoming. The replacement theory stemmed from experiments on electric fishes started in the 1750s. Additional research on these fishes and then on frogs eventually led scientists to abandon their time-honored ideas. The authors trace some of the developments leading to modern electrophysiology and end with an epilogue centered on what this history teaches us about paradigmatic changes in the life sciences.

This stimulating analysis reviews the broad potential of animal models to foster a deeper understanding of human pathology, strengthen connections between genetic and behavioral studies, and develop more effective treatments for mental disorders. Widely-studied and lesser-used species are examined in models that capture features along the continuum of normative and pathological behavior. The models highlight genetic causes of core features, or endophenotypes, of developmental, internalizing, and externalizing disorders, as well as dementia. Expert contributors address questions ranging from how suitable species are chosen for study to the costs and benefits of using inbred versus outbred strains, and the effects of housing environment on subject animals. Larger issues addressed include how to evaluate the applicability of animal behavioral models to the human condition and how these models can harness emerging molecular technologies to further our understanding of the genetic basis of mental illness. Included in the coverage: Mating and fighting in Drosophila. Attachment and social bonding. Impulsivity in rodents and humans. Animal models of cognitive decline. Animal models of social cognition. Future directions for animal models in behavioral genetics. A detailed map of where this evolving field is headed, Animal Models of Behavior Genetics shows geneticists, molecular biologists, and cognitive neuroscientists paths beyond established concepts toward a more knowledgeable and collaborative future.

The goal for this volume is to provide an up-to-date review of the discriminative stimulus properties of major psychoactive drug classes with an emphasis on how this paradigm enhances our understanding of these drugs and how these findings translate from animals to humans. The drug discrimination paradigm applies to both drugs of abuse and drugs for treating mental illnesses, and research from these studies has provided immense translational value for learning about the mechanisms responsible for drug effects in humans.

This thesis reports on a novel system for extracellular recordings of the activity of excitable cells, which relies on an organic, charge-modulated field-effect transistor (FET) called OCMFET. The book shows how, thanks to the intrinsic biocompatibility, lightness, and inexpensiveness of the material used, this new system is able to overcome several problems typical of of "classic" electronic and bioelectronic. It provides a full description of the system, together with a comprehensive report of the successful experimental trials carried out on both cardiac and nerve cells, and a concise yet comprehensive overview of bioelectronic interfaces and organic sensors for electrophysiological applications.

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, concentrates on the brain transcriptome.

Brings together cutting-edge research on the brain transcriptome

Animal models and tests have become increasingly important for biomedical research, enabling a better understanding of pathogenic pathways involved in various human disorders. Over the last decades, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have become a very popular model organism in biomedical research. Recently, this fish has entered the waters of neuroscience and biological psychiatry, quickly becoming an indispensable model species in this field. With a high genetic homology to humans (~75% based on coding regions), it is not surprising that humans and fish are very similar physiologically (and behaviorally). Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that zebrafish can be an excellent model of human neuropsychiatric disorders. While some classical psychiatrists may not too easily be persuaded by this generalization, the current book "The rights and wrongs of zebrafish: principles of behavioral phenotyping and CNS disease modeling" explains, in a domain-by-domain manner, how exactly zebrafish models can be used to target a wide range of human brain disorders and aberrant phenotypes. The contributors to this book are leading international scholars whose work spearheads innovative zebrafish neuroscience research around the world. Written by top experts in the field, this book makes for a useful, balanced and up-to-date reading that outlines the use of zebrafish to study the pathological mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.

This book is designed to focus on the role of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) in health and disease. This peptide, originally discovered in the 1980s as a sensory neuropeptide with cardiovascular effects, is now known to play a distinct role in the pain processing of migraine. The various chapters address the origin, localization and function of CGRP and its receptor in the peripheral nervous system, in the cardiovascular system, and in other tissues and organs. Further attention is paid to the drug discovery pathway where recent findings show the beneficial effect of small molecule antagonists of the CGRP receptors for the relief of the migraine attack and of monoclonal antibodies against CGRP or the CGRP receptor for migraine prevention.

Leading researchers are specially invited to provide a complete understanding of a key topic within the multidisciplinary fields of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology. In a form immediately useful to scientists, this periodical aims to filter, highlight and review the latest developments in these rapidly advancing fields.

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young was born with severe learning disabilities. As a child, she read and wrote everything backward, struggled to comprehend language, and was continually getting lost. But by relying on her formidable memory, she made her way to graduate school, where she chanced upon research that inspired her to invent cognitive exercises to fix her own brain. The Woman Who Changed Her Brain interweaves her personal tale with riveting case histories from more than thirty years of her work with both children and adults.
People with learning disorders have long been told that such difficulties are a lifelong condition. In clear and lucid writing, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain refutes that message, demonstrating with fascinating anecdotes that anyone with a learning disability can be radically trans-formed: Arrowsmith-Young is a living example. She founded the Arrowsmith School in Toronto in 1980 and then the Arrowsmith Program to train teachers to implement this effective methodology in schools all over North America.
This remarkable book by a brilliant pioneer deepens our understanding of how the brain works. Our brain shapes us, and this book offers clear and hopeful evidence of the corollary: that we can shape our brains.

This special volume of "Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science" provides a current overview of how memory is processed in the brain.A broad range of topics are presented by leaders in the field, ranging from brain circuitry to synaptic plasticity to the molecular machinery that contributes to the brain's ability to maintain information across time. Memory systems in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala are considered as well. In addition, the volume covers recent contributions to our understanding of memory from in vivo imaging, optogenetic, electrophysiological, biochemical and molecular biological studies.
Articles from world renowned experts in memoryCovering topics from signaling, epigenetic, RNA translation to plasticityMethodological approaches includemolecular and cellular, behavioral, electrophysiological, optogenetic and functional imaging"

This book proposes an applied epistemological framework for investigating science, social cognition and religious thinking based on inferential patterns that recur in the different domains. It presents human rationality as a tool that allows us to make sense of our (physical or social) surroundings. It shows that the resulting cognitive activity produces a broad spectrum of outputs, such as scientific models and experimentation, gossip and social networks, but also ancient and contemporary deities. The book consists of three parts, the first of which addresses scientific modeling and experimentation, and their application to the analysis of scientific rationality. Thus, this part continues the tradition of eco-cognitive epistemology and abduction studies. The second part deals with the relationship between social cognition and cognitive niche construction, i.e. the evolutionarily relevant externalization of knowledge onto the environment, while the third part focuses on what is commonly defined as "irrational", thus being in a way dialectically opposed to the first part. Here, the author demonstrates that the "irrational" can be analyzed by applying the same epistemological approach used to study scientific rationality and social cognition; also in this case, we see the emergence of patterns of rationality that regulate the relationships between agents and their environment. All in all, the book offers a coherent and unitary account of human rationality, providing a basis for new conceptual connections and theoretical speculations.

This book presents the current concepts of semaphorin biology. In the early 1990s, semaphorins were originally identified as axon guidance cues that function during neuronal development. However, cumulative findings have clarified that they have diverse functions in many physiological processes, including cardiogenesis, angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, retinal homeostasis, and immune regulation. Additionally, they have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various human diseases, including tumorigenesis/tumor metastasis, neuroregenerative diseases, retinal degeneration, irregular pulse/sudden death, and immune disorders. Based on this current research background, the book covers the essential state-of-the-art findings for basic scientists in biochemistry, molecular biology, neuroscience, developmental biology, and structural biology, as well as for physicians in neurology, cardiology, oncology, orthopedic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, allergology, and rheumatology.

Written to satisfy a wide audience, from basic scientist to clinical researcher, this volume explores such varied concepts as: the influence of CBF in the pathotrajectory of TBI, modeling TBI as a means to understand underlying pathological states associated with brain injury victims, disrupted vasculature following head trauma and advanced imaging techniques, vasoreactive substances underlying disrupted blood flow, the role of age and sex on injury outcome, and the latest pre-clinical rationale for focusing on CBF and strategies to improve blood flow as a means to improve outcome in patients suffering the effects of TBI.

This book explores and evaluates accounts and models of autistic reasoning and cognition from a computational standpoint. The author investigates the limitations and peculiarities of autistic reasoning and sets out a remediation strategy to be used by a wide range of psychologists and rehabilitation personnel and will also be appreciated by computer scientists who are interested in the practical implementation of reasoning. The author subjects the Theory of Mind (ToM) model to a formal analysis to investigate the limitations of autistic reasoning and proposes a formal model regarding mental attitudes and proposes a method to help those with autism navigate everyday living. Based on the concept of playing with computer based mental simulators, the NL_MAMS, is examined to see whether it is capable of modeling mental and emotional states of the real world to aid the emotional development of autistic children. Multiple autistic theories and strategies are also examined for possible computational cross-overs, providing researchers with a wide range of examples, tools and detailed case studies to work from. Computational Autism will be an essential read to behavioral specialists, researcher's, developers and designers who are interested in understanding and tackling the increasing prevalence of autism within modern society today.

This is the 11th volume in the New Directions in Cognitive Science Series (formerly Vancover Studies in Cognitive Science). It addresses common sense, reasoning, and rationality, currently areas of considerable interdisciplinary interest and importance. While common sense and rationality have often been viewed as two distinct features in a unified cognitive map, this interdisciplinary volume - including essays from an outstanding group of established scholars - engages with this notion and comes up with novel and often paradoxical views of this relationship. It should appeal to philosophers, psychologists, cognitive scientists, and computer scientists interested in considering what constitutes human rationality, behaviour, and intelligence. This groundbreaking collection is at the forefront of Cognitive Science research, and promises to be of unprecedented influence across disciplines.

The science of cannabinoids is 50 years old. These past years provided a remarkable and constant number of breakthroughs, showing that the signaling mediated by endocannabinoids and lipid mediators impacts almost every function of the body. Indeed, this represents a special field of research, which allows tackling the complexity of biological functions, and provides potential therapeutic frameworks for a plethora of diseases. The number of exciting discoveries brought up to the scientific community almost on a daily basis highlights the importance of an updated volume on this topic. Particularly, given that potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids are currently under heavy analysis in many Countries worldwide. Hence, the main objective of this book is to explore not only some of the many functions of endocannabinoids (and lipid mediators) in physiological control of networks at a cellular and molecular level, but also to extend this knowledge for potential use of cannabinoids and/or drugs regulating endocannabinoid levels in vivo as therapeutic target(s) in neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this book new findings and ideas about the endocannabinoid system and its roles as neuronal circuit modulator related to human brain pathologies characterized by alterations in neuroplasticity will be highlighted. Endocannabinoid roles in key systems controlling appetite, pain, learning and memory, as well as sleep and stress responses will be presented. In addition, pathological processes associated with changes in endocannabinoid signaling will be discussed in the context of anxiety, autism, depression and addiction. This book will provide an excellent background to researchers looking for extending their areas of interest, and to newcomers in the field.

This book shows cognitive scientists in training how mathematics, computer science and science can be usefully and seamlessly intertwined. It is a follow-up to the first two volumes on mathematics for cognitive scientists, and includes the mathematics and computational tools needed to understand how to compute the terms in the Fourier series expansions that solve the cable equation. The latter is derived from first principles by going back to cellular biology and the relevant biophysics. A detailed discussion of ion movement through cellular membranes, and an explanation of how the equations that govern such ion movement leading to the standard transient cable equation are included. There are also solutions for the cable model using separation of variables, as well an explanation of why Fourier series converge and a description of the implementation of MatLab tools to compute the solutions. Finally, the standard Hodgkin - Huxley model is developed for an excitable neuron and is solved using MatLab.

This ambitious compendium provides an extensive overview on the "supporting cells" of the vertebrate central nervous system, these being glial cells which far outnumber neurons but are much less understood. Covering multiple aspects of this family of transporters-- from structural properties, to their involvement in signaling and gene expression regulation, this volume presents the most recent research on the roles of glial amino acid transporters as key molecules of brain metabolism and signaling.

This book reviews some of the most important scientific and philosophical theories concerning the nature of mind and consciousness. Current theories on the mind-body problem and the neural correlates of consciousness are presented through a series of biographical sketches of the most influential thinkers across the fields of philosophy of mind, psychology and neuroscience. The book is divided into two parts: the first is dedicated to philosophers of mind and the second, to neuroscientists/experimental psychologists. Each part comprises twenty short chapters, with each chapter being dedicated to one author. A brief introduction is given on his or her life and most important works and influences. The most influential theory/ies developed by each author are then carefully explained and examined with the aim of scrutinizing the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches to the nature of consciousness.

This book offers a self-study program on how mathematics, computer science and science can be profitably and seamlessly intertwined. This book focuses on two variable ODE models, both linear and nonlinear, and highlights theoretical and computational tools using MATLAB to explain their solutions. It also shows how to solve cable models using separation of variables and the Fourier Series.