Dr. Elisabeth Bock (Photo Keenpress) This book contains review articles that produce a snapshot of recent developments in the field of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM. The chapters are grouped into sections reflecting various aspects of NCAM structure and function. The themes cover the structural basis of cell adhesion mediated by NCAM and NCAM interaction partners, NCAM-mediated signaling determinants of NCAM function under physiological conditions and in disease, and the therapeutic potential of NCAM mimetics. Section 1, "Structure and Ligands of NCAM," introduces the reader to the str- tural basis of NCAM-mediated cell adhesion, discussing the current knowledge of extracellular and intracellular NCAM ligands and the structural basis of NCAM int- actions with the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor. Section 2, "NCAM and Polysialic Acid," focuses on NCAM polysialylation, discussing the structural and functional aspects of the most important posttranslational modifications of NCAM by the addition of a long linear homopolymer of sialic acid to the fifth Ig-like NCAM module. Section 3, "NCAM-mediated Signal Transduction," is devoted to signal v BookID 187530_ChapID FM1_Proof# 1 - 01/03/2011 BookID 187530_ChapID FM1_Proof# 1 - 01/03/2011 vi Preface transduction mechanisms associated with NCAM-mediated adhesion, with a focus on signaling pathways involved in NCAM-mediated neurite outgrowth, the role of growth-associated proteins, signaling through lipid microdomains, and signaling crosstalk with the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Section 4, "NCAM Metabolism," focuses on current knowledge about NCAM biosynthesis and the g- eration and role of soluble NCAM.

This book provides a conceptual and computational framework to study how the nervous system exploits the anatomical properties of limbs to produce mechanical function. The study of the neural control of limbs has historically emphasized the use of optimization to find solutions to the muscle redundancy problem. That is, how does the nervous system select a specific muscle coordination pattern when the many muscles of a limb allow for multiple solutions? I revisit this problem from the emerging perspective of neuromechanics that emphasizes finding and implementing families of feasible solutions, instead of a single and unique optimal solution. Those families of feasible solutions emerge naturally from the interactions among the feasible neural commands, anatomy of the limb, and constraints of the task. Such alternative perspective to the neural control of limb function is not only biologically plausible, but sheds light on the most central tenets and debates in the fields of neural control, robotics, rehabilitation, and brain-body co-evolutionary adaptations. This perspective developed from courses I taught to engineers and life scientists at Cornell University and the University of Southern California, and is made possible by combining fundamental concepts from mechanics, anatomy, mathematics, robotics and neuroscience with advances in the field of computational geometry. Fundamentals of Neuromechanics is intended for neuroscientists, roboticists, engineers, physicians, evolutionary biologists, athletes, and physical and occupational therapists seeking to advance their understanding of neuromechanics. Therefore, the tone is decidedly pedagogical, engaging, integrative, and practical to make it accessible to people coming from a broad spectrum of disciplines. I attempt to tread the line between making the mathematical exposition accessible to life scientists, and convey the wonder and complexity of neuroscience to engineers and computational scientists. While no one approach can hope to definitively resolve the important questions in these related fields, I hope to provide you with the fundamental background and tools to allow you to contribute to the emerging field of neuromechanics.

Withtherecentlyperceivedincreaseinincidenceofautismandtherealizationthat "autism"mayactuallybe"autisms"withsubsetsofaffectedindividuals,researchers have been pursuing the possibility that there may be multiple etiologies for the disorder.Althoughmostautismstudieshavefocusedongeneticsandadvancedn- roimaging,thereisapaucityofresearchaimedatdeterminingtheneurochemical basisofautism.Identifyingcoreneuralsubstratesorkeybiomarkersisessentialto understandingthemechanisticbasisthatmayinpartunderlie"autisms."Alterations inmolecules,proteins,receptors,andsynapticelementsaresomeofthecontrib- ingsubstratesthatcouldresultinaltereddevelopmentalprocesses,changedsynaptic function,andaberrationsinconnectivity.Itisnowapparentthatmultiplebrainareas are affected in autism, and neuropathological defects have been described within corticalandsubcorticalnetworks.Althoughrecentprogresshasbeenmadeinid- tifyingsomeofthegenesthatmayunderliethedisorder,muchattentionhasalso beengiventoepigeneticand/orenvironmentalfactorsthatmaycontributetosubsets ofautisticindividuals. The contributors to this book were hand selected because of their expertise in their respective ?elds. Individually each chapter presents a unique perspective into the clinical, developmental, neurochemical, and/or physical chemical basis of autism. The contributing authors summarize current research ?ndings in their respective areas and also present novel ideas and propose hypotheses and p- sible mechanisms that may be operative during development and the potential consequencesofhavingdefectsinspeci?cmolecules,receptors,orgenes. Thesubtitle"FromMoleculestoMinicolumns"wasinsertedbecauseofmuch recent attention given to alterations in the basic organization of mini- or mic- columns of neurons in cerebral cortical areas in autism. These especially include prefrontalcorticalareasthatundergoanovergrowthduringearlypostnataldevel- mentinmanyindividualswithautism.Tothisend,theworldrenownedDr.Alan Peters,theneuroanatomistthatoriginallydescribedmini-ormicro-columnaror- nizationinthecerebralcortex,wasrecruitedtowriteachapterinthisbookgiving hisexpertperspectiveontheissueinautism. The book begins with highly respected clinician, Dr. Margaret L. Bauman, DirectoroftheLADDERSclinicintheBostonarea,withaclinicalandmedicalp- spectiveofautismdiscussingetiologies,clinicalpresentation,earlyidenti?cation, vii viii Preface advancementsinmedicalcare,andassociateddisorders. Inthechapter"TheMale Prevalence in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Hypotheses on its Neurobiological Basis",ItalianresearchersDrs.FlavioKellerandLilianaRutapresentneuroch- ical hypotheses as the basis for the predominance of male prevalence in autism discussing the possible roles of estrogen, testosterone, oxytocin, and vasopressin in the organization of brain circuits and hemispheric specialization. Psychiatrist Dr. Ricardo Vella relates neuropathologies in autism, in the limbic and cereb- lar regions, to speci?c behaviors and presents a developmental perspective and hypotheses regarding emotional and attachment behaviors in autistic individuals.

Providing widely used techniques in genetic model systems and many complementing animal models, Brain Development: Methods and Protocols focuses its expert contributions on two key technical aspects of developmental neurobiology: detection of gene expression and functional characterization of developmental control genes. Covering animal models such as the fruit fly, zebra fish, chicken, and mouse, this detailed book views in situ hybridization, reporter gene expression, and immunohistochemical staining methods, as well as RNA interference, Morpholino, or transgenic techniques through the prism of these models. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapter include 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. Practical and cutting-edge, Brain Development: Methods and Protocols aims to provide precise technical protocols but also allows for comparing a wide range of protocols in different tissues and species.

This book discusses the ways in which mathematical, computational, and modelling methods can be used to help understand the dynamics of intracellular calcium. The concentration of free intracellular calcium is vital for controlling a wide range of cellular processes, and is thus of great physiological importance. However, because of the complex ways in which the calcium concentration varies, it is also of great mathematical interest.This book presents the general modelling theory as well as a large number of specific case examples, to show how mathematical modelling can interact with experimental approaches, in an interdisciplinary and multifaceted approach to the study of an important physiological control mechanism. Genevieve Dupont is FNRS Research Director at the Unit of Theoretical Chronobiology of the Universite Libre de Bruxelles; Martin Falcke is head of the Mathematical Cell Physiology group at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin; Vivien Kirk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand; James Sneyd is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at The University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Detection of Change: Event-Related Potential and fMRI Findings presents the first systematic overview of how event-related brain potential (ERP), cognitive electroencephalography (EEG), and functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) measures reflect the mental events arising from changes in sensory stimulation. Reviews by leading experts provide clarifying introductory background material that is well integrated with the cogently collated findings. Topics include the empirical and theoretical analysis of mismatch negativity, P300, human lesion studies, and stimulus binding. These areas provide the backdrop for summaries of auditory/visual ERP interactions, the conjoint use of fMRI methods, and neuroelectric processing models of attention and memory. The contents are fresh, the literature distillations highly informative, and the range of topics extremely useful. This book fills a major need by making contemporary results highly assessable to cognitive neuroscientists, psychologists, and researchers interested in the neural underpinnings of how the brain responds to stimulus change.

This book introduces a new cyberphysical system that combines clinical and basic neuroscience research with advanced data analysis and medical management tools for developing novel applications for the management of epilepsy. The authors describe the algorithms and architectures needed to provide ambulatory, diagnostic and long-term monitoring services, through multi parametric data collection. Readers will see how to achieve in-hospital quality standards, addressing conventional "routine" clinic-based service purposes, at reduced cost, enhanced capability and increased geographical availability. The cyberphysical system described in this book is flexible, can be optimized for each patient and is demonstrated in several case studies.

This volume will cover a variety of topics, including child language development; hearing loss; listening in noise; statistical learning; poverty; auditory processing disorder; cochlear neuropathy; attention; and aging. It will appeal broadly to auditory scientists-and in fact, any scientist interested in the biology of human communication and learning. The range of the book highlights the interdisciplinary series of questions that are pursued using the auditory frequency-following response and will accordingly attract a wide and diverse readership, while remaining a lasting resource for the field.

Understanding how the human brain represents, stores, and processes information is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of science today. The cerebral cortex is the seat of most of the mental capabilities that distinguish humans from other animals and, once understood, it will almost certainly lead to a better knowledge of other brain nuclei. Although neuroscience research has been underway for 150 years, very little progress has been made. What is needed is a key concept that will trigger a full understanding of existing information, and will also help to identify future directions for research. This book aims to help identify this key concept. Including contributions from leading experts in the field, it provides an overview of different conceptual frameworks that indicate how some pieces of the neuroscience puzzle fit together. It offers a representative selection of current ideas, concepts, analyses, calculations and computer experiments, and also looks at important advances such as the application of new modeling methodologies. Computational Models for Neuroscience will be essential reading for anyone who needs to keep up-to-date with the latest ideas in computational neuroscience, machine intelligence, and intelligent systems. It will also be useful background reading for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates taking courses in neuroscience and psychology.

Adaptivity and learning have in recent decades become a common concern of scientific disciplines. These issues have arisen in mathematics, physics, biology, informatics, economics, and other fields more or less simultaneously. The aim of this publication is the interdisciplinary discourse on the phenomenon of learning and adaptivity. Different perspectives are presented and compared to find fruitful concepts for the disciplines involved. The authors select problems showing representative traits concerning the frame up, the methods and the achievements rather than to present extended overviews.

The past decade has seen an extraordinary growth in research interest in neurotrophic factors, and the study of the neurotrophin family has led this activity. Nevertheless, this area of research has often struggled as a result of techniques that were either inadequate or just emerging from other research fields and disciplines. Neurotrophin Protocols has brought together many leaders in the neurotrophin field who detail their special expertise in a wide variety of techniques. Though most procedures are valid across many diff- ent fields of research, some of those described here have been developed to address particular issues within the neurotrophic factor field. The protocols cover a broad range of biochemical, histological, and biological techniques that are often required by the modern laboratory. However, all have been written with sufficient detail to allow any laboratory to achieve proficiency without need of reference to other texts. Neurotrophin Protocols is divided into four sections dealing with p- tein, RNA, recombinant, and in vivo techniques. Protein techniques have in general been less successfully employed than those dealing with RNA or DNA. However, procedures that achieve localization and quantification of the neurotrophins are now being used more extensively. Their inclusion here should assist further studies at the protein level. Transgenic cell lines and animals are commonplace in the scientific research literature, but their inc- sion in several chapters in this book provide some novel uses that are not readily available elsewhere.

Investigation of the functional architecture of the human brain using modern noninvasive imaging techniques is a rapidly expanding area of research. A proper knowledge of methodology is needed to appreciate the burgeoning literature in the field. This timely publication provides an excellent catalogue of the main techniques.
The authors offer an invaluable analysis of mapping strategies and techniques, providing everything from the foundations to the major pitfalls and practical applications of the modern techniques used in neuroimaging. Contains over 1000 full color pages with more than 200 color figures.
Spanning the methodological gamut from the molecular level to the whole brain while discussing anatomy, physiology, and pathology, as well as their integration, Brain Mapping: The Methods, 2e, brings the reader a comprehensive, well-illustrated and entirely readable description of the methods for brain mapping. Drs. Toga and Mazziotta provide everything from the foundations to the major pitfalls and practical applications of the technique by assembling an impressive group of experts, all widely known in their field, who contribute an outstanding set of chapters.

The Lost Self: Pathologies of the Brain and Identity is an in-depth exploration of one of the most mysterious and controversial topics in neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry and psychology-namely, the search for the biological basis of the self. The book is a guide to understanding how the brain creates who we are, and what happens when things go wrong. For the first time in a single volume, some of the foremost experts in the fields of philosophy, cognitive neuroscience, neurology, and psychology join together to explore the neurobiology of the self. They first lay the foundation for an understanding of the topic. Then they provide fascinating and detailed accounts of how the self is transformed in patients with brain lesions, autism, and dementia, as well as in drug induced states, during meditation, and while dreaming. Their analysis of these disorders and states is used as a springboard toward a deeper understanding of how a brain creates a self. This fascinating volume will be invaluable to neuroscientists, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and philosophers of mind, and to their students and trainees.

In mammals, a robust physiologic system acts to maintain relative constancy of weight. A key element of this system is leptin. The nature of this "brain-somatic" cross talk is as yet poorly understood, but it is likely to have important implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders.  

Computational neurosciences and systems biology are among the main domains of life science research where mathematical modeling made a difference. This book introduces the many different types of computational studies one can develop to study neuronal systems. It is aimed at undergraduate students starting their research in computational neurobiology or more senior researchers who would like, or need, to move towards computational approaches. Based on their specific project, the readers would then move to one of the more specialized excellent textbooks available in the field. The first part of the book deals with molecular systems biology. Functional genomics is introduced through examples of transcriptomics and proteomics studies of neurobiological interest. Quantitative modelling of biochemical systems is presented in homogeneous compartments and using spatial descriptions. A second part deals with the various approaches to model single neuron physiology, and naturally moves to neuronal networks. A division is focused on the development of neurons and neuronal systems and the book closes on a series of methodological chapters. From the molecules to the organ, thinking at the level of systems is transforming biology and its impact on society. This book will help the reader to hop on the train directly in the tank engine.

The therapeutic options for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative and traumatic diseases such as spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, etc. , have undergone enormous progress over recent years. Despite these encouraging developments, available therapies are only partially effective, and the ultimate goal is still far from being attained. Improved understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration and demyelination has led to a variety of new therapeutic targets and approaches. In addition to modulation of the in?ammatory process (MS) and cl- sical neuroprotection (stroke, AD), therapeutic approaches focussing on active remyelinization and neuronal regeneration have become incre- ingly important. Based on current concepts, this book summarizes new therapeutic approaches. Although it was once thought that the central nervous system (CNS) of mammals was incapable of substantial recovery from injury, it is now clear that the adult CNS remains responsive to various substances that can promote cell survival and stimulate axonal growth. Among these substances are growth factors, including the neurotrophins and cytokines. Stem cell therapies for the induction of remyelinization and neuroregeneration are reviewed. The potential role of a protective - munity in the induction of remyelination and neuroregeneration is also discussed. Different gene therapy approaches for the treatment of MS VI Preface and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injury, etc. , are also summarized.

This volume is the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Cognitive Neurodynamics (ICCN2013) held in Sweden in 2013. The included papers reflect the large span of research presented and are grouped in ten parts that are organized essentially in a top-down structure. The first parts deal with social/interactive (I) and mental (II) aspects of brain functions and their relation to perception and cognition (III). Next, more specific aspects of sensory systems (IV) and neural network dynamics of brain functions (V), including the effects of oscillations, synchronization and synaptic plasticity (VI), are addressed, followed by papers particularly emphasizing the use of neural computation and information processing (VII). With the next two parts, the levels of cellular and intracellular processes (VIII) and finally quantum effects (IX) are reached. The last part (X) is devoted to the contributions invited by the Dynamic Brain Forum (DBF), which was co-organized with ICCN2013.

That molecular neurobiology has become a dominant part of neuroscience research can be credited to the discovery of inducible gene expression in the brain and spinal cord. This volume deals with genes, whose expression patterns in the vertebrate central nervous system were the first to be revealed and then the most extensively investigated over the last 15 years. Immediate early genes (IEG) and their protein products, especially those acting as regulators of transcription (inducible transcription factors, ITF) have proven to be very valuable tools in functional neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, as they are rapidly and transiently induced in specific neurons in response to various modes of stimulation. Thus, they have been used to map neuronal populations selectively responsive to a variety of conditions, such as sensory and learning experience, electrical stimulation of specific circuits, seizures, and neurodegeneration.

This single volume, written by the most prominent authors in the field, brings together for the first time information about the most widely studied IEG/ITF in a whole variety of phenomena of neuronal activation. It starts with a critical appraisal of the technologies employed for the studies on gene, protein, and transcription factor activity in the nervous system. Several chapters present exhaustive examples of expression patterns of the ITF in "vocal" avian brain, mammalian brain sensory regions, areas involved in regulation of circadian rhythms, and the spinal cord. The next parts cover functional and regular aspects of individual IEG/ITF expression: c-fos in learning and memory, c-jun and others in neuropathology and neuronal stress responses, Elk-1, egr family, and CREB in neuronal plasticity and learning.

This volume will be useful as a major reference on this topic. Furthermore, it attempts to unravel the seemingly overwhelming complexity of the phenomena of gene expression in the central nervous system.

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Neuroscience is a state-of-the-art collection of interdisciplinary research spanning philosophy (of science, mind, and ethics) and current neuroscience. Containing chapters written by some of the most prominent philosophers working in this area, and in some cases co-authored with neuroscientists, this volume reflects both the breadth and depth of current work in this exciting field. Topics include the nature of explanation in neuroscience; whether and how current neuroscience is reductionistic; consequences of current research on the neurobiology of learning and memory, perception and sensation, neurocomputational modeling, and neuroanatomy; the burgeoning field of neuroethics and the neurobiology of motivation that increasingly informs it; implications from neurology and clinical neuropsychology, especially in light of some bizarre symptoms involving misrepresentations of self; the extent and consequences of multiple realization in actual neuroscience; the new field of neuroeudamonia; and the neurophilosophy of subjectivity.
This volume will interest philosophers working in numerous fields who wish to see how current neuroscience is being brought to bear directly on philosophical issues. It will also be of interest to neuroscientists who wish to learn how the research programs of some of their colleagues are being enriched by interaction with philosophers, and finally to those working in any interdisciplinary field who wish to see how two seemingly disparate disciplines--one traditional and humanistic, the other new and scientific--are being brought together to both disciplines' mutual benefit.

Neural Stem Cells: Development and Transplantation provides comprehensive, critical and insightful reviews by leading experts in this exciting field of research. This volume will provide the latest data on neural stem cell properties and their therapeutic applications.
This volume will be particularly useful for students, basic scientists, and clinicians in the academic or industrial sectors who have an interest in understanding neural development and its application to repairing the nervous system.

In the past decades, interdisciplinary investigations overlapping biology, medicine, information science, and engineering have formed a very exciting and active field that attracts scientists, medical doctors, and engineers with knowledge in different domains. A few examples of such investigations include neural prosthetic implants that aim to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from neurologic disease and injury; brain machine interfaces that sense, analyze, and translate electrical signals from the brain to build closed-loop, biofeedback systems; and fundamental studies of intelligence, cognitive functions, and psychological behaviors correlated to their neurological basis. Although this interdisciplinary area is still in its infancy, it can potentially create some of the most significant impact: treating diseases that are considered untreatable, interpretation and communication of neuron ensembles, or even a revolutionary perception and understanding of life different from philosophical or immaterial approaches. Fortunately, several academic societies recognize the value and impact of this growing field, firmly supporting related research. Such support will drive a booming future in the next twenty or thirty years.

Research in this areais frequently project-driven, and the generated knowledge has been scattered in different fields of neuroscience, computation, material and technology, circuits and system, clinical reports, and psychology the scope considerably across the boundary of traditionally defined disciplines. "Neural Computation, Neural Devices, and Neural Prosthesis" is intended to assemble such knowledge, from there suggesting a systematic approach guiding future educational and research activities. The targeted audience includes both students and researchers.
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Written by experts on the forefront of investigations of brain function, vision, and perception, the material presented is of an unparalleled scientific quality, and shows that analyses of enormous breadth and sophistication are required to probe the structure and function of brain regions. The articles are highly persuasive in showing what can be achieved by carrying out careful and imaginative experiments. The Cat Primary Visual Cortex should emerge as essential reading for all those interested in cerebral cortical processing of visual signals or researching or working in any field of vision.
Key Features
* Comprehensive account of cat primary visual cortex
* Generous use of illustrations including color
* Covers research from structure to connections to functions
* Chapters by leaders in the field
* Topics presneted on multiple, compatible levels

This book has the unique intention of returning the mathematical tools of neural networks to the biological realm of the nervous system, where they originated a few decades ago. It aims to introduce, in a didactic manner, two relatively recent developments in neural network methodology, namely recurrence in the architecture and the use of spiking or integrate-and-fire neurons. In addition, the neuro-anatomical processes of synapse modification during development, training, and memory formation are discussed as realistic bases for weight-adjustment in neural networks. While neural networks have many applications outside biology, where it is irrelevant precisely which architecture and which algorithms are used, it is essential that there is a close relationship between the network's properties and whatever is the case in a neuro-biological phenomenon that is being modelled or simulated in terms of a neural network. A recurrent architecture, the use of spiking neurons and appropriate weight update rules contribute to the plausibility of a neural network in such a case. Therefore, in the first half of this book the foundations are laid for the application of neural networks as models for the various biological phenomena that are treated in the second half of this book. These include various neural network models of sensory and motor control tasks that implement one or several of the requirements for biological plausibility.

This groundbreaking text takes current knowledge of the basal ganglia far from well-known motor-based models to a more inclusive understanding of deep-brain structure and function. Synthesizing diverse perspectives from across the brain-behavioral sciences, it tours the neuroanatomy and circuitry of the basal ganglia, linking their organization to their controlling functions in core cognitive, behavioral, and motor areas, both normative and disordered. Interactions between the basal ganglia and major structures of the brain are identified in their contributions to a diverse range of processes, from language processing to decision-making, emotion to visual perception, motivation to intent. And the basal ganglia are intimately involved in the mechanisms of dysfunction, as evinced by chapters on dyskinesia, Parkinson's disease, neuropsychiatric conditions, and addictions. Included in the coverage: Limbic-basal ganglia circuits: parallel and integrative aspects. Dopamine and its actions in the basal ganglia system. Cerebellar-basal ganglia interactions. The basal ganglia contribution to controlled and automatic processing. The basal ganglia and decision making in neuropsychiatric disorders. The circuitry underlying the reinstatement of cocaine seeking: modulation by deep brain stimulation. The basal ganglia and hierarchical control in voluntary behavior. Its breadth and depth of scholarship and data should make The Basal Ganglia a work of great interest to cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, neurologists, neuropsychiatrists, and speech-language pathologists.