Research of 5-HT2c receptors stretches back twenty-five years, and while much of it has been productive, the past decade of research has been extraordinary in terms of both amount produced and insights gained. It is hardly surprising that 5-HT2c receptor research has grown so fruitful, given that it is a prominent central serotonin receptor subtype widely expressed within the central and the peripheral nervous system and is thought to play a major role in the regulation of numerous behaviors. It has further been shown by experimental and clinical observation that it may represent a possible therapeutic target for the development of drugs for a range of central nervous system disorders. The time, therefore, is more than appropriate to offer the first ever overview of the research of 5-HT2c receptors. Part of the popular and important series, "The Receptors," The 5-HT2c Receptor provides a thorough update of the functional status of the 5-HT2c receptor. It covers the molecular, cellular, anatomical, biochemical and behavioral aspects of this receptor so as to highlight its distinctive regulatory properties and the emerging functional significance of constitutive activity and RNA-editing in vivo. In addition, the book investigates the receptors' therapeutic potential in a range of different diseases, treated individually in separate chapters, including depression, drug abuse, schizophrenia, eating disorders, Parkinson's disease, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. While not exhaustive, this text is a vital tool in understanding the past and inspiring the future of interdisciplinary research on the 5-HT2c receptor.

Offers a unique multidisciplinary overview of how humans interact with soft objects and how multiple sensory signals are used to perceive material properties, with an emphasis on object deformability. The authors describe a range of setups that have been employed to study and exploit sensory signals involved in interactions with compliant objects as well as techniques to simulate and modulate softness - including a psychophysical perspective of the field. Multisensory Softness focuses on the cognitive mechanisms underlying the use of multiple sources of information in softness perception. Divided into three sections, the first Perceptual Softness deals with the sensory components and computational requirements of softness perception, the second Sensorimotor Softness looks at the motor components of the interaction with soft objects and the final part Artificial Softness focuses on the identification of exploitable guidelines to help replicate softness in artificial environments.

We are at the midpoint in the "Decade of the Brain." Why do we know so much and yet understand so little about the brain? The field of neuroscience has exploded, and anyone who attends one of the large meetings has the impression of drinking from a fire hydran- as so aptly put by the late neuroanatomist Walle J. H. Nauta. Part of that feeling is a general-information problem, experienced in other fields of scienc as well. In brain research, however, the problem is accentuated by the rapid advances of molecular and cellular brain research. The dynamics created by these lines of research have multiplied published output, but have inevitably entailed a compartmentalization of scientific interests and research strategies. If the cost of gaining knowledge is a shrinking horizon of the individual scientist, neuroscience must develop strategies for organizing the acquisition of knowledge. Some of this guidance is given by the society -by medical and, perhaps, commercial needs. But who provides the backbone for establishing a generally accepted "schema" for basic brain research -a frame of reference onto which the millions of information fragments can be fitted, in a way acceptable to a multicultural and polymethodical neuroscience community? We believe that developmental and evolutionary biology has the potential to provide a commonly accepted frame of reference for that multilevel system approach needed to understand the workings of the brain.

A BOOK OF THE YEAR GUARDIAN, THE ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, FINANCIAL TIMES, BLOOMBERG Anil Seth's radical new theory of consciousness challenges our understanding of perception and reality, doing for brain science what Dawkins did for evolutionary biology. 'A brilliant beast of a book.' DAVID BYRNE 'Hugely important.' JIM AL-KHALILI 'Masterly . . . An exhilarating book: a vast-ranging, phenomenal achievement that will undoubtedly become a seminal text.' GAIA VINCE, GUARDIAN Being You is not as simple as it sounds. Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen? Why do we experience life in the first person? After over twenty years researching the brain, world-renowned neuroscientist Anil Seth puts forward a radical new theory of consciousness and self. His unique theory of what it means to 'be you' challenges our understanding of perception and reality and it turns what you thought you knew about yourself on its head. 'Seth thinks clearly and sharply on one of the hardest problems of science and philosophy, cutting through weeds with a scientist's mind and a storyteller's skill.' ADAM RUTHERFORD 'A page-turner and a mind-blower . . . Beautifully written, crystal clear, deeply insightful.' DAVID EAGLEMAN 'If you read one book about conciousness, it must be Seth's. JULIAN BAGGINI, WALL STREET JOURNAL 'Amazing.' RUSSELL BRAND 'Gripping.' ALEX GARLAND 'I loved it.' MICHAEL POLLAN 'Fascinating.' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Awe-inspring.' NEW STATESMAN 'Brilliant.' CLAIRE TOMALIN, NEW YORK TIMES

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the distribution, pharmacology and physiology of central 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)4 receptors. The 5-HT receptor subtypes exhibit a unique pharmacology, distribution and function, of which the 5-HT4 receptor has been one of the most intensively studied in recent years, both from a basic research standpoint and as a target for novel therapeutics.

PHILOSOPHY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCE: CATEGORIES, CONSCIOUSNESS, AND REASONING The individual man, since his separate existence is manifested only by ignorance and error, so far as he is anything apart from his fellows, and from what he and they are to be, is only a negation. Peirce, Some Consequences of Four Incapacities. 1868. For the second time the International Colloquium on Cognitive Science gathered at San Sebastian from May, 7-11, 1991 to discuss the following main topics: Knowledge of Categories Consciousness Reasoning and Interpretation Evolution, Biology, and Mind It is not an easy task to introduce in a few words the content of this volume. We have collected eleven invited papers presented at the Colloquium, which means the substantial part of it. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to include all the invited lectures of the meeting. Before sketching and showing the relevance of each paper, let us explain the reasons for having adopted the decision to organize each two years an international colloquium on Cognitive Science at Donostia (San Sebastian). First of all, Cognitive Science is a very active research area in the world, linking multidisciplinary efforts coming mostly from psychology, artificial intelligence, theoretical linguistics and neurobiology, and using more and more formal tools. We think that this new discipline lacks solid foundations, and in this sense philosophy, particularly knowledge theory, and logic must be called for.

The cerebral cortex, especially that part customarily designated "neocortex," is one of the hallmarks of mammalian evolution and reaches its greatest size, relatively speaking, and its widest structural diversity in the human brain. The evolution of this structure, as remarkable for the huge numbers of neurons that it contains as for the range of behaviors that it controls, has been of abiding interest to many generations of neuroscientists. Yet few theories of cortical evo lution have been proposed and none has stood the test of time. In particular, no theory has been successful in bridging the evolutionary gap that appears to exist between the pallium of nonmammalian vertebrates and the neocortex of mam mals. Undoubtedly this stems in large part from the rapid divergence of non mammalian and mammalian forms and the lack of contemporary species whose telencephalic wall can be seen as having transitional characteristics. The mono treme cortex, for example, is unquestionably mammalian in organization and that of no living reptile comes close to resembling it. Yet anatomists such as Ramon y Cajal, on examining the finer details of cortical structure, were struck by the similarities in neuronal form, particularly of the pyramidal cells, and their predisposition to laminar alignment shared by representatives of all vertebrate classes."

This book presents an emerging new vision of the brain, which is essentially expressed in computational terms, for non-experts. As such, it presents the fundamental concepts of neuroscience in simple language, without overwhelming non-biologists with excessive biological jargon. In addition, the book presents a novel computational perspective on the brain for biologists, without resorting to complex mathematical equations. It addresses a comprehensive range of topics, starting with the history of neuroscience, the function of the individual neuron, the various kinds of neural network models that can explain diverse neural phenomena, sensory-motor function, language, emotions, and concluding with the latest theories on consciousness. The book offers readers a panoramic introduction to the "new brain" and a valuable resource for interdisciplinary researchers looking to gatecrash the world of neuroscience.

This book is dedicated to the memory of two colleagues and friends, Amico Big- nami and Hendrick Vander Los. They were both pioneers in their fields: Bignami on on- togenesis and function of neuroglia, and Van der Los on brain plasticity and neuronal circuitry. Their ideas are further pursued by the authors in this book. Some of the chapters are products of a conference dedicated to these two scientists entitled "Recent Advances in Neurobiology: Plasticity and Regeneration." The conference was organized by the Insti- tute of Developmental Neuroscience and Aging and sponsored by the Region della Valle d' Aosta. Also, several chapters are written by colleagues who knew well either Amico or Hendrick and were invited to contribute to this dedication. The book is divided in four sections. The first part covers neurons, neuroglia includ- ing microglia, their plasticity and phenotypic expression, and specific functions and inter- actions. It is now established that neuroglia are an intimate component of the neuronal environment and thought to regulate several neuronal functions. More recently microglia have become prominent as the immune cells in the CNS. This part contributes new infor- mation for these cellular interactions. The second part deals with neuronal and glial cell plasticity as it relates to regeneration and neurodegeneration, more or less an extension of Part I. In recent years the role of transplantation in regeneration has become promising.

The Science of Dream Interpretation presents a scientific, historic and psychological account of dream interpretation by introducing the biological and evolutionary foundations of sleep, dreams and dream interpretation. Chapters cover the theory of dream interpretation, the physiological and evolutionary reasons for sleep and dreaming, an overview of the role dreams and dream interpretation throughout history, including the cultural and religious significance of dreams, and how dreams interrupt sleep, including issues of insomnia, sleep walking, and more. The next few sections present influential dream theorists of the 20th century, including a review of their theories (Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Fritz Perls). The final section explains how dreams may be used to extract personal meanings and be utilized in psychotherapy, including case examples from actual psychotherapy sessions of the techniques used to interpret dreams.

This book will bring together leading international experts to discuss recent advances in basic scientific knowledge regarding the regulation of presynaptic Ca2+ channels. Importantly, Ca2+ channels represent one of the most widely modulated proteins in the body, being the target of a range of effector pathways and drugs; this range will be fully represented here. A number of therapeutic drugs target the Ca2+ channel complex, including the anti-epileptic gabapentinoid and analgesic ziconotide drugs and the pharmaceutical industry is searching for Ca2+ channel blocking drugs, particularly in the pain, epilepsy, ataxia and migraine areas. Such potential future therapies will be discussed here. Scientific disciplines will focus on electrophysiological studies, but will extend to neuroscience, genetics and biochemical areas. The work described will represent advances at the cutting edge of current neuroscience research and is timely and highly appropriate for the Springer book series.

Arguably biosonar is one of the 'eye-opening' discoveries about animal behavior and the auditory systems of echolocators are front and center in this story. Echolocation by bats has proven to be a virtual gold mine for colleagues studying neurobiology, while providing many rich examples of its impact on other areas of bats' lives. In this volume we briefly review the history of the topic (reminding readers of the 1995 Hearing by Bats). We use a chapter on new findings in the phylogeny of bats to put the information that follows in an evolutionary context. This includes an examination of the possible roles of Prestin and FoxP2 genes and various anatomical features affecting bat vocalizations. We introduce recent work on the role of noseleafs, ears, and other facial components on the focusing of sound and collection of echoes.

Internationally eminent scientists illuminate the most important scientific aspects of essential fatty acids (EFAs)-from their biochemistry to their physiological consequences in both health and illness. The distinguished contributors integrate a wide range of topics, including the basic biochemistry of EFAs and lipid metabolism, the role of EFAs in the neuronal membrane, the effects of EFAs and lipids in various diseases, and the effects of normal levels and EFA deficiencies on cognition and behavior. The book's consolidation of our knowledge of the biology and metabolism of the EFAs lays the groundwork for dramatic advances in our understanding of these ubiquitous biochemicals and their role in health and illness.

The Roman cult of Mithras was the most widely-dispersed and densely-distributed cult throughout the expanse of the Roman Empire from the end of the first until the fourth century AD, rivaling the early growth and development of Christianity during the same period. As its membership was largely drawn from the ranks of the military, its spread, but not its popularity is attributable largely to military deployments and re-deployments. Although mithraists left behind no written archival evidence, there is an abundance of iconographic finds. The only characteristic common to all Mithraic temples were the fundamental architecture of their design, and the cult image of Mithras slaying a bull. How were these two features so faithfully transmitted through the Empire by a non-centralized, non-hierarchical religious movement? The Minds of Mithraists: Historical and Cognitive Studies in the Roman Cult of Mithras addresses these questions as well as the relationship of Mithraism to Christianity, explanations of the significance of the tauroctony and of the rituals enacted in the mithraea, and explanations for the spread of Mithraism (and for its resistance in a few places). The unifying theme throughout is an investigation of the 'mind' of those engaged in the cult practices of this widespread ancient religion. These investigations represent traditional historical methods as well as more recent studies employing the insights of the cognitive sciences, demonstrating that cognitive historiography is a valuable methodological tool.

This book explores the basic concept of agency and develops it further in psychology using it to better understand and explain psychological processes and behavior. More importantly, this book seeks to put an emphasis on the role of agency in four distinct settings: history of psychology, neuroscience, psychology of religion, and sociocultural theories of co-agency. In Volume 12 of the Annals of Theoretical Psychology the contributors explore a number of new ways to look at agency in psychology. This volume seeks to develop a systematic theory of axioms for agency. It describes implications for research and practice that are founded on an understanding of the person as an actor in the world. This book also has implications for research and practice across psychology's sub-fields uniting the discipline through an agentic view of the person

Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology, Fifth Edition is the only up-to-date textbook on the market that focuses on the molecular and cellular physiology of neurons and synapses. Hypothesis-driven rather than a dry presentation of the facts, the book promotes a real understanding of the function of nerve cells that is useful for practicing neurophysiologists and students in graduate-level courses on the topic alike. This new edition explains the molecular properties and functions of excitable cells in detail and teaches students how to construct and conduct intelligent research experiments. The content is firmly based on numerous experiments performed by top experts in the field. The new edition contains new chapters on recording neuronal activity, iconotrophic and metabotropic receptors for sensory transduction, and a section containing exercises for further learning. This book will be a useful resource for neurophysiologists, neurobiologists, neurologists, and students taking graduate-level courses on neurophysiology.

How does our knowledge of the language on the one hand, and of the context on the other, permit us to understand what we are told, to resolve ambiguities, to grasp both explicit and implicit content, to appreciate metaphor and irony? These issues have been studied in two disciplines: linguistic pragmatics and psycholinguistics, with only limited interactions between the two. This volume lays down the foundation for a new field: "Experimental Pragmatics." Contributions review pioneering work and present novel ways of articulating theories and experimental methods in the area.

This book, covering many key aspects of autonomic nervous system maturation, was suggested by the success of a symposium on the developing autonomic nervous system held at the Spring 1982 meeting of the Federation of American Scientists for Experi mental Biology (Federation Proceedings 1983, 42, 1609). It was obvi ous from the F ASEB symposium that there is increasing interest in the developing autonomic nervous system, particularly with respect to its role in regulating visceral function. Some additional topics that were not covered in the F ASEB symposium are also included in this book. The editor feels that the readers of this volume are, in all probability, already cognizant of the state of knowledge of the adult autonomic nervous system. Therefore, a review of classical autonomic physiology, pharmacology, and neuroanatomy is not provided. For a recent detailed discussion of the ontogeny and phylog eny of the developing nervous system, I would recommend the book published not long ago by D. Purves and J. W. Lichtman, Principles of Neural Development (Sinauer, Sunderland, MA, 1985). Another recent book, Autonomic Nerve Funtion in the Vertebrates by F. Nilsson (Springer-Verlag, New York, 1984), presents a compar ative examination of autonomic nervous system function in verte brates. For a summary of recent advances in the many aspects of catecholamines as they bear on autonomic nervous system re search, I would recommend the series of three books edited by E."

Nervous system development evolves from the well-orchestrated processes of neural induction, cell proliferation, differentiation, cell migration, survival, and synapse formation. Among these environmental cues, neurotrophic factors are secreted proteins that promote neurite outgrowth, neuronal cell differentiation and survival both in vivo and in vitro. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is the founding and best characterized member of the neurotrophin family of neurotrophic polypeptides. Neurotrophic Factors: Methods and Protocols presents a selection of protocols and procedures which make use of cellular, tissue, and whole animal models which can be applied to the investigation of neurotrophic factors and other agents impacting on these systems. Chapters cover a wide-range of topics such as dealing with the culture of neurons and glia from the central and peripheral nervous systems, neuron-glia co-culture models, and cell-based assays for the evaluation of neuroprotective molecules, as well as assays which can be applied to the study of agents with neuroregenerative potential. Protocols describing viral- and nanoparticle-based delivery methods to neural cells are also presented, following by chapters dealing with organotypic slice culture protocols. Lastly, several chapters are dedicated to in vivo lesion models of relevance to nervous system pathology, which can be applied to the investigation of neurotrophic factors and peptides. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Neurotrophic Factors: Methods and Protocols seeks to serve both professionals and novices alike with its well-honed methodologies in an effort to further our knowledge of what has been described as the last frontier of science.

Advances in the field of signal processing, nonlinear dynamics, statistics, and optimization theory, combined with marked improvement in instrumenta tion and development of computers systems, have made it possible to apply the power of mathematics to the task of understanding the human brain. This verita ble revolution already has resulted in widespread availability of high resolution neuroimaging devices in clinical as well as research settings. Breakthroughs in functional imaging are not far behind. Mathematical tech niques developed for the study of complex nonlinear systems and chaos already are being used to explore the complex nonlinear dynamics of human brain phys iology. Global optimization is being applied to data mining expeditions in an effort to find knowledge in the vast amount of information being generated by neuroimaging and neurophysiological investigations. These breakthroughs in the ability to obtain, store and analyze large datasets offer, for the first time, exciting opportunities to explore the mechanisms underlying normal brain func tion as well as the affects of diseases such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, movement disorders, and cognitive disorders that affect millions of people every year. Ap plication of these powerful tools to the study of the human brain requires, by necessity, collaboration among scientists, engineers, neurobiologists and clini cians. Each discipline brings to the table unique knowledge, unique approaches to problem solving, and a unique language."

Evolving technologies starting with tracer studies, and more recently with genomics and proteomics, have provided novel information about the molecular properties of cerebral endothelium and astrocytes; however, further studies must be done in animal models of neurological diseases and in humans to get a clearer understanding of the pathogenesis of blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown in nervous system diseases. In The Blood-Brain and Other Neural Barriers: Reviews and Protocols, experts in the field present a series of cutting-edge protocols which can be used to study the barriers. Opening with detailed information on components of the neurovascular unit as well as the blood-cerebrospinal, blood-retinal, and blood-nerve barriers, the book continues with meticulous techniques to image the barriers in humans and experimental animals, followed by cutting-edge molecular techniques to study the BBB and novel models to study the barriers, and it concludes with techniques for the delivery of therapeutic agents across the BBB. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) series format, protocol chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and up-to-date, The Blood-Brain and Other Neural Barriers: Reviews and Protocols will aid the research efforts of not only graduate students but also more experienced investigators and support future studies of these vital systems.

The advances in neuroimaging technologies have led to substantial progress in understanding the neural mechanisms of cognitive functions. Thinking and reasoning have only recently been addressed by using neuroimaging techniques. The present book comprehensively explores current approaches and contributions to understanding the neural mechanisms of thinking in a concise and readable manner. It provides an insight into the state of the art and the potentials, but also the limitations of current neuroimaging methods for studying cognitive functions. The book will be a valuable companion for everyone interested in one of the most fascinating topics of cognitive neuroscience.

The International Basal Ganglia Society (IBAGS) furthers understanding of normal basal ganglia function and the pathophysiology of disorders of the basal ganglia. These disorders include Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and schizophrenia. IBAGS triennial meetings bring together research scientists from all disciplines, as well as clinicians who are actively involved in the treatment of basal ganglia disorders, to discuss the most recent advances in the field and to generate new approaches and ideas for the future. The Basal Ganglia IX features proceedings from the society's ninth meeting held in September of 2007. Topics discussed include neural systems of reinforcement for drug addiction, the impact of brain research on clinical practice, deep brain stimulation, and genetic aspects of movement disorders. The Basal Ganglia IX is part of Springer's Advances in Behavioral Biology series, and will be of interest to researchers of neuroscience, neuropharmacology, neurobiology, neuroanatomy, and neurophysiology.