H. HAFNER Schizophrenia Research Unit, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany The present volume contains the lectures and invited discussions of the sympo sium on "Risk and protective factors in schizophrenia - towards a conceptual model of the disease process," which was held at the International Science Forum of the University of Heidelberg from October 25 to 27, 200l. They are supple mented by a "Summary and outlook," in which Peter Jones gives a brief overview of the results and perspectives featured in the presentations and discussions. The contributions and discussions reflect the open-minded and creative atmosphere at the meeting. The systematically structured program of the symposium continued the tradition of the Search for the Causes of Schizophrenia symposia, which were th started in 1986 on the occasion of the 600 anniversary of the University of Hei delberg and which are co-organized with Prof. Wagner Farid Gattaz/Sao Paulo. The aim of these symposia and their proceedings volumes 6,8-10] has been to reflect the state of the art in schizophrenia research at their time, and they have successfully done so. In contrast, the present symposium pursued a more lim ited objective and was of a different type. It brought together, around a large table at the International Science Forum in Heidelberg, 22 invited speakers and dis cussants and an equal number of young scientists working in the research fields in question, who were thus given an opportunity to listen and to participate."

H. HAFNER Schizophrenia Research Unit, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany The present volume contains the lectures and invited discussions of the sympo sium on "Risk and protective factors in schizophrenia - towards a conceptual model of the disease process," which was held at the International Science Forum of the University of Heidelberg from October 25 to 27, 200l. They are supple mented by a "Summary and outlook," in which Peter Jones gives a brief overview of the results and perspectives featured in the presentations and discussions. The contributions and discussions reflect the open-minded and creative atmosphere at the meeting. The systematically structured program of the symposium continued the tradition of the Search for the Causes of Schizophrenia symposia, which were th started in 1986 on the occasion of the 600 anniversary of the University of Hei delberg and which are co-organized with Prof. Wagner Farid Gattaz/Sao Paulo. The aim of these symposia and their proceedings volumes 6,8-10] has been to reflect the state of the art in schizophrenia research at their time, and they have successfully done so. In contrast, the present symposium pursued a more lim ited objective and was of a different type. It brought together, around a large table at the International Science Forum in Heidelberg, 22 invited speakers and dis cussants and an equal number of young scientists working in the research fields in question, who were thus given an opportunity to listen and to participate."

Die Alzheimer-Demenz gilt als die haufigste neurodegenerative Erkrankung des hoheren Lebensalters. Die mit dieser Krankheit assoziierten neuromorphologischen Veranderungen fuhren zu vielfaltigen klinischen, psychopathologischen sowie neuropsychologischen Storungen und lassen sich mit geeigneten Bild gebenden Verfahren in vivo darstellen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die Zusammenhange zwischen klinischen Beobachtungen und zerebralen Veranderungen mit der Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) systematisch sowohl bei manifester Alzheimer-Demenz als auch bei leichter kognitiver Beeintrachtigung untersucht. Zusammenfassend erweitern die Ergebnisse einerseits unser Verstandnis der Zusammenhange zwischen zerebralen Veranderungen und Krankheitssymptomen und konnen andererseits klinisch zur Fruh- und Differentialdiagnostik der Alzheimer-Demenz einschliesslich ihrer praklinischen Stadien beitragen. Sie ermoglichen aber auch ein objektives Verlaufsmonitoring der Erkrankung. Diese Perspektiven durften mit der Entwicklung neuer hoffentlich auch kurativer therapeutischer Strategien klinisch noch an Bedeutung gewinnen."

Zentrales Anliegen des Bandes ist es, die Rolle des Staates im gegenwartigen Prozess der Integration des Islam aus unterschiedlichen Blickwinkeln und in verschiedenen Kontexten zu beleuchten. Dies ist, wohl auch in Anbetracht der noch jungen Geschichte der Islampolitik, bisher nur unzureichend geschehen. Der Band leistet einen Beitrag dazu, diese Forschungslucke zu schliessen und damit auch die nach wie vor emotional aufgeladene Auseinandersetzung um die Einbindung des Islam in Europa weiter zu versachlichen.