Comprehensive expose, by leading neuroscientists, of current knowledge on the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex. All aspects of the subject are covered, from its most elementary, at the molecular and cellular levels, to its systemic and holistic implications, including its role in cognition and involvement in human diseases and therapeutics.

The twenty-two chapters are grouped under four main headings: I. Functional Morphology of the Acetylcholine Innervation in Cerebral Cortex (Including Hippocampus); II. Modes of Action of Acetylcholine in the Cerebral Cortex; III. Cortical Properties and Functions Modulated by Acetylcholine, and IV. Clinical, Pathological and Therapeutic Implications. This broad perspective updates the reader on recent advances and future trends in the study of a major neuromodulatory system in brain.

Brain Control of Wakefulness and Sleeping explores the history of efforts to understand the nature of waking and sleeping states from a biological point of view. This research represents the synthesis of the work of two individuals who have devoted their careers to investigating the mysterious states of the mind. This landmark book will interest the beginner scientist/researcher as well as the sleep clinician, with chapters on subjects including Neuronal Control of REM Sleep, Motor Systems and the Role of Active Forebrain, and Humoral Systems in Sleep Control. The authors explore the behavioral and physiological events of waking and sleep, analyzing the current realities and the future possibilities of unifying basic studies on anatomy and cellular psychology.

In this book, brain cholinergic systems are examined by leading authorities drawn from the fields of morphology, immunochemistry, electrophysiology, behaviour, and the study of cognitive disorders. The book covers major aspects of the organization and connectivity of cholinergic systems at the light and electron-microscopic levels, intrinsic electrophysiological properties, and ionic conductances of central cholinergic neurons. It also discusses the effects of brainstem and basal forebrain cholinergic systems upon thalamic and cortical neurons, plasticity processes in the thalamins and cerebral cortex; and studies on Alzheimer's disease.