Neuroscience

This book describes current information about the three areas mentioned in the title: neuronal migration and development, degenerative brain diseases, and neural plasticity and regeneration. The chapters in the first section of the book examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which neurons are generated from the ventricular zone in the forebrain and migrate to their destinations in the cerebral cortex. This description of cortical development also includes discussions of the Cajal-Retzius cell. Another chapter provides insight about the development of another forebrain region, the hypothalamus. The remaining chapters of the first section examine the clinical relevance of brain development in certain disease states in humans. The second section begins with details about the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia niger and their loss in Parkinson's disease. Two subsequent chapters describe changes in brain aging, including changes in the numbers of myelinated axons. Other chapters in this section describe important cellular and molecular changes found in Alzheimer's disease and human epilepsy. The last section begins with a chapter on how the brain's own stem cells provide newly generated neurons to the hippocampal dentate gyrus and how these neurons become integrated into neural circuitry. Then two chapters examine some of the neuroplastic changes that take place in motor and sensory cortices of awake behaving primates. The concluding two chapters address the issue of regeneration in the injured spinal cord and the factors that may contribute to its success.

Since the 1980s, MRI scanners have told us much about brain function and played an important role in the clinical diagnosis of a number of conditions — both in the brain and the rest of the body. Their routine use has made the diagnosis of brain tumours and brain damage both quicker and more accurate. However, some neuroscientific advances, in particular those that relate specifically to the mind have provoked excitement and discussion in a number of disciplines. One of the most thought provoking developments in recent neuroscience has been the progress made with ‘mind-reading’. There seems nothing more private than one's thoughts, some of which we might choose to share with others, and some not. Yet, until now, little has been published on the particular issue of privacy in relation to ‘brain’ or ‘mind’ reading. This book presents an interdisciplinary account of the neuroscientific evidence on ‘mind reading’, as well as a thorough analysis of both legal and moral accounts of privacy. The book considers such issues as the use of imaging to detect awareness in those considered to be in a vegetative state. It looks at issues of mental imaging and national security, the neurobiology of violence, and issues regarding diminished responsibility in criminals, and thus reduced punishment. It also considers how the use of neuroimaging can and should be regulated.

The study of brain aging has been revolutionized through advances in molecular neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, and brain imaging. The application of new concepts and techniques has permitted investigators to explore the changes in structure, function, and biochemistry in living humans in order to unravel mechanisms that underlie both age-related cognitive decline and preservation of cognition into old age. This book reviews both the basic science and clinical applications of brain imaging in the study of brain aging. Topics reviewed include technical issues associated with imaging studies in older brains, pathology of brain aging, structural changes in the aging brain, changes in dopamine function, and mechanisms of brain reserve and plasticity. The use of genetics in combination with brain imaging and the use of animal models are also explored. Clinical applications include the diagnosis and prediction of cognitive decline using a variety of different imaging approaches as well as a detailed description of amyloid imaging using PET scanning. Other topics include functional MRI studies in aging, the use of imaging in therapeutic monitoring and drug development, and the role of large-scale databases. The volume contains information both for those involved in brain imaging research and for those new to the field who are in need of a systematic overview.

Ion channels are intimately involved in the everyday physiological functions that enable us to live a full and varied life. When disease strikes, malfunction of ion channels or their dependent processes is often involved, either as the cause or effect of the illness. Thus, billions of dollars have been, and still are being, invested in research to understand the physiological and pathophysiological functions of ion channels in an attempt to develop novel therapeutic treatments for a wide range of diseases. This book provides a comprehensive overview of ion-channel structure and function. It comprises two major parts: the first part provides an introductory overview of the ion-channel superfamily and the generic aspects of ion-channel function. This part also reviews the methodologies by which ion-channel function can be studied from the perspective of performing detailed biophysical characterization through to the deployment of high-throughput approaches for identifying novel ion-channel ligands. The second part provides an in-depth review of the individual ion-channel subfamilies and, as such, is subdivided into four broad sections: voltage-gated ion channels, extracellular ligand-gated ion channels, intracellular ligand-gated ion channels, and polymodal-gated ion channels, with each chapter therein focused on specific family members. These chapters provide a detailed overview of the structure, biophysics, localization, pharmacology, physiology, and disease relevance of each particular ion-channel subfamily.

This is the first book that attempts to bring together what is known about the fundamental mechanisms that underlie the development of the cerebral cortex in mammals. Ranging from the emergence of the forebrain from the neural plate, to the functioning adult form, the book draws on evidence from several species to provide a detailed description of processes at each stage. Where appropriate, evidence is extrapolated from non-mammalian species to generate hypotheses about mammalian development. In contrast to other texts of developmental biology, this book integrates information on regulatory processes at the levels of molecules, cells, and networks. It draws together an extensive literature on cellular development and structural morphology, biochemical and genetic events, and hypotheses that have been subject to mathematical modelling. Important methodologies such as transgenics and formal modelling, are explained for the non-specialist. Major future challenges are clearly identified. The book combines the fundamentals of experimental developmental neurobiology with accessible neural modelling.

Although the major features of neural development have been known for nearly a century, it is only relatively recently that the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms have begun to be uncovered. Among the many factors accountable for the transformation of developmental neurobiology from a largely descriptive to an analytic and mechanistic discipline, two stand out as singularly important. First has been the application of molecular genetic methods to the study of such events and neural induction, the determination of neuronal phenotypes, the establishment of neuronal processes, and the formation of specific patterns of connections. The second factor has been the use of a variety of “model” organisms: each offering particular advantages in the study of one or another developmental process. The pace of new advances often overwhelms experienced workers in the field. This book updates and introduces the subject and also details recent successes in understanding the early events of neural development.

The aim of this book is to describe the types of computation that can be performed by biologically plausible neural networks, and to show how these may be implemented in different systems in the brain. The book is structured in three sections, each of which addresses a different need in the market. The first section introduces and describes the operation of several fundamental types of neural network. The second section describes real neural networks in several brain systems, and shows how it is becoming possible to construct theories about how some parts of the brain work; it also provides an indication of the different neuroscience and neurocomputation techniques that will need to be combined to ensure further rapid progress in understanding how parts of the brain work. The third section, a collection of appendices, introduces the more formal quantitative approaches to many of the networks described.

This book details the basic biology and function of glial cells. It covers the entire field of glial research from the basic molecular and cellular properties of these cells to their involvement in neurological diseases including stroke, Alzheimer's Disease, and multiple sclerosis. This edition includes new chapters on transmitter release by extocytosis from glia, glia derived stem cells, glia synaptic transmission, glia and axon guidance, an entirely new section on mechanisms of glial injury, and several new chapters on the roles of glia in different diseases. It covers the fields of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neurophysiology, molecular neurobiology, neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, neuropathology, neuro-oncology, and physiatry.

In the past ten years, there has been growing interest in applying our knowledge of the human brain to the field of education, including reading, learning, language, and mathematics. This has resulted in the development of a number of new practices in education, some good, some bad, and some just crazy. Hence we have had theories suggesting that listening to Mozart can boost intelligence, foot massages can help unruly pupils, fish oil can boost brain power, even the idea that breathing through your left nostril can enhance creativity. Sadly, there is a gap between what neuroscientists or cognitive psychologists know about brain/mind functions and the supposedly scientific theory underlying the practices used daily in our schools. So what has caused this whole scale embrace of neuroscience in the classroom — a well-intentioned, but naive misunderstanding of how science works, ideological reasons, or financial incentives? This book brings together leading psychologists, neuroscientists, and geneticists to review critically some of these new developments, examining the science behind these practices, the validity of the theories on which they are based, and whether they work.