Central Nervous System

The brain is the most complex organ in our body. Indeed, it is perhaps the most complex structure we have ever encountered in nature. Both structurally and functionally, there are many peculiarities that differentiate the brain from all other organs. The brain is our connection to the world around us and by governing nervous system and higher function, any disturbance induces severe neurological and psychiatric disorders that can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the brain has improved dramatically in the last two decades. In particular, the critical role of cations, including magnesium, has become evident, even if incompletely understood at a mechanistic level. The exact role and regulation of magnesium, in particular, remains elusive, largely because intracellular levels are so difficult to routinely quantify. Nonetheless, the importance of magnesium to normal central nervous system activity is self-evident given the complicated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the concentration of this cation within strict limits essential for normal physiology and metabolism. There is also considerable accumulating evidence to suggest alterations to some brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions may be linked to alterations in local magnesium concentration. This book, containing chapters written by some of the foremost experts in the field of magnesium research, brings together the latest in experimental and clinical magnesium research as it relates to the central nervous system. It offers a complete and updated view of magnesiums involvement in central nervous system function and in so doing, brings together two main pillars of contemporary neuroscience research, namely providing an explanation for the molecular mechanisms involved in brain function, and emphasizing the connections between the molecular changes and behavior. It is the untiring efforts of those magnesium researchers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of magnesiums role in biological systems that has inspired the collation of this volume of work.

This comprehensive reference is clearly destined to become the definitive anatomical basis for all molecular neuroscience research. The three volumes provide a complete overview and comparison of the structural organisation of all vertebrate groups, ranging from amphioxus and lamprey through fishes, amphibians and birds to mammals. This thus allows a systematic treatment of the concepts and methodology found in modern comparative neuroscience. Neuroscientists, comparative morphologists and anatomists will all benefit from: * 1,200 detailed and standardised neuroanatomical drawings * the illustrations were painstakingly hand-drawn by a team of graphic designers, specially commissioned by the authors, over a period of 25 years * functional correlations of vertebrate brains * concepts and methodology of modern comparative neuroscience * five full-colour posters giving an overview of the central nervous system of the vertebrates, ideal for mounting and display This monumental work is, and will remain, unique; the only source of such brilliant illustrations at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels.

Caffeine in Food and Dietary Supplements is the summary of a workshop convened by the Institute of Medicine in August 2013 to review the available science on safe levels of caffeine consumption in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements and to identify data gaps. Scientists with expertise in food safety, nutrition, pharmacology, psychology, toxicology, and related disciplines; medical professionals with pediatric and adult patient experience in cardiology, neurology, and psychiatry; public health professionals; food industry representatives; regulatory experts; and consumer advocates discussed the safety of caffeine in food and dietary supplements, including, but not limited to, caffeinated beverage products, and identified data gaps. Caffeine, a central nervous stimulant, is arguably the most frequently ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world. Occurring naturally in more than 60 plants, including coffee beans, tea leaves, cola nuts and cocoa pods, caffeine has been part of innumerable cultures for centuries. But the caffeine-in-food landscape is changing. There are an array of new caffeine-containing energy products, from waffles to sunflower seeds, jelly beans to syrup, even bottled water, entering the marketplace. Years of scientific research have shown that moderate consumption by healthy adults of products containing naturally-occurring caffeine is not associated with adverse health effects. The changing caffeine landscape raises concerns about safety and whether any of these new products might be targeting populations not normally associated with caffeine consumption, namely children and adolescents, and whether caffeine poses a greater health risk to those populations than it does for healthy adults. This report delineates vulnerable populations who may be at risk from caffeine exposure; describes caffeine exposure and risk of cardiovascular and other health effects on vulnerable populations, including additive effects with other ingredients and effects related to pre-existing conditions; explores safe caffeine exposure levels for general and vulnerable populations; and identifies data gaps on caffeine stimulant effects.

This is a multi-specialty book on the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of CNS metastases of the brain and spine. Written by renowned experts in their fields, the book covers essential contemporary topics in CNS metastases care. The book is divided into seven parts that begin with chapters that cover the fundamental biology of disease so that subsequent chapters on imaging, diagnosis, treatment, and palliation can be properly contextualized. This text also provides a framework for understanding the biology of radiation therapy so that radiation treatment options of the brain and spine can be more fully understood. New medications and technologies are reviewed from the perspective of maximizing efficacy and minimizing toxicity, independently and as combinatorial therapy. Central Nervous System Metastases: Diagnosis and Treatment serves as a practical reference for health care providers and trainees. It provides the comprehensive, detailed perspective required to provide holistic care to patients with metastatic disease to the brain and spine.

In this work, the authors integrate three major basic themes of neuroscience to serve as an introduction and review of the subject.

In this, the post-genomic age, our knowledge of biological systems continues to expand and progress. As the research becomes more focused, so too does the data. Genomic research progresses to proteomics and brings us to a deeper understanding of the behavior and function of protein clusters. And now proteomics gives way to neuroproteomics as we beg

Progress in developmental neurobiology and advances in (neuro) genetics have been spectacular. The high resolution of modern imaging techniques applicable to developmental disorders of the human brain and spinal cord have created a novel insight into the developmental history of the central nervous system (CNS). This book provides a comprehensive overview of the development of the human CNS in the context of its many developmental disorders. It provides a unique combination of data from human embryology, animal research and developmental neuropathology, and there are more than 400 figures in over a hundred separate illustrations.