Neurotransmitters, Drugs and Brain Function aims to link basic aspects of the activity of neurotransmitters at the receptor and synaptic level with their role in normal brain function, disease states, and drug action. Thus, the material considers to what extent our knowledge of the central synaptic action of certain drugs can explain their possible roles in the cause of diseases and in the modes of action of drugs effective in those conditions.
It offers a working explanation of drug and neurotransmitter action in CNS function, with a clear, comprehensive, and challenging style of writing. The authors review the chemical basis for drugs and the conditions they treat. It also, includes numerous illustrations and schematic diagrams.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“the editor of this textbook is to be congratulated” (Human Psychpharmacology, April 2002)
“…describes what neurotransmitters do, how they do it, and how their activity is involved in brain functions, as well as how it’s affected by drugs and disease.” (SciTech Book News, Vol. 26, No. 2, June 2002)
“…the first half of the book on basic aspects of neurotransmission is a delight and is a must for medicinal chemists…” (Jnl of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol.45, No.15, 2002)
“…a valuable addition to any post-graduate psychiatric library…” (Int Jnl of Geriatric Psychiatry, No. 17, 2002)
“…this is an outstanding book…we should all eagerly adopt this text as an excellent reference book that ought not to be missing from our shelves…” (Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Vol 31 (1), 2006)
From the Back Cover
This book aims to cover the role of neurotransmitters, the substances released form neurons to act on neurons. It covers what they do, how they do it and how their activity is involved in brain function and affected by drugs and disease.
The contents include:
* An overview of neurotransmitter function including their release, effects on neuronal excitability and receptor interaction
* Detailed description of the synaptic physiology, pharmacology and possible brain function of each neurotransmitter with particular emphasis on acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA, noradrenaline, dopamine, 5 hydroxytryptamine and the peptides, purines, histamine, steroids and nitric oxide
* An evaluation on how the different neurotransmitters may be involved in the initiation and maintenance of certain brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and dementia
* A review of neurotransmitters in sleep and consciousness and in the social problems of drugs and abuse
Neurotransmitters, Drugs and Brain Function provides insights that will prove invaluable to students and researchers involved in pharmacology, neuroscience, medicine and psychology.