The main theme of this book is to critically survey the role of two recognized protein molecules (i.e., transcription factors) in processes of human memory. In addition, authors provided recent data from their own labs and provided a perspective relevant to specific neurological diseases and potential drug targets. Historically, the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding (CREB) has been the most well documented transcription factor shown to play a role in memory. CREB has several functions, but its most notable function has to do with the formation of long-term memories. More recently, other transcription factors, such as C/EBP, Egr protein, AP-1, and NF-κB have been implicated in memory as well. Of these, scientific literature on NF-κB’s theorized role in synaptic plasticity and memory is growing rapidly. Interestingly, in some recent studies CREB and NF-κB have also been shown to interact with each other where both contribute in a cooperative fashion to the initiation of gene expression.

Obesity is a complex health problem, caused by a number of factors such as excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, genetic predisposition, endocrine disorders, medications and psychiatric illnesses. Onset of obesity in both the developing and the developed world has reached epidemic proportions. In response to this, efforts to control and treat obesity have also been vigorously pursued, ranging from raising awareness about lifestyle changes to the discovery and development of safe and effective anti-obesity drugs. Anti-obesity Drug Discovery and Development is focused on this very important area of healthcare research. Fifteen well written reviews make this special volume an excellent compilation of recent developments in anti-obesity treatment. The reviews cover a variety of topics including the development of specific, safe and effective receptor antagonists, the role of epithelial endocrine cells and post operative treatment strategies. This book should be useful to clinicians and medicinal chemists involved in ant-obesity research and therapy.

This book covers novel approaches using networks and oscillations and it will serve as a catalyst for translating these exciting advancements into the clinical arena. This collection of articles aims to accelerate the widespread clinical translation of network approaches by providing practical information accessible to clinicians in neurology and psychiatry - fields that are uniquely poised to implement these developments in clinical treatment of brain diseases. It should be a useful resource for researchers and working professionals in neurological and psychiatric academic centers.

Contemporary Sleep Medicine should be of interest to a large number of readers interested in sleep medicine. It is divided into two parts – one for patients or simple readers and another for physicians or advanced readers. The Ebook explores new research grounds for sleep disorders. These include novel methodologies for epidemiological research and strategies for curing individuals who suffer from sleep disorders. The volumes seek to update interested readers on the latest advances in the uncharted territory of sleep medicine.

Language is the most versatile and fascinating of all human cognitive functions, constituting a field of interest in very different areas, from Linguistics to Speech Therapy, from Philosophy to Computational Sciences, including Psychology, Neurology, Biology, and Social Sciences. The scope of this E-book is to provide the reader with an update on topics relevant to neurolinguistics such as new cognitive models of comprehension and production of normal language, new perspectives on the understanding of aphasic symptoms and the interface between language and other cognitive functions – functional neuroimaging and language. This E-book will be of interest both for teachers and researchers in Neurosciences and Linguistics as well as for professionals who treat patients with disorders of language and communication, such as Neurologists, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Neuropsychologists, Speech Therapists, and Occupational Therapists, among many others.

Angiogenesis plays rate limiting roles in tumor growth and invasion. Angiogenesis inhibition has been proposed as a general strategy to fight against cancers. This book covers different therapeutic targets for angiogenesis interventions with emphasis on clinical development of antiangiogenic drugs that target antiangiogenic cascade in different forms of cancers like breast cancer, multiple myeloma, renal carcinoma, gastrointestinal, prostate and lung cancer. Surrogate predictive markers of antiangiogenic therapy in novel preclinical models recapitulating tumor microenvironment together with genomic studies are special features of this book. Gene therapy approaches with emphasis on viral vectors have been explored in preclinical model with direct and indirect angiogenesis inhibitors. Recent advances in clinical application with antiangiogenic therapy resulted in encouraging clinical results are also detailed. It includes chapters that bridge the gap between basic science and clinical application of current knowledge of cancer. Different chapters are contributed by distinguished scientists and clinicians around the world making it an important addition to the bookshelves of clinicians, academics, researchers, students and institutions.

Neurodegenerative diseases are a complex heterogeneous group of diseases associated with site-specific premature and slow death of certain neuronal populations in brain and spinal cord tissues. For example, in Alzheimer disease, neuronal degeneration occurs in the nucleus basalis, whereas in Parkinson disease, neurons in the substantia nigra die. The most severely affected neurons in Huntington disease are striatal medium spiny neurons. The neuronal populations that are lost in neurodegenerative diseases modulate functions such as controlling movements, processing sensory information, memory, and making decisions. Although, the molecular mechanism of neurodegeneration remains unknown, but excitotoxicity, inflammation, and oxidative stress may contribute to neural cell demise independently or synergistically. The purpose of this E-book is to present readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information on molecular aspects of neurodegenerative diseases and neuroprotection in a manner that is useful not only to students and teachers, but also to researchers and physicians.

Over the past several decades the incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased dramatically. The etiology of ASD remains an unsolved puzzle to scientists, physicians, pediatricians, psychiatrists, and pharmacologists. Our E-book will address what is presently known concerning the pathophysiology of ASD from a cellular and molecular perspective. Our explanation is based on the interaction between repetitive systemic immune stimulation with concomitant chronic brain activation of microglia, which leads to overstimulation of glutamate receptors and inflammatory cytokine receptors. Our E-book will explain, for the first time, the effects of immunoexcitotoxicity on the brain development, neurophysiology, and pathology. Our book will not only attempt to explain the finding in ASD, but will offer treatment proposals that address each of these mechanisms. It will also explain how previous, often successful treatment methods, may indeed operate through the immunoexcitotoxic mechanism.

This is the story of how Wilson’s disease, a previously rare and fatal inherited disease, was conquered by a series of individual discoveries, leading to highly effective treatments. It also describes the difficulties which had to be overcome to achieve this in the face of government and institutional bureaucracy. It should be of interest to those involved in medical research, to doctors interested in rare diseases and to the lay public who want to know how medical advances are made. Technical details are kept to a minimum so that an understanding of medical and technical terms is not needed. The Ebook should prove to be a very useful resource for researchers studying Wilson’s disease and its history in medicine.

Since the Tokyo Sarin Subway Attack, the threat of chemical warfare agents has migrated from the battlefield to become a major concern for homeland security in the 21th century. While current fielded antidotes are able to mitigate acute high mortality arising from exposure to nerve agents, achieving effective neuroprotection in subjects with nerve agent induced prolonged seizures or status epilepticus is currently lacking. To overcome this challenge, establishing an improved understanding on the mechanism linking seizure onset during chemical (including nerve agents) poisoning to the subsequent cascade of biochemical, neurotoxicological, pathophysiological, genomic and behavioral changes post exposure is vital. Due to ethical, safety and chemical surety related issues, looking for surrogate chemicals has also become important for chemical defense research. In this book, internationally well-known clinicians and basic research scientists with expertise on chemical-induced seizures will update readers on the relevant areas. Doctors (civil and military), paramedics and medical students will find this book informative and timely for the current battle against asymmetric terrorist conflicts.