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Elsevier

Books in Neuroscience

Elsevier's Neuroscience collection empowers educators, researchers, and students with actionable knowledge to drive collaborative research and advancements in the field. Content covers the nervous system's intricate workings, covering branches like Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive neuroscience to investigate the neural basis of emotions, behavior, and cognitive functions. Spanning from Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience to Developmental Neuroscience, content provides insights into brain function in health and disease.

  • Chemical Signalling in the Basal Ganglia

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 99
    • English

  • Cognition and Culture

    A Cross-Cultural Approach to Cognitive Psychology
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 103
    • J. Altarriba
    • English
    While the main source of knowledge of human cognition has come from studies of information processing in a single culture, primarily within the U.S. or within certain countries in Europe, much research has also been conducted in other parts of the world. Can the study of cognition across cultures lead us to interesting conclusions about human cognition in general? Surely any general theory of language processing, for example, must be able to explain phenomena observed across cultures and not just within a single one. This book is an attempt to look at this issue of universals in thinking and understanding by providing a compendium of cross cultural investigations in the four major areas of cognitive psychology: (1) memory and knowledge representation, (2) language processing, (3) perception, and (4) reasoning and problem solving. The differences found across cultures are also fascinating and extremely informative. A final chapter provides a summary of the major findings reported in each of these areas.The chapters included in this work were written for those interested in cross-cultural psychology and also those with an interest in cultural anthropology. The authors are well-known in the areas of cross-cultural psychology, cognitive psychology, linguistics, and anthropology. However, the reader need not be an expert in any one of these fields to understand the conclusions and implications of the work reported here.

  • Psychology of Learning and Motivation

    Advances in Research and Theory
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 30
    • English
    With a long-standing tradition for excellence, this series is a collection of quality papers that are widely read by researchers in cognitive and experimental psychology. Each chapter thoughtfully integrates the writings of leading contributors, who present and discuss significant bodies of research relevant to their discipline.

  • Cognitive Issues in Motor Expertise

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 102
    • J. Starkes + 1 more
    • English
    The intent of this book is to describe those perceptual and cognitive components which contribute to skilled motor performance in a wide variety of disciplines, including sports, microsurgery, video games, and speech. Also considered are issues in the measurement of motor skill, the development of motor skill across the life span, and the importance of individual differences in the development of motor skill. Many chapters contain studies employing the expertise approach used so successfully to study cognitive skills in psychology. Using this approach, expert performers are compared to novices on domain relevant laboratory tasks in order to determine whether specific cognitive or perceptual processes are related to performance differences.This volume will be of value to kinesiologists, sport psychologists, physical educators, and cognitive psychologists who are interested in a new perspective on the nature of motor skills. The majority of the chapters include reviews of the literature necessary to understand the case being made. Thus, the book may be understood by any reader with a basic course in psychology or motor behavior.

  • Cholinergic Function and Dysfunction

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 98
    • English

  • Natural and Artificial Control of Hearing and Balance

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 97
    • English

  • Memory in Everyday Life

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 100
    • G.M. Davies + 1 more
    • English
    The last decade has seen a major growth in research on how memory is used in everyday life. This volume represents a reaction to traditional laboratory-bound studies of the first half of the century which sought to identify the fundamental principles of learning and memory through the use of materials and methods totally divorced from the real world. The new wave of memory research has had considerable success in charting how memory develops, the role it plays in educational and social skills and the impact of memory impairment on mental life. The current volume consists of authoritative reviews of this emerging area linked to comment and criticism from major researchers in the field.Contrasted, probably for the first time, are two major styles of research in applied memory research: The naturalistic approach, which has sought to study memory in everyday environments, using actual experiences from people's lives as the raw data from which to derive more general principles, and the applied cognitive approach, whereby theories and methods are developed using orthodox laboratory techniques which are then validated by applying them directly to real phenomena. This is one of the few books to bring together evidence across the very wide spectrum of humdrum activity that constitutes the everyday uses of memory.

  • International Review of Research in Mental Retardation

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 19
    • English

  • Theoretical Mechanics of Biological Neural Networks

    • 1st Edition
    • Ronald J. MacGregor
    • English
    Theoretical Mechanics of Biological Neural Networks presents an extensive and coherent discusson and formulation of the generation and integration of neuroelectric signals in single neurons. The approach relates computer simulation programs for neurons of arbitrary complexity to fundamental gating processes of transmembrance ionic fluxes of synapses of excitable membranes. Listings of representative computer programs simulating arbitrary neurons, and local and composite neural networks are included.

  • Neurobiology of Ischemic Brain Damage

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 96
    • K. Kogure + 2 more
    • English
    In the eight years since the publication of Volume 63 of Progress in Brain Research, on this subject, developments in the research field have been very fast. For example, receptor physiology and pharmacology is now an intensively studied field, and the excitotoxic hypothesis of cell death is commonly accepted. Furthermore, it is recognized that ischemia and other insults give rise to a sustained depression of overall protein synthesis, yet lead to the expression of dormant genes and to synthesis of new proteins.In view of this development, this volume focusses on the cellular and molecular aspects of ischemic brain damage. The book will be of great value to all those interested in the pathophysiology of ischemic and traumatic brain damage.

  • International Review of Neurobiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 35
    • English

  • The Visually Responsive Neuron

    From Basic Neurophysiology to Behavior
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 95
    • T.P. Hicks + 2 more
    • English
    This timely new volume presents broad-based and wide-ranging contributions on all aspects of vision. The material is grouped for presentation in a logical fashion in five main themes: peripheral processing; sensory integration in superior colliculus; organization of visual projections; development and plasticity; and neuronal encoding and visually guided behavior.The material spans from molecules to cognition, including overt behavior, and synaptic and membrane levels of analysis. The species studied also range over diverse phyla, while contributors too form a diverse group representing Europe, North America, and Asia. The Visually Responsive Neuron is an exciting and informative addition to the well known Progress in Brain Research series.

  • Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptors

    • 1st Edition
    • Eva Giesen-Crouse
    • English
    Neuroscience Perspectives provides multidisciplinary reviews of topics in one of the most diverse and rapidly advancing fields in the life sciences.Whether you are a new recruit to neuroscience, or an established expert, look to this series for 'one-stop' sources of the historical, physiological, pharmacological, biochemical, molecular biological and therapeutic aspects of chosen research areas.Although peripheral type benzodiazepne recognition sites have been demonstrated in the brain and peripheral organs of various species for more than 10 years, the exact physiological function or pharmacological effects have not yet been established. Peripheral benzodiazepine literature is so overwhelming that the novice may find it virtually impossible to form a clear idea about the diverse findings.This volume, dedicated exclusively to pBR and their natural and synthetic ligands, puts the available data into perspective.A truly interdisciplinary approach has brought neuroscientists, cardiologists, endocrinologists, and immunologists together to work on the description of pBR-mediated effects. The chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology of the pBR receptor and its ligands are reviewed, their pharmacological usefulness is conjectured, and thus a true overview of the field is provided.

  • Behavior and Environment

    Psychological and Geographical Approaches
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 96
    • T. Garling + 1 more
    • English
    Active researchers in the areas of geography and psychology have contributed to this book. Both fields are capable of increasing our scientific knowledge of how human behavior is interfaced with the molar physical environment. Such knowledge is essential for the solution of many of today's most urgent environmental problems. Failure to constrain use of scarce resources, pollution due to human activities, creation of technological hazards and deteriorating urban quality due to vandalism and crime are all well known examples. The influence of psychology in geographical research has long been appreciated but it is only recently that psychologists have recognized they have something to learn from geography. In identifying the importance of two-way interdisciplinary communication, a psychologist and a geographer have been invited to each write a chapter in this book on a designated topic so that close comparisons can be drawn as to how the two disciplines approach the same difficulties. Since the disciplines are to some extent complementary, it is hoped that this close collaboration will have synergistic effects on the attempts of both to find solutions to environmental problems through an increased understanding of the many behavior-environment interfaces.

  • Neuronal-Astrocytic Interactions

    Implications for Normal and Pathological CNS Function
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 94
    • A.C.H. Yu + 4 more
    • English
    Neurons and astrocytes have an intimate anatomic and functional realtionship and are heavily dependent on each other. This intensive relationship is virtually important not only in normal CNS function, but also in disease states. Research to better define and underatand this relationship will lay the foundation for rational new therapies for disorders of the CNS.The chapters in this volume have been written by scientists and physicians from around the world. To have optimum diversity of approach, the volume discusses basic research as well as clinical experience regarding the interactions of neurons and astrocytes in both normal and pathological conditions.

  • The Human Hypothalamus in Health and Disease

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 93
    • English

  • Psychology of Learning and Motivation

    Advances in Research and Theory
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 28
    • English
    The objective of the series has always been to provide a forum in which leading contributors to an area can write about significant bodies of research in which they are involved. The operating procedure has been to invite contributions from interesting, active investigators, and then allow them essentially free rein to present their perspectives on important research problems. The result of such invitations over the past two decades has been collections of papers which consist of thoughtful integrations providing an overview of a particular scientific problem. The series has an excellent tradition of high quality papers and is widely read by researchers incognitive and experimental psychology. The volume presents research ranging from classical and instrumental conditioning to complex learning and problem solving. Topics covered fall within a wide range of disciplines from neuroscience to artificial intelligence.

  • Neurotrophic Factors

    • 1st Edition
    • Sandra E. Loughlin + 1 more
    • English
    This volume clearly synthesizes current information on defined neurotrophic factors, emphasizing their localization and molecular/cellular function in the central nervous system. Brain development and aging, neurodegenerative disorders, plasticity, and memory all are closely examined within the context of this rapidly expanding field. Researchers in neurobiology, cell biology, and molecular biology will find Neurotrophic Factors an invaluable reference for their research libraries.

  • The Peptidergic Neuron

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 92
    • English

  • Psychophysical Approaches to Cognition

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 92
    • D. Algom
    • English
    Our lives are informed by perceptual and cognitive processes at all levels, from instrumental learning to metaphorical discourse to memorial representation. Yet, historically, these two branches of experimental psychology, perception and cognition, have developed separately using independent methods of experimentation and analysis. This volume is motivated by the assumption that a fundamental integration of the two fields is fruitful methodologically and indispensable theoretically. It explores how the notion of psychophysics aligned with cognitive processes shapes the study of perception and cognition, and illuminates a variety of contemporary research issues from a novel theoretical perspective. The papers raise conceptual and metatheoretical issues against the background of relevant empirical data.The authors provide a virtually narrative account of the most recent developments in their respective fields of expertise in psychophysics and cognitive psychology. Hence, this volume gives the interested reader an opportunity to reflect critically upon some of the current issues defining the two domains and their conjunction. Topics discussed include the psychology and psychophysics of similarity, the psychophysics of visual memory and cognitive factors in judgment. The emerging notion of cognitive psychophysics may well warrant the attention of experts in the field.

  • The Nature and Origin of Mathematical Skills

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 91
    • J.I.D. Campbell
    • English
    A broad range of current experimental research on numerical cognition and the acquisition of mathematical skills is covered in this volume. The individual chapters provide in-depth analysis of specific issues, methodologies, phenomena, and theory. The book is divided into two parts. In the first part the focus is on the acquisition and development of numerical skills. Part 2 of the book contains research on the information-processi... basis of numerical skills, focusing on the mechanisms of perception, attention, and memory that support number skills.The range of theoretical and methodological orientations represented in the volume captures both the diversity and coherence of contemporary research into mathematical skills. The research of educational psychologists, cognitive psychologists, and cognitive neuropsychologists mutually informs and reinforces theoretical developments within each area. The multidisciplinary interest in mathematics skills reflects the pervasiveness and importance of mathematics in education, technology, and science, and also indicates that questions about mathematical competence address important issues in diverse areas of psychology and cognitive science.

  • Circumventricular Organs and Brain Fluid Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 91
    • English

  • The Role of Eye Movements in Perceptual Processes

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 88
    • E. Chekaluk + 1 more
    • English
    It has become a truism that the frozen optical diagram representation of vision is the worst possible picture of the way in which we visually interact with the environment. Even apart from our reaction to moving targets by pursuit movements, our visual behaviour can be said to be characterised by eye movements. We sample from our environment in a series of relatively brief fixations which move from one point to another in a series of extremely rapid jerks known as saccades. Many questions arising from this characteristic of vision are explored within this volume, including the question of how our visual world maintains its perceptual stability despite the drastic changes in input associated with these eye movements.

  • Tutorials in Motor Behavior II

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 87
    • J. Requin + 1 more
    • English
    This book appraises the main theoretical ideas currently characteristic of the motor behavior field, bringing together contributions from many internationally known scientists who are doing this important research. Much of the work presented utilizes new recording techniques aimed at obtaining a complete kinematic account of how movement is executed. The motor behavior field as described in this volume is dominated by approaches which emphasize the dynamics and kinematics of movement. There is also an emphasis on new electrophysiological measures. The volume is organized into several sections based on specific themes. Chapters contained in each section discuss many currently debated questions in the field concerning motor mechanisms and their implementation for motor control.

  • GABA in the Retina and Central Visual System

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 90
    • English

  • International Review of Neurobiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 34
    • English
    Published since 1959, this serial presents in-depth reviews of key topics in neuroscience, from molecules to behavior. The serial stays keenly atuned to recent developments through the contributions of first-class experts in the many fields of neuroscience. Neuroscientists as well as clinicians, psychologists, physiologists and pharmacoloists will find this serial an indispensable addition to their library.

  • International Review of Neurobiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 33
    • English
    Published since 1959, this serial presents in-depth reviews of key topics in neuroscience, from molecules to behavior. The serial stays keenly atuned to recent developments through the contributions of first-class experts in the many fields of neuroscience. Neuroscientists as well as clinicians, psychologists, physiologists and pharmacoloists will find this serial an indispensable addition to their library.

  • Advances in the Study of Behavior

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 21
    • English
    Advances in the Study of Behavior remains one of the most-turned-to sources for penetrating insight on the latest findings in behavior research. This serial has kept pace with the vigorous multidisciplinary growth of the field and covers all major aspects, from ecology to endocrinology, in both human and animal subjects. Critical reviews, presentations of major research programs, and communication of significant new concepts provide readers with an up-to-date overview of the latest developments in this field.The series does not focus narrowly on one or a few fields, but features articles covering the best behavioral work from a wide spectrum. The skill and concepts of scientists in such diverse fields necessarily differ, making the task of developing cooperation and communication among them a difficult one. But it is one that is of great importance, and one to which the editors and publisher of Advances in the Study of Behavior are committed. Each volume of Advances in the Study of Behavior contains an index, and each chapter includes references.

  • Intelligence

    • 2nd Edition
    • Nathan Brody
    • English
    This is the Second Edition of Nathan Brody's popular book Intelligence, originally published in 1976. It presents a comprehensive review of contemporary research in this field, including coverage of such controversial topics as the genetic and environmental influences on IQ and individual and group differences in intelligence. The book also discusses both the psychometric and cognitive approaches to intelligence as well as new theories in the field.

  • Vision and Motor Control

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 85
    • L. Proteau + 1 more
    • English
    Since the classic studies of Woodworth (1899), the role ofvision in the control of movement has been an importantresearch topic in experimental psychology. While many earlystudies were concerned with the relative importance of visionand kinesthesis and/or the time it takes to use visualinformation, recent theoretical and technical developmentshave stimulated scientists to ask questions about howdifferent sources of visual information contribute to motorcontrol in different contexts.In this volume, articles arepresented that provide a broad coverage of the currentresearch and theory on vision and human motor learning andcontrol. Many of the contributors are colleagues that have metover the years at the meetings and conferences concerned withhuman movement. They represent a wide range of affiliation andbackground including kinesiology, physical education,neurophysi... cognitive psychology and neuropsychology.Thus the topic of vision and motor control is addressed from anumber of different perspectives. In general, each author setsan empirical and theoretical framework for their topic, andthen discusses current work from their own laboratory, and howit fits into the larger context. A synthesis chapter at the end of the volume identifies commonalities in the work and suggests directions for future experimentation.

  • Approaches to the Study of Motor Control and Learning

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 84
    • J.J. Summers
    • English
    During the past two decades, there has been a dramatic increasein interest in the study of motor control and learning. In thisvolume authors from a variety of backgrounds and theoreticalperspecti... review their research with particular emphasis onthe methods and paradigms employed, and the future direction oftheir work. The book is divided into four main sections. Thefirst section contains chapters examining general issues andtrends in the movement behaviour field. The remaining threesections contain chapters from scientists working in threebroadly defined areas of interest: coordination and control;visuo-motor processes; and movement disorders. Each sectionprovides an overview of the different approaches and differentlevels of analysis being used to examine specific topics withinthe motor domain.

  • International Review of Research in Mental Retardation

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 17
    • English

  • Protein Kinase C and its Substrates

    Role in Neuronal Growth and Plasticity
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 89
    • English

  • Neurobiology of the Locus Coeruleus

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 88
    • English

  • Mental Images in Human Cognition

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 80
    • R.H. Logie + 1 more
    • English
    This book represents the research efforts of individuals whose scientific expertise lies in reflection on what Sartre described as reflective acts. Theory in the cognitive psychology of mental imagery, endeavors not only being able to describe the contents and nature of mental imagery, but also being able to understand the underlying functional cognition. Psychologists need not solely rely on the techniques of introspection, and the last two decades have seen highly creative developments in techniques for eliciting behavioural data to be complemented by introspective reports. This level of sophistication has provided singular insights into the relationship between imagery and other consequential and universal aspects of human cognition: perception, memory, verbal processes and problem solving. The recognition that imagery, despite its ubiquitous nature, differs between individuals both in prevalence and in kind, and the dramatic rise in cognitive science has provided the additional potential for integrating our understanding of cognitive function with our understanding of neuroanatomy and of computer science. All of these relationships, developments and issues are dealt with in detail in this book, by some of the most distinguished authors in imagery research, working at present in both Europe and the USA.

  • Role of the Forebrain in Sensation and Behavior

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 87
    • English

  • Adaptability of Human Gait

    Implications for the Control of Locomotion
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 78
    • A.E. Patla
    • English
    A large number of volumes have been produced summarizing the work on generation and control of rhythmic movements, in particular locomotion. Unfortunately most of them focus on locomotor studies done on animals. This edited volume redresses that imbalance by focusing completely on human locomotor behaviour. The very nature of the problem has both necessitated and attracted researchers from a wide variety of disciplines ranging from psychology, neurophysiology, kinesiology, engineering, medicine to computer science. The different and unique perspectives they bring to this problem provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of knowledge on the generation and regulation of human locomotor behaviour.A common unifying theme of this volume is studying the adaptability of human gait to obtain insights into the control of locomotion. The intentional focus on "adaptability" is meant to draw attention to the importance of understanding the generation and regulation of "skilled locomotor behaviour" rather than just the generation of basic locomotor patterns which has been the major focus of animal studies. The synthesis chapter at the end of the volume examines how the questions posed, the technology, and the experimental and theoretical paradigms have evolved over the years, and what the future has in store for this important research domain.

  • The Prefrontal Cortex: Its Structure, Function and Pathology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 85
    • J.P.C. de Bruin + 4 more
    • English
    Thanks to a resurgence of interest and a recent proliferation of research techniques, much new and illuminating data has emerged during the last decade relating to the prefrontal cortex, particularly in primates and rodents. In view of this progress, the 16th International Summer School of Brain Research was held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands from 28 August to 1 September 1989, devoted to the topic of `The Prefrontal Cortex: Its Structure, Function and Pathology'.The edited proceedings, embodied in this 85th volume of `Progress in Brain Research', fall into three sections - the first of which, following two introductory chapters, discusses the present knowledge of the organization of prefrontal cortical systems. In the second section, developmental and plasticity aspects in rodent and human cortex are considered, whilst the third section deals extensively with the functional aspects characteristic for the prefrontal cortex in primates, rats and rabbits. The last section reviews several topics on dysfunction of prefrontal cortex in rat and man, including a historical review on psychosurgery.

  • International Review of Neurobiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 32
    • English

  • Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neuronal Plasticity in Normal Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 86
    • P.D. Coleman + 2 more
    • English
    Neuroscientists and researchers in Alzheimer's disease will find this book essential reading.

  • Problems in Movement Control

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 74
    • G. Reid
    • English
    Difficulties in motor behavior are commonly associated with a variety of disabilities. Early research efforts focused on descriptions of specific groups of people or on evaluations of intervention programs. Only recently have investigators begun to explore questions from a variety of theoretical positions in an attempt to build a more fundamental understanding of the disabled person. The present volume represents views of major methodological issues, current research fronts and selected applied concerns from the perspective of the disabled performer. Authors write from a number of theoretical viewpoints and sketch future research directions in these chapters.

  • Cerebral Control of Speech and Limb Movements

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 70
    • G.R. Hammond
    • English
    Discussed in this book is the association between speech and movements, especially those of the preferred hand. Both are skilled motor activities that appear to depend upon a similar neural organization that is available in the left hemisphere of the brain. The nature of this association of the cerebral control of speech and skilled manual performance is discussed in four sections: 1. Motor control and speech examines speech as a motor activity2. Language and gesture examines the correspondence between spoken language and manual gesture3. Motor performance and aphasia examines the motor impairments associated with aphasias4. Interactions of speech and manual performance examines the interactions that occur between concurrent verbal and manual activities

  • Cholinergic Neurotransmission

    Functional and Clinical Aspect
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 84
    • English

  • Cognitive Biases

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 68
    • J.-P. Caverni + 2 more
    • English
    Many studies in cognitive psychology have provided evidence of systematic deviations in cognitive task performance relative to that dictated by optimality, rationality, or coherency. The texts in this volume present an account of research into the cognitive biases observed on various tasks: reasoning, categorization, evaluation, and probabilistic and confidence judgments. The authors have attempted to discern the contribution of the study of bias to our understanding of the cognitive processes involved in each case, rather than proposing an inventory of the different types of biases. A special section has been devoted to studies on the correction of biases and cognitive aids.

  • Neural Transplantation

    From Molecular Basis to Clinical Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 82
    • English

  • Understanding the Brain Through the Hippocampus

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 83
    • English

  • Afferent Control of Posture and Locomotion

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 80
    • English

  • International Review of Neurobiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 31
    • English

  • Life, Brain and Consciousness

    New Perceptions through Targeted Systems Analysis
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 63
    • G. Sommerhoff
    • English
    The relation between mind and brain can never be understood by science until the nature of consciousness and self-consciousness is clearly perceived as specific system-properties. In this volume the author tackles this problem in a rigorous analysis which begins with the general dynamics of living systems and leads the reader step-by-step towards firm conclusions about the physical processes of consciousness and the main categories of mental events. Finally the author moves from the cognitive to the affective, and proceeds to interpret a number of uniquely human sensibilities in the light of the general biological perspective he has established.

  • The Central Neural Organization of Cardiovascular Control

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 81
    • J. Ciriello + 2 more
    • English
    The Satellite Symposium of the 18th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, "Function of the Ventrolateral Medulla in the Control of the Circulation", held in Ontario, Canada, focussed on the newest research developments into the central neural organisation of cardiovascular control. The central nervous system is vital in the controlling of arterial pressure via the regulation of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous discharge to blood vessels and the heart. The central nervous system also controls the release of hormones that regulate the circulation and couple the circulatory system to different behaviours. This volume concentrates on the most recent experimental advances in the neurosciences. Current research disproves the concept of a vasomotor medullary centre, suggesting instead that the control of sympathetic preganglionic activity occurs via neural pathways. The pathways of greatest significance are proposed to originate from neurons located on, or close to, the ventral surface of the medulla oblongata. The proceedings of this symposium represent an important breakthrough in neuroscientific research. An indispensable resource book.

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