Serotonin

Author: Michel Houellebecq
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374721688
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
Michel Houellebecq’s Serotonin is a caustic, frightening, hilarious, raunchy, offensive, and politically incorrect novel about the decline of Europe, Western civilization, and humanity in general. Deeply depressed by his romantic and professional failures, the aging hedonist and agricultural engineer Florent-Claude Labrouste feels he is “dying of sadness.” He hates his young girlfriend, and the feeling is almost certainly mutual; his career is pretty much over; and he has to keep himself thoroughly medicated to cope with day-to-day life. Suffocating in the rampant loneliness, consumerism, hedonism, and sprawl of the city, Labrouste decides to head for the hills, returning to Normandy, where he once worked promoting regional cheeses and where he was once in love, and even—it now seems—happy. There he finds a countryside devastated by globalization and by European agricultural policies, and encounters farmers longing, like Labrouste himself, for an impossible return to a simpler age. As the farmers prepare for what might be an armed insurrection, it becomes clear that the health of one miserable body and of a suffering body politic are not so different, and that all parties may be rushing toward a catastrophe that a whole drugstore’s worth of antidepressants won’t make bearable.

The Serotonin System

Author: Mark Tricklebank
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128133244
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 307

Book Description
The Serotonin System: History, Neuropharmacology, and Pathology provides an up-to-date accounting on the physiology and pathophysiology of serotonin and the role it plays in behavioral functions. In addition, the book explores the potential roles of 5-HT1 in neurodevelopmental disorders and summarizes the history of the discovery and development of serotonergic drugs for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. This concise, yet thorough, volume is the perfect introduction to this critical neurotransmitter. It is ideal for students and researchers new to the study of behavior, neuropsychiatry or neuropharmacology, but is also a great resource for established investigators who want a greater perspective on serotonin. - Examines the role of serotonin in physiological functions and neuropsychiatric disorders - Provides in-depth knowledge on all aspects of the serotonin system - Explores serotonergic receptors as targets for both current and new therapeutic compounds

Serotonin

Author: Paul M. Pilowsky
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 012800584X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 452

Book Description
Serotonin: The Mediator That Spans Evolution provides a comprehensive review of the widespread roles for serotonin in respiratory, cardiovascular and thermoregulatory control, and for growth and development in early life. This important resource highlights serotonin's role in normal (unstressed) conditions, and in response to a variety of physiological stressors. It focuses on new animal models, comparing and contrasting data from mice and rats. In addition, the book compares and contrasts the physiological effects of brain and blood serotonin systems and includes new data suggesting that the influence of serotonin is in part through the regulation of gene expression. Finally, it discusses the role of serotonin system dysfunction in a variety of pathophysiological conditions, including sleep apnea, obesity and hypertension, and presents compelling evidence that this dysfunction is involved in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). - Includes the latest information on new animal models of serotonin system dysfunction - Explores the wide scope of serotonin's influence on multiple organ and physiological systems - Highlights the autonomous functioning of the brain and body serotonin systems - Provides compelling evidence of serotonin dysfunction in SIDS, a leading cause of death in infancy

The Serotonin Receptors

Author: Bryan L. Roth
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1597450804
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 628

Book Description
A comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of our current understanding of the molecular and structural biology of 5-HT receptors and their potential use for drug discovery. The authors describe the anatomical, cellular, and subcellular distribution of 5-HT receptors and demonstrate a powerful approach to elucidating their physiological role using knockout mice in which the 5-HT receptors were deleted. They also review our understanding of the physiological role(s) of 5-HT receptors based mainly on studies performed in genetically engineered mice. Highlights include discussions of the behavioral phenotypes of 5-HT receptor knockout animals, the molecular biology and pharmacology of 5-HT receptors, and insights into the complexity of 5-HT receptor signal transduction.

Handbook of the Behavioral Neurobiology of Serotonin

Author: Christian Peter Müller
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780123746344
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 818

Book Description
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, often cited as 5-HT) is one of the major excitatory neurotransmitters, and the serotonergic system is one of the best studied and understood transmitter systems. It is crucially involved in the organization of virtually all behaviours and in the regulation of emotion and mood, and pathological alterations in the serotonergic system underlie behaviour and psychiatric conditions (among a host of very successful drugs targeting the serotoninergic system are Prozac and Zoloft). This is the first truly integrated handbook providing a broad overview over the many face

Tryptophan, Serotonin, and Melatonin

Author: Gerald Huether
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461547091
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 824

Book Description
This volume contains the proceedings of the Ninth Meeting of the "International Study Group for Tryptophan Research" (lSTRY), held at the University of Hamburg, Germany, from October 10 to 14, 1998. At this meeting the recent developments in the field of tryptophan research were presented by leading researchers from all over the world in 81 oral and 48 poster contri butions. Research on tryptophan and its derivatives provides an inexhaustible subject. At the conference we tried to compose a multifacetted picture of the recent investiga tions through contributions from the major disciplines involved. Thus, we tried to strike a balance between basic research topics and clinical, nutritional or industrial applica tions. We offered workshops on tryptophan (in sleep and mood), melatonjn, IDO-acti vation and the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) as a platform for intensive discussion for the participants. In these proceedings many contributions are multidisciplinary and have practical or theoretical implications for different research fields. Hence, we have organized this volume in nine main chapters according to basic disciplines and subjects. We are aware that this classification is artificial, but we hope that it is the best compromise for contributors and readers.

Habits of a Happy Brain

Author: Loretta Graziano Breuning
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1440590508
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
Offers simple activities that help you understand the roles of your "happy chemicals"--serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. You'll also learn how to build new habits by rerouting the electricity in your brain to flow down a new pathway, making it even easier to trigger these happy chemicals and increase feelings of satisfaction when you need them most.

The Role of Protein and Amino Acids in Sustaining and Enhancing Performance

Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309172810
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 448

Book Description
It is a commonly held belief that athletes, particularly body builders, have greater requirements for dietary protein than sedentary individuals. However, the evidence in support of this contention is controversial. This book is the latest in a series of publications designed to inform both civilian and military scientists and personnel about issues related to nutrition and military service. Among the many other stressors they experience, soldiers face unique nutritional demands during combat. Of particular concern is the role that dietary protein might play in controlling muscle mass and strength, response to injury and infection, and cognitive performance. The first part of the book contains the committee's summary of the workshop, responses to the Army's questions, conclusions, and recommendations. The remainder of the book contains papers contributed by speakers at the workshop on such topics as, the effects of aging and hormones on regulation of muscle mass and function, alterations in protein metabolism due to the stress of injury or infection, the role of individual amino acids, the components of proteins, as neurotransmitters, hormones, and modulators of various physiological processes, and the efficacy and safety considerations associated with dietary supplements aimed at enhancing performance.

Serotonin Receptor Technologies

Author: Wolfgang Blenau
Publisher: Humana Press
ISBN: 9781493921867
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Reflecting a vast amount of new information concerning the functional characteristics of the various 5-HT receptor subtypes and the Na+-dependent serotonin transporter (SERT), this volume provides state of the art methodologies currently applied in serotonin research from leading experts in the field. Serotonin Receptor Technologies describes approaches that vary from molecular biological and biochemical techniques (e.g., regarding receptor dimerization), fluorescence microscopy and imaging applications, flow cytometry, the use of organotypic slice and cell cultures to the generation of genetically modified animal models and the development of sophisticated behavioral tests, thus covering a wide spectrum of techniques to study serotonergic signaling in detail. Written for the popular Neuromethods series, chapters include the kind of detail and practical advice that ensures successful results in the lab. Authoritative and convenient, Serotonin Receptor Technologies serves to foster both basic and translational research aiming to further deepen our understanding of the various facets of aminergic systems, as well as to aid research on similar problems with related GPCRs and neurotransmitter transporters.

The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide

Author: Yogesh Dwivedi
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 143983881X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 485

Book Description
With recent studies using genetic, epigenetic, and other molecular and neurochemical approaches, a new era has begun in understanding pathophysiology of suicide. Emerging evidence suggests that neurobiological factors are not only critical in providing potential risk factors but also provide a promising approach to develop more effective treatment and prevention strategies. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide discusses the most recent findings in suicide neurobiology. Psychological, psychosocial, and cultural factors are important in determining the risk factors for suicide; however, they offer weak prediction and can be of little clinical use. Interestingly, cognitive characteristics are different among depressed suicidal and depressed nonsuicidal subjects, and could be involved in the development of suicidal behavior. The characterization of the neurobiological basis of suicide is in delineating the risk factors associated with suicide. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide focuses on how and why these neurobiological factors are crucial in the pathogenic mechanisms of suicidal behavior and how these findings can be transformed into potential therapeutic applications.