The discovery of new molecules that function in neuronal communication can be viewed as a progression of steps beginning with the identification of the molecular structure, moving to the understanding of the mecha nisms mediating the synaptic action, and to the appraisal of the involve ment of the new molecules in various neuronal mechanisms, and finally reaching the evaluation of this molecule's role in brain function and the consequences that are triggered by its abnormalities. Enkephalins have followed such a pattern, and the present publication expresses the salient points of the last two phases in this succession. Enkephalins were discovered in December 1975; in addition to pain threshold regulation, their participation in other brain functions was soon ascertained. Perhaps, there are multiple recognition sites for multiple molecular forms of endogenous enkephalins; similarly to other transmitter recognition sites, these are coupled with ionic and nucleotide amplifying systems; thus, when activated, they can modify membrane funtion and ionic permeability of membranes. The present publication probes the current status of our knowledge concerning the consequences related to abnormalities in enkephalin storage, release, and synthesis. However, since our basic understanding of enkephalins is incomplete, the views reported should be considered to be in a state of flux.

Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.

This timely volume emphasizes the relevance of current, basic research to the clinical management of the substance abuser.

This book covers the latest knowledge in structure, signaling, and biochemical pharmacology of KOR as well as preclinical research and clinical applications (including clinical phase studies and approved for human use) of KOR compounds. It is divided up into the three parts: Molecular aspects of KOR, Preclinical research on pharmacology of KOR agonists and antagonists in animals and KOR agonists and antagonists in clinical use and in past and present clinical trials. The chapters "Biosensors monitor ligand-selective effects at kappa opioid receptors" and "The role of dynorphin and the kappa opioid receptor in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder: a translational approach" of this book are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

A remarkable collaboration between psychologist Rossi and gynecologist-obstetrician Cheek, this book guides and empowers therapists and patients to find the keys to their own health and well-being through therapeutic hypnosis. Hundreds of engaging case reports from Cheek's forty years of clinical work bring the theory of mind-body therapy to life, while Rossi's chapters link Cheek's often intuitive work to the latest research in psychobiology.