The present day is witnessing an explosion of our understanding of how the brain works at all levels, in which complexity is piled on complexity, and mechanisms of astonishing elegance are being continually discovered. This process is most developed in the major areas of the brain, such as the cortex, thalamus, and striatum. The Claustrum instead focuses on a small, remote, and, until recently, relatively unknown area of the brain. In recent years, researchers have come to believe that the claustrum is concerned with consciousness, a bold hypothesis supported by the claustrum's two-way connections with nearly every other region of the brain and its seeming involvement with multisensory integrations—the hallmark of consciousness. The claustrum, previously in a humble position at the back of the stage, might in fact be the conductor of the brain's orchestra. The Claustrum brings together leading experts on the claustrum from the varied disciplines of neuroscience, providing a state-of-the-art presentation of what is currently known about the claustrum, promising lines of current research (including epigenetics), and projections of new lines of investigation on the horizon. - Develops a unifying hypothesis about the claustrum's role in consciousness, as well as the integration of sensory information and other higher brain functions - Discusses the involvement of the claustrum with autism, schizophrenia, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease - Coverage of all aspects of the claustrum, from its evolution and development to promising new lines of research, including epigenetics, provides a platform and point of reference for future investigative efforts

Advances in itch research have elucidated differences between itch and pain but have also blurred the distinction between them. There is a long debate about how somatic sensations including touch, pain, itch, and temperature sensitivity are encoded by the nervous system. Research suggests that each sensory modality is processed along a fixed, direct-line communication system from the skin to the brain. Itch: Mechanisms and Treatment presents a timely update on all aspects of itch research and the clinical treatment of itch that accompanies many dermatological conditions including psoriasis, neuropathic itch, cutaneous t-cells lymphomas, and systemic diseases such as kidney and liver disease and cancer. Composed of contributions from distinguished researchers around the world, the book explores topics such as: Neuropathic itch Peripheral neuronal mechanism of itch The role of PAR-2 in neuroimmune communication and itch Mrgprs as itch receptors The role of interleukin-31 and oncostatin M in itch and neuroimmune communication Spinal coding of itch and pain Spinal microcircuits and the regulation of itch Examining new findings on cellular and molecular mechanisms, the book is a compendium of the most current research on itch, its prevalence in society, and the problems associated with treatment.

Human Brainstem: Cytoarchitecture, Chemoarchitecture, Myeloarchitecture explores how the human brainstem has been impeded by the unavailability of an up-to-date, comprehensive, diagrammatic and photographic atlas. Now, with the first detailed atlas on the human brainstem in more than twenty years, this book presents an accurate, comprehensive and convenient reference for students, researchers and pathologists. - Presents the first detailed atlas on the human brainstem in more than twenty years - Represents all areas of the medulla, pons and midbrain in the plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the brainstem - Consists of 63 plates and 63 accompanying diagrams with an interplate distance of one millimeter - Includes photographs of Nissl and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) stained sections at alternate levels - Provides an accurate and convenient guide for students, researchers and pathologists

The claustrum is a long, band-like grey matter structure situated in the ventrolateral telencephalon of most, if not all, mammalian brains. Due to its shape and close proximity to white matter structures and insular cortex, the anatomy and behavioral relevance of the claustrum have proven difficult to study. As a result, disagreements in the literature exist over ontogeny, phylogeny, anatomical boundaries, and connectivity. Despite this, it is generally regarded that the claustrum contains excitatory projection neurons that reciprocally connect to most regions of the cerebral cortex, a feature that has fostered varying hypotheses as to its function. These hypotheses propose multisensory integration, coordination of cortical activity for the generation of conscious percepts, or saliency filtration. The articles of this e-book consider the historical and recent highlights in claustrum structure, hodology, and function and seek to provide a compelling way forward for this “hidden” nucleus.

The Mouse Nervous System provides a comprehensive account of the central nervous system of the mouse. The book is aimed at molecular biologists who need a book that introduces them to the anatomy of the mouse brain and spinal cord, but also takes them into the relevant details of development and organization of the area they have chosen to study. The Mouse Nervous System offers a wealth of new information for experienced anatomists who work on mice. The book serves as a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students in neuroscience. Systematic consideration of the anatomy and connections of all regions of the brain and spinal cord by the authors of the most cited rodent brain atlases A major section (12 chapters) on functional systems related to motor control, sensation, and behavioral and emotional states A detailed analysis of gene expression during development of the forebrain by Luis Puelles, the leading researcher in this area Full coverage of the role of gene expression during development and the new field of genetic neuroanatomy using site-specific recombinases Examples of the use of mouse models in the study of neurological illness

This comprehensive reference is clearly destined to become the definitive anatomical basis for all molecular neuroscience research. The three volumes provide a complete overview and comparison of the structural organisation of all vertebrate groups, ranging from amphioxus and lamprey through fishes, amphibians and birds to mammals. This thus allows a systematic treatment of the concepts and methodology found in modern comparative neuroscience. Neuroscientists, comparative morphologists and anatomists will all benefit from: * 1,200 detailed and standardised neuroanatomical drawings * the illustrations were painstakingly hand-drawn by a team of graphic designers, specially commissioned by the authors, over a period of 25 years * functional correlations of vertebrate brains * concepts and methodology of modern comparative neuroscience * five full-colour posters giving an overview of the central nervous system of the vertebrates, ideal for mounting and display This monumental work is, and will remain, unique; the only source of such brilliant illustrations at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels.

Using the Kleinian concept of projective-identification, with special reference to intrusive identification with internal objects, this work examines claustrophobic phenomena and its relations to the treatment of borderline and adolescent patients.