High-order executive tasks involve the interplay between frontal cortex and other cortical and subcortical brain regions. In particular, the frontal cortex, striatum and thalamus interact via parallel fronto-striatal "loops" that are crucial for the executive control of behavior. In all of these brain regions, neuromodulatory inputs (e.g. serotonergic, dopaminergic, cholinergic, adrenergic, and peptidergic afferents) regulate neuronal activity and synaptic transmission to optimize circuit performance for specific cognitive demands. Indeed, dysregulation of neuromodulatory input to fronto-striatal circuits is implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson's disease. However, despite decades of intense investigation, how neuromodulators influence the activity of fronto-striatal circuits to generate the precise activity patterns required for sophisticated cognitive tasks remains unknown. In part, this reflects the complexity of the cellular microcircuits in these brain regions (i.e. heterogeneity of neuron subtypes and connectivity), cell-type specific expression patterns for the numerous receptor subtypes mediating neuromodulatory signals, and the potential interaction of multiple signaling cascades in individual neurons. This Research Topic includes 10 original research articles and seven review articles addressing the role of neuromodulation in executive function at multiple levels of analysis, ranging from the activity of single voltage-dependent ion channels to computational models of network interactions in cortex-striatum-thalamus systems.

Movement is the basis for many forms of behaviors, and is tightly controlled by a hierarchical system containing cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. Each level of this hierarchy contributes to motor planning, motor initiation, motor execution, and motor coordination, respectively. However, they all receive continuous sensory inputs and generate accurate sensorimotor integrations that are necessary for both predictive and reflexive/servo controls of movements. The motor system contains various types of neurons with different morphological, neurochemical and electrophysiological properties, which are significantly dependent on many intracellular signaling molecules. Interestingly, these neurons are interconnected by intricate neuronal circuits for motor control, and even interacted with other non-motor systems to orchestrate somatic-nonsomatic integration. Furthermore, synaptic and neural plasticity endows motor system with amazing abilities for not only motor learning but also compensation and recovery from motor diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, ataxias, motion sickness and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, etc. Therefore, the motor system is of great importance for understanding information processing, integrative function, and neural plasticity of the central nervous system. The aim of this Research Topic is to discuss the latest advances in our understanding of motor system, motor control, motor learning and motor diseases from molecular, cellular, synaptic, circuit, and behavioral levels, especially in an integrative perspective.

This book discusses recent brain research and the potentially dangerous dual-use applications of the findings of these research projects. The book is divided into three sections: Part I examines the rise in dual-use concerns within various state’s chemical and biological non-proliferation regime’s during this century, as well as the rapid technologically driven advances in neuroscience and the associated possible misuse considerations in the same period. Part II reviews the brain research projects in the EU, USA, Japan, China and several other countries with regard to their objectives, achievements and measures to deal with the problem of dual-use. Part III assesses the extent to which the results of this civil neuroscience work, which is intended to be benign, are being, and could be protected against future hostile applications in the development of novel chemical and biological weapons.

This book provides neurologists with a basic knowledge of psychiatric medications. It begins with general principles of psychopharmacology and the frequency of psychiatric illness in neurology patients. It goes on to cover psychoactive drugs in the elderly and treating behavioral symptoms of dementia. There is a special emphasis on drug-drug and drug-diet interactions that may be seen in clinical practice. Neurologists, residents, neuropsychiatrists, neuropsychologists and psychiatrists in training will find this practical guide invaluable in numerous clinical settings.