The book aims to cover basic physiologic functions of melatonin, and its therapeutic applications in humans for a variety of clinically relevant disorders. This book contains chapters on the recent aspects of melatonin physiology, its receptors and their role in mitochondrial function, its immunomodulatory role and importance in seasonal dependent diseases, role in human reproduction, role in sleep, circadian rhythm and sleep disorders, role in neurologic disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, melatonin’s therapeutic use in neurobehavioral disorders in children, migraine and tension headache is also covered in this book. Melatonin’s antioxidant role in Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy and in glaucoma have also been discussed in short chapters. Two major melatonin agonists, ramelteon and agomelatine are discussed extensively on their current clinical application and ongoing research. Two chapters on agomelatonin and its role in mood disorders, particularly depressive disorders, are an important feature of this book. The chapters are written by experts from the global academia recognized for their original research and published work in the field of melatonin science.

This work is a guidebook for clinicians who are involved in treating depressive patients and also serves the research scientists who are working on the psychopharmacological mechanisms of antidepressant actions and psychopathological mechanisms underlying mood disorders. Mood disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BPD) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are the most disabling disorders that are among the most expensive of all medical illnesses. The pathophysiology of mood disorders is very complex and involves many mechanisms like circadian rhythm disruption, sleep abnormalities, melatonin rhythm abnormalities and alterations in melatonin receptor mechanisms, abnormalities in monoaminergic neurotransmitter mechanisms, glutamatergic release mechanisms, hippocampal neurogenesis, and abnormal immune and cytokine release mechanisms. Many antidepressants that are in clinical use today including the recently introduced novel agents like agomelatine or other antidepressants cause clinical remission by resynchronizing disrupted circadian rhythms and melatonin receptor functions, enhancing monoaminergic neurotransmission, promoting hippocampal neurogenesis, and regulating immune mechanisms. This book explains various etiological factors that are involved in the pathogenesis of mood disorders and the mechanisms of therapeutic actions of antidepressants including the recently introduced agomelatine and other antidepressants that exhibit rapid onset of action with greater efficacy and fewer side effects. .

There is growing interest in the field of melatonin research regarding its neurobiological mechanisms as well as its repercussions in clinical practice. Melatonin: Therapeutic Value and Neuroprotection explores melatonin’s neuroprotective effects and discusses the therapeutic potential of melatonin and melatonin agonists in treating neurodegenerative diseases and other ailments. Topics include: The basic aspects of melatonin’s physiology, including its production, bioavailability, and metabolism The functional importance of melatonin receptors and their role in mediating the therapeutic effectiveness of melatonin in cancer Melatonin’s effect on the regulation of blood pressure, sleep, and circadian rhythms The cardioprotective role of melatonin The neuroprotective role in glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and neurodegenerative diseases Use as a therapeutic agent for treating epilepsy and degenerative discs Treatment for obesity, diabetes mellitus, and other metabolic disorders Protective role in peri-natal hypoxic-ischemia The contributors also examine the discovery of a number of melatonergic agonists, their potential role as antioxidants, and their therapeutic applications in treating glaucoma, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, primary insomnia, and psychiatric disorders. Opening new vistas in our understanding of etiology, pharmacotherapy, and treatment, the book is a significant milestone in our knowledge about advances in melatonin’s physiology and its therapeutic application in a number of disorders.

Prevent, evaluate, and manage diseases that can be acquired in tropical environments and foreign countries with The Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual. This pragmatic resource equips medical providers with the knowledge they need to offer effective aid, covering key topics in pre- and post-travel medicine, caring for immigrants and refugees, and working in low-resource settings. It's also the perfect source for travelers seeking quick, easy access to the latest travel medicine information. - Dynamic images illustrate key concepts for an enhanced visual understanding. - Evidence-based treatment recommendations enable you to manage diseases confidently. - Expert Consult eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience allows you to search all of the text, figures, images, and references from the book on a variety of devices. - Evidence-based appendix, available at Expert Consult, helps to validate treatments. - Highlights new evidence and content surrounding mental health and traveling. - Covers emerging hot topics such as Ebola virus disease, viral hemorrhagic fevers, the role of point-of-care testing in travel medicine, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in returning travelers and students traveling abroad. - Includes an enhanced drug appendix in the back of the book.

The fully updated second edition of this popular handbook concisely summarises all current knowledge about delirium in critically ill patients and describes simple tools the bedside clinician can use to prevent, diagnose and manage delirium. Chapters discuss new developments in assessing risk and diagnosis, crucial discoveries regarding delirium and long-term cognitive outcomes, and dangers of sedation and death. Updated management advice reflects new evidence about antipsychotics and delirium. This book explains how to minimise the risks of delirium, drugs to avoid, drugs to use and when to use them, as well as current theories regarding pathophysiology, different motoric subtypes leading to missed diagnosis, and the adverse impact of delirium on patient outcomes. While there are still unanswered questions, this edition contains all the available answers. Illustrated with real-life case reports, Delirium in Critical Care is essential reading for trainees, consultants and nurses in the ICU and emergency department.

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.