Selective Neuronal Death

Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and motor neuron disease share a significant common feature: selective death of neurons in restricted regions of the brain. Among the topics covered in the symposium are recent advances in the understanding of agents that are known to be involved.

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Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and motor neuron disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) share a significant common feature: selective death of neurons in restricted regions of the brain. In this international symposium - the first to bring together neurophysiologists working on neuronal death and neuropathologists dealing with human degenerative brain disease - the participants describe the causes and sequence of events leading to neuronal death and discuss what can be done to prevent it. Among the topics covered in the symposium are recent advances in the understanding of agents that are known to be involved in neuronal death, examples of neuronal death during normal development, and the role played by endocrine mechanisms and neuronal activity. These topics are discussed in relation to possible causes of specific human diseases. Trophic factors controlling the survival of neuronal transplants are considered, as are the therapeutic prospects for tissue transplantation. This interdisciplinary symposium summarizes the most recent information on these degenerative brain diseases and suggests new directions for research.
Neurobiologists, neuropathologists, clinical neurologists, psychiatrists and cell biologists will all find this book stimulating. It should also interest clinicians, particularly those working in geriatric medicine.