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The fascinating story of glutamate, the neurotransmitter that controls the structure and function of the brain in health and neurological disorders.Sculptor and Destroyer tells the story of a simple, little-known molecule that became a master architect and commander of the human brain: glutamate. Upward of 90 percent of the neurons in the human brain deploy glutamate as their neurotransmitter. Other neurotransmitters can only exert their effects on brain function by subtly modifying the ongoing activity of glutamatergic neurons, but during brain development glutamate controls the growth of dendrites and the formation of synapses. In this eye-opening book, Mark Mattson explains how the neurotransmitter glutamate controls the structure and function of neuronal networks in the brain, thereby mediating the brain's capabilities, including learning and memory, creativity, and imagination. Mattson also delves deeply into the dark side of glutamate, which he calls the “destroyer” side. He shows how relatively subtle aberrancies in the activity of neurons that deploy glutamate may result in behavioral disorders ranging from autism and schizophrenia to chronic anxiety and depression. More dramatically, he describes how glutamate can excite neurons to death, a process that occurs in epilepsy and stroke and, perhaps even more insidiously, in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS, and Huntington's disease. Sculptor and Destroyer concludes with a perspective on how knowledge of glutamate's roles in neuroplasticity might be applied to the optimization of brain health throughout our lives. Written inengaging, approachable prose, Sculptor and Destroyer will be of interest to anyone in the fields of neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, and psychology, as well as to anyone with a curiosity about the human brain.

NOT JUST FOR WEIGHT LOSS: A neuroscientist explores the science and history of intermittent fasting, revealing the wide-ranging mental and physical benefits of this time-tested eating pattern.Most of us eat 3 meals a day with a smattering of snacks because we think that's the normal, healthy way to eat. But when we look at the eating patterns of our distant ancestors, we can see that an intermittent fasting eating pattern is normal—and eating 3 meals a day is not. In The Intermittent Fasting Revolution, prominent neuroscientist Mark Mattson shows that frequent periods of time with little or negligible amounts of food is not only normal but also good for us. He describes the specific ways intermittent fasting can: • Enhance our ability to cope with stress by making cells more resilient• Improve mental and physical performance• Slow aging and reduce the risk of diseases like obesity, Alzheimer's, and diabetesMattson—whose pioneering research uncovered the ways that the brain responds to fasting and exercise—explains how thriving while fasting became an evolutionary adaptation; it's not just the latest fad diet for weight loss. He also offers practical advice on adopting an intermittent fasting eating pattern as well as information for parents and physicians.

Metabolic Drivers and Bioenergetic Components of Neurodegenerative Disease summarizes recent developments in intervention trials in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as well as increasing evidence for the overlap between drivers of metabolic and neurodegenerative disease that impact mitochondrial function and bioenergetics, and subsequently cellular function and pathophysiology. Topics covered include Brain Glucose and Ketone Utilization in Brain Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases; the Mitochondrial Hypothesis: Dysfunction, Bioenergetic Defects, and the Metabolic Link to Alzheimer's Disease; the Metabolic Impact on Neuroinflammation and Microglial Modulation in Neurodegenerative Diseases, the Impact of Circadian and Diurnal Rhythms on Cellular Metabolic Function and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and much more. - Summarizes the current status of and future research in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases - Reviews the impact of the metabolic hypothesis on underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases

Metabolic Drivers and Bioenergetic Components of Neurodegenerative Disease reviews how the different aspects of metabolic dysfunction and consequent pathology associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, can be targeted by novel treatment approaches. Topics covered include Cellular Senescence in Aging and Age-Related Disorders: Implications for Neurodegenerative Diseases; Repurposing GLP1 agonists for Neurodegenerative Diseases; Ketotherapeutics for Neurodegenerative Diseases; Enhancing Mitophagy as a Therapeutic Approach for Neurodegenerative Diseases; Harnessing Neurogenesis in the Adult Brain – A Role in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Alzheimer's disease; and much more. - Summarizes the impact of the metabolic hypothesis on underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases - Presents novel, potential treatment strategies based on the metabolic hypothesis for neurodegenerative diseases

Diet-Brain Connections fills a void between the fields of nutrition, behavior and cellular and molecular neurosciences by providing an integrated collection of articles that critically dissect the link between what we eat and how the brain develops and functions in health and disease.Key topics covered in depth include: -caloric restriction benefit the brain and retard aging; -effects of dietary antioxidants on brain function and aging; -developmental and function consequences of different dietary fatty acids; -biochemical links between dietary folic acid and psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders; -effects of nutritional deficit during early development and behavior disorders later in life; -neurochemical basis of the benefits of widely used dietary supplements including creatine and Gingko biloba; -contribution of dietary toxins such as metals and pesticides to neurological disorders.

Hormesis is defined as any circumstance in which exposure of a cell or organism to a low dose of a substance or condition results in an adaptive stimulatory/beneficial outcome, while exposure to a high dose results in an inhibitory / detrimental outcome. When plotted on a graph the shape of the dose response curve is biphasic, the hallmark of hormesis. This groundbreaking book'Hormesis: A Revolution in Biology, Toxicology and Medicine'describes why and how hormesis is a fundamental feature of all living systems and is based on the evolutionary principle of selection for genetic traits that confer the ability to respond adaptively to adverse environmental conditions. Using numerous specific examples the authors explain why knowledge of hormesis is important for our health, our environment, and the future of our planet. Several chapters of the book describe emerging research findings that elucidate the molecular and cellular underpinnings of the biphasic dose response/hormesis. The implications of the tapping of cellular systems that underlie hormesis for the discovery and optimization of new drugs and dietary formulations are described. From environmental protection policy to medical practice, it is critical that leaders recognize and understand hormesis, and incorporate it into their decision making process. The authors propose that the prevention of major diseases, including diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease can be achieved using hormetic approaches. Scientists, physicians, environmental gurus and anyone interested in the science underlying biology and medicine will benefit from reading this book. Features Groundbreaking coverage of an oft experienced, but poorly understood phenomenon that affects all forms of life on earth. Explains why the principle of hormesis is important to our health, our environment, and the future of our planet. Provides specific examples of biphasicdose responses and their importance for the fields of biology, medicine and environmental safety. Discusses how knowledge of hormesis is being applied to research aimed understanding the organization and function of biological systems. Illustrates how disorders such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease result from the lack of exposure to beneficial environmental stresses. Considers the implications of the cellular systems that underlie hormesis for the discovery and optimization of new drugs and dietary formulations.

Aggression is a highly conserved behavioral adaptation that evolved to help org- isms compete for limited resources and thereby ensure their survival. However, in modern societies where resources such as food, shelter, etc. are not limiting, aggr- sion has become a major cultural problem worldwide presumably because of its deep seeded roots in the neuronal circuits and neurochemical pathways of the human brain. In Neurobiology of Aggression: Understanding and Preventing Violence, leading experts in the fields of the neurobiology, neurochemistry, genetics, and behavioral and cultural aspects of aggression and violence provide a comprehensive collection of review articles on one of the most important cross-disciplinary issues of our time. Rather than summarize the topics covered by each author in each chapter, I present a schematic diagram to guide the reader in thinking about different aspects of aggr- sive and violent behavior from its neurobiological roots to environmental factors that can either promote or prevent aggression to visions of some of the most horrific acts of violence of our times, and then towards the development of strategies to reduce aggressive behavior and prevent violence. It is hoped that Neurobiology of Aggression: Understanding and Preventing V- lence will foster further research aimed at understanding the environmental genetic and neurochemical roots of aggression and how such information can be used to move forward towards the goal of eliminating violence.

As the average life expectancy of many populations throughout the world increases, so to does the incidence of such age-related neurodegenerative disorders as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. Rapid advances in our understanding of the molecular genetics and environmental factors that either cause or increase risk for age-related neurodegenerative disor­ ders have been made in the past decade. The ability to evaluate, at the cellular and molecular level, abnormalities in postmortem brain tissue from patients, when taken together with the development of valuable animal and cell-culture models of neurodegenerative disorders has allowed the identification of sequences of events within neurons that result in their demise in specific neurodegenerative disorders. Though the genetic and environmental factors that pro­ mote neurodegeneration may differ among disorders, shared biochemical cascades that will ultimately lead to the death of neurons have been identified. These cascades involve oxyradical production, aberrant regulation of cellular ion homeostasis and activation of a stereotyped sequence of events involving mitochondrial dysfunction and activa­ tion of specific proteases. Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Disorders provides a timely compilation of articles that encompasses fundamental mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, mechanisms that may prevent age-related neurodegenerative disorders are presented. Each chapter is written by an expert in the particular neurodegenerative disorder or mechanism or neuronal death discussed.

In Neuroprotective Signal Transduction prominent researchers and clinicians focus on how inter- and intracellular signaling mechanisms prevent the degeneration and death of neurons occurring in both acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. Authoritative contributions dissect the signaling pathways of an array of neuroprotective factors-ranging from neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4/5), to growth factors (bFGF, IGF-1, GDNF), to cytokines (TNF, IL-1b, and TGFb), to secreted amyloid precursor proteins, to protease nexin-1. Also treated are cytoprotective signaling events that occur within injured neurons independently of intercellular signals. Neuroprotective Signal Transduction presents fundamental, cutting-edge treatment of the cellular and molecular signal transduction pathways found in human neurodegenerative conditions. The book's elucidation of the molecular cascades evolved by the nervous system to protect itself is now lead to effective strategies for preventing neuronal degeneration in such conditions as stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and will form the basis for powerful new drug discovery and gene therapy strategies.