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The National Institute of Mental Health recognizes the importance that creative development of technology and methodology play in brain and behavioral science research. This institute is making major efforts to support such development through specific initiatives, like the Human Brain Project. In addition, this Institute is actively building bridges between business and academic research communities to make optical use of funds for the research and development of commercially viable technologies relevant to all aspects of the Institute's mission through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs. Together, these efforts will culminate in a more vigorous scientific enterprise, and ultimately benefit the entire mental health community and society.

As the amount of basic neuroscientific information increases dramatically, its day-to-day integration and application becomes an increasing difficulty. Technological advances, particularly in computer and information sciences, should allow this information 'explosion' to become more manageable. To this end, the Human Brain Project, an initiative of several NIH Institutes and other United States Government agencies, is being developed to provide a computer database that will allow neuroscientists access to information at all levels of integration, from genes to behavior. In this article Michael Huerta, Stephen Koslow and Alan Leshner outline the genesis and ideas behind the initiative and discuss its future development.

High-pressure liquid chromatography and mass fragmentography have been used to determine tryptophan hydroxylase activity and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) concentration, respectively, in certain rat brain nuclei. (+/-)-p-Chloroamphetamine (100 mumol/kg i.p.) decreased enzyme activity in 5-HT terminals of the caudate, hippocampus and septum to a minimum level within 3 days. In hippocampus, but not in septum, the enzyme activity and 5-HT content remained maximally depleted (about 80%) for as long as 2 months after the p-chloroamphetamine injection. Of the 5-HT cell body areas investigated, only in the B9 nucleus was the tryptophan hydroxylase activity and 5-HT content still significantly reduced (about 25-50%) at 21 and 60 days after the drug injection. The enzyme activity and 5-HT content of the B7 and B8 nuclei were not significantly different from control values at these times. These results suggest that the primary site of action of p-chloroamphetamine is on nerve terminals followed by secondary effects on serotonergic cell bodies.