Slow Synaptic Responses and Modulation

Information flow as nerve impulses in neuronal circuits is regulated at synapses. The synapse is therefore a key element for information processing in the brain. Much attention has been given to fast synaptic transmission, which predominantly regulates impulse-to-impulse transmission. Slow synaptic transmission and modu lation, however, sometimes have been neglected in considering and attempting to understand brain function. Slow synaptic potentials and modulation occur with a considerable delay in response to the accumulation of synaptic and modulatory inputs. In these contexts, they are plastic in nature and play important roles in information processing in the brain. A symposium titled "Slow Synaptic Responses and Modulation" was held as the satellite symposium to the 75th Annual Meeting of the Physiological Society of Japan on March 30-31, 1998, in Kanazawa. The theme was selected not only for the reason mentioned above, but also because of the considerable involvement of many Japanese scholars in establishing the basic issues. Following the dawn of synaptic physiological research, as Sir John Eccles, Sir Bernard Katz, and Professor Stephen Kuffler carried out pioneer work, Professor Kyozou Koketsu and Professor Benjamin Libet, the students of Sir John Eccles, and their colleagues established the concept of slow synaptic responses and modulation by studying vertebrate sympathetic ganglia. Since then, the concept has been ex panded with detailed investigations of both peripheral and central synapses at the levels of single ion channels, intracellular Ca"+ dynamics, intracellular transduc tion mechanisms, and genes.

To offer the basic concept and current understanding of slow synaptic responses, modulation and plasticity in nervous systems

Klappentext

The flow of information coded as impulses through neuronal circuits is regulated not only by fast impulse-to-impulse synaptic transmission but also by slow synaptic transmission and modulation. The concept of slow synaptic responses and modulation emerged from studies on sympathetic ganglia, then was expanded to elucidate the detailed mechanisms in peripheral and central synapses. These key developments, along with recent progress in the field, are presented in this book. Major topics include the structure and function of single ion channels, neurotransmitter exocytosis, intracellular Ca2+ dynamics, plasticity, and gene expression. Each chapter opens with an explanatory review, followed by descriptions of recent findings in this rapidly evolving field. The book is thus a valuable resource for researchers working in the neurosciences, physiology, and pharmacology, from introductory to advanced levels.

Inhalt
The Dawn and Foundation of Slow Synaptic Potentials and Modulation.- M-Currents and Modulation.- K+ Currents and Modulation.- Ca2+ Currents and Modulation.- Ca2+ Dynamics and Modulation.- Exocytosis and Modulation.- Synaptic Plasticity and Modulation.- Synaptic Development, Modulation and Gene Expression.- Synaptic Transmission and Modulation.