[share_ebook] Cranial Nerves in Health And Disease

The first evidence that electrical changes can cause muscles to contract was p- vided by Galvani (1791). Galvani’s ideas about ‘animal electricity’ were explored during the 19th and 20th century when it was firmly established that ‘electricity’ is one of the most important mechanisms used for communication by the nervous system and muscle. These researches lead to the development of ever more soph- ticated equipment that could either record the electrical changes in nerves and muscles, or elicit functional changes by electrically stimulating these structures. It was indeed the combination of these two methods that elucidated many of the basic principles about the function of the nervous system. Following these exciting findings, it was discovered that electrical stimulation and the functions elicited by it also lead to long-term changes in the properties of nerves and particularly muscles.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, an inherited condition that leads to lung disease in adults and liver disease in adults and children and is associated with chronic obstructive lung disease in adults. While it is a rare condition, the mechanisms underlying the clinical manifestations of this deficiency have been largely clarified. Treatment, however, is available only for the lung disease that arises from the condition, thus necessitating continued research into new and alternative therapeutic solutions. The book discusses the biology of alpha-1 antitrypsin, protein misfolding and polymerization, and diagnosis and treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and its associated diseases. It concludes with a discussion of rare disorders linked to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and the role of healthcare organizations in the treatment of these diseases. Written for pulmonary clinicians and scientists, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin: Role in Health and Disease is a valuable resource that sheds light on this rare disease.

This book presents contributions ranging from studies of sensory transduction, membrane receptors, ion channels, protein modification, cell transformation, receptor internalization, and trafficking to disease-oriented studies focusing on neurodegenerative diseases or cancer. The book will contribute to the training of current and future cell biologists.