Cannabinoid Receptors

Neuroscience Perspectives provides multidisciplinary reviews of topics in one of the more diverse and rapidly advancing fields in the life sciences. Whether you are a new recruit to neuroscience, or an established expert, look to this series for 'one-stop' sources of the historical, physiological, pharmacological, biochemical, molecular biological and therapeutic aspects of chosen research areas. The recent discovery of an abundance of cannabinoid receptors in mammalian tissue has revolutionized channabis research. Already it has led on to the further discovery that ligands for these receptors are present in the brain. A major implication of these findings is that cannabinoids have importance not only as pharmacological agents, but also as physiological mediators. Thus cannabinoid research must now extend well beyond the realms of pharmacology and molecular biology into those of physiology and pathophysiology. Endogenous cannabinoids and their receptors could well have significant roles in the processes of perception, cognition, memory and learning, in the regulation of movement and in the control of mood and emotion. The evidence is that psychotropic cannabinoids have long been known to produce marked changes in all of these central activities, and it is the brain areas responsible for many of them (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia and cerebellum) that are rich in cannabinoid receptors. By bringing together the most recent research in this area and by focusing on possible future developments, this book aims to stimulate much needed input from a wide range of disciplines.Pertwee, Roger is the author of 'Cannabinoid Receptors' with ISBN 9780125514606 and ISBN 0125514603.