An Introduction to Neuroendocrinology

How does the brain regulate sexual behavior, or control our body weight? How do we cope with stress? Addressing these questions and many more besides, this thoroughly revised new edition reflects the significant advances that have been made in the study of neuroendocrinology over the last twenty years. The text examines the importance of the hypothalamus in regulating hormone secretion from the endocrine glands, describing novel sites of hormone release including bone, heart, skeletal muscle and liver. The role of steroid hormone, neurotransmitter and peptide receptors, and the molecular responses of target tissues, is integrated into the discussion of the neuroendocrine brain, especially through changes in gene expression. Particular attention is attached to neuropeptides, including their profound influence on behavior. Complete with new full-color figures throughout, along with review and essay questions for each chapter, this is an ideal resource for undergraduate and graduate students of neuroscience, psychology, biology and physiology.

Preface; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Classification of chemical messengers; 2. The endocrine glands and their hormones; 3. The pituitary gland and its hormones; 4. The hypothalamic hormones; 5. Neurotransmitters; 6. Neurotransmitter and neuropeptide control of hypothalamic, pituitary and other hormones; 7. Regulation of hormone synthesis, storage, release, transport and deactivation; 8. Regulation of hormone levels in the bloodstream; 9. Steroid and thyroid hormone receptors; 10. Receptors for peptide hormones, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters; 11. Neuropeptides I: classification, synthesis and colocalization with classical neurotransmitters; 12. Neuropeptides II: function; 13. Cytokines and the interaction between the neuroendocrine and immune systems; 14. Methods for the study of behavioural neuroendocrinology; 15. An overview of behavioural neuroendocrinology: present, past and future; Index.

Michael Wilkinson has forty years of experience in teaching neuroscience and neuroendocrinology to undergraduate and graduate students as a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. His research laboratory has focused on neurodevelopmental aspects of female reproduction with a specific interest in the neuroendocrine regulation of hypothalamic function, including the impact of sex hormones on sleep.
Richard E. Brown is a University Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University. He has taught courses on hormones and behavior, measuring behavior and the neurobiology of learning and memory for more than thirty-five years. His research is on mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, Fragile X Syndrome, ADHD and other neurological disorders. He is currently examining the age-related hormonal changes in transgenic Alzheimer's mice.