The Fidia Research Foundation annually honours distinguished investigators in the neurosciences and invites them to contribute to a special volume of timely review articles on significant developments in their particular areas of research. Because of the eminent stature of the award-winning authors, and their coverage of advances that are opening up new vistas for future research, the books are uniquely suited for use as teaching aids in most neuroscience courses. This volume contains review articles by Shosaku Numa, Per Andersen, Jacopo Meldolesi, and Solomon H. Snyder, recipients of the 1989-1990 awards. These internationally renowned investigators explore several key aspects of neurotransmitter receptor function - the molecular biology and structure of receptors and ionic channels; the phenomenon of longterm potentiation triggered by excitatory transmitter receptor activation; the homeostatic regulation of cytosolic ionized calcium; and the phosphoinositide cycle. The articles present important new findings and concepts on signal transduction at the molecular level and on changes in neuronal structure associated with learning and memory.
Also included is an essay by Donatella Lippi on the history of Arab-Islamic medicine.