Glutamate receptor-induced toxicity in neostriatal cells.

Infrared differential interference contrast (IR DIC) videomicroscopy was used to measure and characterize cell swelling induced by activation of glutamate receptors (GluR) in a neostriatal brain slice preparation. This swelling is, in many cases, a prelude to necrotic cell death. Activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA ionotropic GluRs caused cell swelling.

Frontal lobes.

The cortex of the frontal lobes is 'motor' cortex in the broadest sense of the word. It is the peak of a hierarchy of anterior neural structures dedicated to the execution of actions. For the temporal organization of movements, the frontal cortex has at its disposal two cognitive functions that complement each other: memory and motor set, i.

The D2 dopamine receptor gene: a review of association studies in alcoholism.

Following our initial observation that the Al allele of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene was associated with alcoholism, a number of studies, both in the United States and abroad, have attempted to replicate and extend this finding in different Caucasian populations. In nine independent studies containing a total of 491 heterogeneous alcoholics (less severe and severe) and 495 heterogeneous controls (assessed and unassessed for alcoholism), the prevalence of the Al allele was 43.0% in the former group compared to 25.

Stressful experience and cardiorespiratory disorders.

Ever since Selye's time, the belief has persisted that the outcome of stressful experience is disease. The likelihood of this eventuality is increased when the experience is damaging, unavoidable, or uncontrollable. However, in most stressful instances, these conditions do not occur.