Neuropeptides and Psychiatric Disorders

Bringing together the research studies of more than 30 research psychiatrists and scientists, "Neuropeptides and Psychiatric disorders" examines the recent advances in the neurobiology of neuropeptides and their importance in the pathogenesis of the major psychiatric disorders including depression and schizophrenia. Each chapter in this volume covers a particular neuropeptide and discusses in detail their role in psychiatric disorders. In Chapter 1, the author provides the reader with a brief introduction to the neurobiology of neuropeptides. In Chapter 3, the contributors review the evidence that alterations in the brain of CSF somatostatin might reflect or contribute to the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease and depression. Chapter 6, briefly summarize an extensive literature of studies of the anterior pitutiary hormone growth hormone in various psychiatric disease states and then focuses on more recent studies of the role of the 44-amino acid hypothalamic peptide, human growth hormone-releasing factor (HGRF) in the pathophysiology of growth hormone disturbances in the psychiatric illness.
Chapter 8, suggests that oxytocin may affect human behaviour and psychopathology. The chapter begins with an overview of oxytocin systems in the brain with an emphasis on findings that have psychiatric implications, and concludes by summarizing the evidence for the role of oxytocin in major affective disorders as well as psychiatric disorders associated with changes in female reproductive states. Two peptides are examined in Chapter 13. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), and delta sleep-inducing peptide are both involved in a number of central nervous system actions, and possibly also in neuropsychiatric illnesses. Chapter 14, discusses and critiques the techniques that are available to study receptors. Such methods as the use of antibody and molecular biological techniques which represent the future directions for studying receptors are also discussed. To conclude, Chapter 15 reviews clinical findings as well as findings using neuroendocrine and peptide challenge tests in patients with primary and secondary affective disorders with and without organic factors presumed to be etiologic in the affective syndromes.