New Concepts of Psychostimulants Induced Neurotoxicity

Published since 1959, International Review of Neurobiology is a well-known series appealing to neuroscientists, clinicians, psychologists, physiologists, and pharmacologists. Led by an internationally renowned editorial board, this important serial publishes both eclectic volumes made up of timely reviews and thematic volumes that focus on recent progress in a specific area of neurobiology research. With recent advancements in new knowledge, it has become evident that psychostimulants and related drugs of abuse are influencing our central nervous system (CNS) remarkably and could alter their function for a longtime. This volume is the first to focus on substance abuse induced brain pathology in the widest sense as it covers alterations in neuronal, glial and endothelial cell functions under the influence of acute or chronic usage of substance abuse.

Praise for the Series: "A valuable addition to any college library as current reference material for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professional scientists." --Choice

Dr. Hari Shanker Sharma, Professor of Neurobiology (MRC), Docent in Neuroanatomy (UU) is currently working in Uppsala University Hospital, Department of Surgical Sciences, Division of Anesthesiology & Intensive Care Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden. Dr Sharma obtained his Masters Degree from Bihar University with special expertise in Cell Biology in 1976 and was awarded the Gold Medal of Bihar University for securing 1st position in the 1st Class. Dr Sharma joined the group of Professor Prasanta Kumar Dey, a neurophysiologist, by training in the Department of Physiology, Institute of Medical; Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in 1977 to obtain his Doctor of Philosophy Degree (D.Phil.) in Neurosciences and was awarded his Ph.D. in 1982 on “Blood-Brain Barrier in Stress.” After carrying out a series of Government of India funded Research Projects on the BBB and brain dysfunction (1982–1987), Dr Sharma joined the lab of Neuropathology at Uppsala University with Professor Yngve Olsson in 1988 to investigate passage of tracer transport across the BBB caused by stress or traumatic insults to the Brain and Spinal cord at light and electron microscopy. Dr Sharma was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship of German Government (1989–1991) to work on hyperthermia induced BBB dysfunction at the ultrastructural level in the laboratory of Professor Jorge Cervós-Navarro (a living “Legend in Neuropathology in Europe”). Dr Sharma again joined Uppsala University and established a network of collaboration on “Experimental CNS Injury Research Group” as a lead investigator with eminent collaborators in various parts of Europe, USA, and Australia (1991–). On his work on hyperthermia Dr Sharma received the prestigious Neuroanatomy award “Rönnows Research prize” of Uppsala University for “best neuroanatomical research of the year 1996” followed by the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences of Uppsala University in Neuroanatomy in 1999 and selected for the Best Thesis Award of the Medical faculty, “The Hwassers Prize” of 1999. On his meticulous works on the Blood Brain barrier and Brain edema (2000–2003) Dr. Sharma earned the prestigious title of “Docent in Neuroanatomy” of Medical Faculty, Uppsala University in April 2004. Currently his main research interest is Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration, in relation to the Blood-brain barrier in stress, trauma, and drugs of abuse in health and disease. Dr. Sharma on his research on brain pathology and neuroprotection in different models received the prestigious award from The Laerdal Foundation of Acute Medicine, Stavanger, Norway, in 2005 followed by Distinguished International Scientists Collaboration Award by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Baltimore, MD (2006–2008). His recent work on 5-HT3 receptor mediated neuroprotection in morphine withdrawal induced neurotoxicity won the coveted prize of Best Investigator Award 2008 and Best Scientific Presentation b