Sleep and Sleep Disorders:

"How far has science gone in understanding the mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness and the pivotal physiologic and pathologic roles of sleep? Sleep and wakefulness constitute major homeostatic systems, whose proper function is crucial to the health and happiness of the individual. Both systems operate at the intersection of the nervous, endocrine, metabolic and immune systems, and their homeostatic mediators include all kinds of molecules, such as neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, hormones and cytokines. This book succeeds in providing, to large extent, the state-of the-art robust knowledge in this important area of science and medicine." George P. Chrousos, M.D., FAAP, MACP, MACE - University of Athens, Athens, Greece - National Institute of Child, Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

• Basic Pharmacology.- GABAA Receptor Subtypes in Sedation and Hypnosis.- Sleep Hippocampal Theta Rhythm and Sensory Processing.- Monoaminergic Mechanisms in the Regulation of Sleep-Wakefulness.- REM Sleep Function and Brain Monoamine Regulation.- Role of Wakefulness Area in the Brainstem Reticular Formation in Regulating Rapid Eye Movement Sleep.- The Mechanistic Relationship between NREM Sleep and Anesthesia.- Chronopharmacology.- Time-Dependent Psychotropic Drug Effects.- Melatonin Interaction with BZ-GabaA Receptors.- Melatonin.- Melatonin and Human Sleep.- Melatonin Efficacy to Treat Circadian Alterations of Sleep in Alzheimer’s Disease.- Pharmacotherapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder.- Use and Discontinuation of Hypnosedative Medications.- Clinical Pharmacology.- Long-Term Use of Sleeping Pills in Chronic Insomnia.- Risks of Chronic Hypnotic Use.- Effects of Psychotropics on Driving Performance.- Diagnosis, Pathophysiology and Treatment of Hypersomnias.- Chronic Disease and Sleep Architecture.- Benzodiazepines for Sedation in Infants and Children.- The Pharmacological Management of Fatigue and Sleepiness in Affective Disorders.- Next-Day Residual Effects of Sleeping Medications on Driving Ability.- Sleep and Pain.- Head Injuries and Sleep.- Psychopharmacological Management of Restless Legs Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep.- A Comparison of Visual Analog Scale and Categorical Ratings in Assessing the Patient’s Estimate of Sleep Quality.- The Pharmacostrategy of Treating Sleep Disorders in Parkinsonism.- The Neuropharmacology of Nightmares.- The Night Eating Syndrome.- Drug Effects on Dreaming.- Sleep Problems in Primary Care.- SSRIs and Sleep in Man.- Sleep and Antipsychotic Drugs in Schizophrenia Patients.- Sleep and Epilepsy.- Herbal Medicines andSleep.