An easily accessible, single source of information on the rat cortex.

The barrel area is a unique specialization of the cerebral cortex, shared by many species of rodents and some marsupials, in which the somatotopic map of the body surface receives direct morphological expression. Here, the homogeneous sheet of layer IV granule cells seen in most mammals is fractured into large archipelagos, each representing one of the larger subdivisions of the contra lateral half-body. Within these larger domains are smaller aggregates of granule cells that contain the concentrated terminations of thalamocortical fibers bear ing messages emanating from constellations of receptors located in finer subdi visions of a body part. These smaller aggregates are particularly well-defined in the representation of the face, where they form a one-to-one representation of the sinus hairs or vibrissae and where they have been given the name barrels. The first inklings of the unique structure of the parietal cortex of rodents came in the study of Droogleever-Fortuyn (1914), who remarked on the pres ence in it of clouds of granule cells 0. 5-1 mm in diameter, which he thought were in some way associated with concentrations of nerve fibers. Little attention, however, was paid to his observations. Lorente de N 6 (1922) later observed dense focal concentrations of afferent fiber ramifications in Golgi preparations of the mouse cortex, calling them glomeruli, and these can now be seen as the structures that form the hearts of the barrels and around which the granule cells concentrate.

Generalized non convulsive epilepsy (GNCE), also called absence or petit mal epilepsy, is a disease appearing during childhood. EEG, clinical, pharmacological and genetic characteristics differ from those of convulsive or focal epilepsies. No underlying structural or biochemical abnormality has been identified for generalized absence seizures and the etiology of this disorder is unknown. It is unlikely that the precise pathophysiology of GNCE can be resolved in studies that focus on humans. Therefore a number of animal models reproducing the human disease have been developed. The aim of this supplementum is to characterize such models in rodents. First, recent models are extensively described. These include the genetic model of spontaneous GNCE in Strasbourg's Wistar rats and in tottering mice as well as bilateral spike and wave discharges induced by GHB, PTZ or GABA mimetics. Second, this supplementum will also provide very recent information on putative mechanisms underlying generalized absence seizures. Third, various experimental approaches aimed at investigating the neural substrate of this particular kind of epilepsy are described with various electrophysiological, pharmacological, biochemical, metabolic, ionic and molecular data. This supplementum provides an original multidisciplinary approach to the mechanisms involved in GNCE and demonstrates that rodent models are a promising tool which complements the classical feline penicillin model.

The Mouse Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, Second Edition has been the acknowledged reference in this field since the publication of the first edition, and is now available in a Compact Edition. This will provide a more affordable option for students, as well as researchers needing an additional lab atlas. This version includes the coronal diagrams delineating the entire brain as well as the introductory text from the Deluxe edition. It is an essential reference for anyone studying the mouse brain or related species.