Mechanosensitivity of the Nervous System

This book presents the latest findings in mechanosensitivity of the nervous system. The nervous system stands out from a number of tissues because besides reacting to the mechanical stress it is transmitting its own response to other organs and tissues, which are located downstream of its signaling pathway. For this reason any type of mechanical stimulation of the nervous system, which is capable of triggering a physiological response, has high scientific and practical significance, since it allows its use beyond a particular experimental model anywhere where it is contributing to a particular pathological condition. This book is a unique collection of reviews outlining the current knowledge and the future developments in this rapidly growing field. Currently, investigations of the effects of mechanical stress on the nervous system are focused on several issues. The majority of studies investigate the effects of mechanical stimulation on mechanosensitive channels, as its primary target and interactive agent, and aim on description of downstream intracellular signaling pathways together with addressing general issues of biomechanics of the nervous system. Knowledge of biomechanics, and mechanisms, which underlie it on organism, organ, tissue and cellular level, is necessary for understanding of the normal functioning of living organisms and allows to predict changes which arise due to alterations of their environment, and possibly will allow to develop new methods of artificial intervention. The book brings up the problem closer to the experts in related medical and biological sciences as well as practicing doctors besides just presenting the latest achievements in the field.