Handbook of Essential Fatty Acid Biology: Biochemistry, Physiology, and Behavioral Neurobiology / Edition 1

by David I. Mostofsky, Shlomo Yehuda

Overview

Internationally eminent scientists illuminate the most important scientific aspects of essential fatty acids (EFAs)-from their biochemistry to their physiological consequences in both health and illness. The distinguished contributors integrate a wide range of topics, including the basic biochemistry of EFAs and lipid metabolism, the role of EFAs in the neuronal membrane, the effects of EFAs and lipids in various diseases, and the effects of normal levels and EFA deficiencies on cognition and behavior. The book's consolidation of our knowledge of the biology and metabolism of the EFAs lays the groundwork for dramatic advances in our understanding of these ubiquitous biochemicals and their role in health and illness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780896033658
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
Publication date:	02/28/1997
Edition description:	1997
Pages:	470
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.04(d)

Table of Contents

1 • Permeability of the Blood-Brain Barrier to Circulating Free Fatty Acids.- 2 • Fatty Acid Metabolism in Brain in Relation to Development, Membrane Structure, and Signaling.- 3 • Abnormalities in Essential Fatty Acid Status in Alcoholism.- 4 • The Biological Properties of Oleic Acid.- 5 • n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Human Cytokine Synthesis.- 6 • Fatty Acid Regulation of Endocrine Activity.- 7 •—3 and—6 Essential Fatty Acid Status in Human Health and Disease.- 8 • Visual Function and the Essentiality of—-Linolenic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid in Human Infants.- 9 • Neural Function Following Dietary n-3 Fatty Acid Depletion.- 10 • Polyunsaturated Fats and Learning: Old Data, New Questions.- 11 • Fatty Acids, Phospholipids, and Schizophrenia.- 12 • The Seizing Brain: Phospholipolysis, Oxygen Delivery, and Electrical Activity.- 13 • Arachidonic Acid, Neurotrauma, and Neurodegenerative Diseases.- 14 • Essential Fatty Acids and Behavior: Is There a Role for the Eicosanoids?.- 15 • Oral and Postingestive Controls of Fat Intake.- 16 • Physiological Role of Fatty Acids in Infancy: Effect of Dietary Fat on Brain Fatty Acids and Learning Ability in Infancy.- 17 • Omega-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency and Behavior: A Critical Review and Directions for Future Research.- 18 • Effects of Essential Fatty Acid Preparation (SR-3) on Brain Lipids, Biochemistry, and Behavioral and Cognitive Functions.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Christine C. Tangney, PhD, MS (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This book is dedicated to an exploration of essential fatty acid biochemistry and the physiological consequences of specific fatty acids in health and disease. The special emphasis or theme underlying this collection of chapters is on the role of these compounds in learning, cognition, and complex behavior, which constitutes the third part of the text.
Purpose: The objectives are twofold: to focus on fatty acid biochemistry and to present new findings on the role of these fatty acids on neural development, on vision, and in select neuropathologies.
Audience: The book is targeted to biochemists, nutrition scientists, and the clinician-scientist. The authors and editors are recognized experts in their respective fields.
Features: The book features three parts: (1) biochemical properties; (2) physiology and health; and (3) learning, cognition, and complex behavior. There are ample current references and numerous figures and tables throughout the handbook. A succinct index and table of contents are provided.
Assessment: This book presents a number of well-written summaries of research on specific fatty acids. A number of topics, however, suffer from brevity and a lack of thoughtful perspective. The numerous observations reported by the eminent Dr. Holman are not accompanied by any speculation or hypothesis regarding how such reported observations fit into a possible mechanism of action. In addition, I suggest that other research corroborating these seminal studies needs to be included in such a review. On the other hand, several chapters address a small enough topic that the review is thought-provoking. One example is the chapter by Greenberg and Smith on oral and postingestive controls of fat intake. In summary, this handbook presents an substantial review of recent studies on the possible role of select fatty acids in health and disease.

Doody's Review Service