Volume Transmission Revisited

Volume Transmission Revisited describes the mounting evidence that cells of the central nervous system are able to communicate via a host of chemical signals that flow through the extracellular space. Volume transmission (VT) constitutes a novel and complementary communication system to classical synaptic transmission. The new modality, which does not require specific connections between cells, leads to a reconsideration of the spatial relationships of neurons and glia, brings a new dimension to network modelling and is relevant to both short term interactions and long term tonic states of the brain. The reader will find 29 chapters describing many of the major discoveries in VT during the last decade. The most striking feature of this publication is the collecting together of many compelling examples of the ubiquitous nature of VT. These point to its increasing relevance from basic neuroscience research to clinical practice. Those working in other areas will find numerous invaluable examples of how leading investigators have gone about assembling evidence for VT.