Neurobiology of Hyperthermia

The effects of global warming on human health factors with special regards to our brain function are still not well understood. There is an urgent need to expand our knowledge on the effects of hot environment on our brain functions in healthy and in diseased populations. It is still unclear whether infectious events, traumatic injuries, metabolic diseases, carcinogenic events, cardiovascular and respiratory functions will be adversely affected by the rise in global temperature or whether environmental pollutants, such as nanoparticles entered into our body system will produce more damage at high ambient temperatures. This book aims to answer these questions based on recent research carried out by top experts in the field from the USA (11 chapters), Europe (8) chapters), the Middle East (3 chapters), Asia (2 chapters) and Canada (1).

These chapters are written in review style and embedded with the author’s new and original data in relation to the current knowledge in the field. The book is highly interesting to the first time readers, beginners and students alike as well as provides in-depth knowledge to the professionals. In addition, prospects for future research and recommendations are clearly indicated in each chapter for future growth of the subject in this highly emerging new discipline.

Describes the importance of brain temperature and hyperthermia in disease processesPresents research on the first observations on Nanoparticles that worsen the outcome of hyperthermiaDiscusses the effects of hyperthermia on the blood-brain and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barriers

Section I. Fever and Hyperthermia.
1. The onset of fever: new insights into its mechanism.
2. Eicosanoids in non-febrile thermoregulation.

Section II. Physiological Mechanisms in Hyperthermia.
3. Exercise and heat stress: cerebral challenges and consequences.
4. Neuropsychological determinants of exercise tolerance in the heat.

Section III. Drugs and Hyperthermia.
5. Thermophysiological responses to hyperthermic drugs: extrapolating from rodent to human.
6. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome and serotonin syndrome.

Section IV. Therapeutic Hypertermia and Consequences.
7. Radio frequency electromagnetic fields: mild hyperthermia and safety standards.
8. The effect of induced hyperthermia on the immune system.
9. Cerebral pathophysiology and clinical neurology of hyperthermia in humans.

Section V. Hyperthermia and Brain Pathology
10. Methods to produce hyperthermia induced brain dysfunction.
11. Hyperthermia and central nervous system injury.
12. Physiological and pathological brain hyperthermia.
13. Nanoparticles aggravate heat stress induced cognitive deficits, blood-brain barrier disruption, edema formation and brain pathology.

Section VI. Neurochemicals and Hyperthermia.
14. Neuropeptides in hyperthermia.
15. Interaction between amino acids neurotransmitters and opioid receptors in hyperthermia induced brain pathology.

Section VII. Hyperthermia and Gene Expression.
16. Exertional heat illness and human gene expression.
17. Cellular mechanisms of neuronal damage from hyperthermia.
18. Heat acclimation and cross-tolerance against novel stressors: genomic - physiological linkage.

Section VIII. Heat Shock Proteins in Hyperthermia.
19. Heat shock protein expression in brain: a protective role spanning intrinsic thermal resistance and defense against neurotoxin viruse.
20. Cerebral neurons and glial cell types inducing heat shock proten Hsp70 following heat stress in the rat.
21. Heat shock proteins and the heat shock response during hyperthermia and its modulation by altered physiological conditions.

Section IX. Hyperthermia and Cerebrospinal Fluid.
22. Changes in CSF composition during heat stress and fever in conscious rabbits.
23. Blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier in hyperthermia.

Section X. Heat Stroke and Hyperthermia.
24. Heat stroke and cytokines.
25. Oxidative stress and ischemic injuries in heat stroke.