The basal forebrain has received considerable attention in recent years. This emphasis resulted from observations that the cortically projecting cholinergic neurons found in this region are critical for normal information processing. However, to achieve a complete understanding of such a complex function as "information processing" it is necessary to consider the basal forebrain not as an autonomous structure with a solitary task, but one that plays an integrative role; a structure that is connected intimately with many brain regions. This view evolved from the realization that the basal forebrain interfaces cognitive and reward functions with motor outputs. It is from this integrative and functional perspective that the present book was organized. The book is a unique collection of reports pertaining to the basal forebrain that encompasses a diversity of research approaches and techniques. It provides the reader with a progression of information that begins with anatomical descriptions of the afferent and efferent systems, stressing the integrative nature of various neurotransmitters located within the basal forebrain. The chapters focusing on anatomy are complemented by electrophysiologic studies that merge anatomical concepts with synaptic pharmacology and behavior. In vitro experiments demonstrate physiologic variations in anatomically identified neuronal subtypes and, together with in vivo techniques, provide pharmacologic descriptions of neuronal consequences to various neurotransmitter influences. Additional in vivo reports correlate changes in neuronal activity with specific motivational states and motor behaviors. These functional approaches culminate with behavioral studies that overview current understanding of basal forebrain involvement in mnemonic, reward, and motor processes.

Table of Contents:
Anatomy of the Basal Forebrain and Related Structures.- Piecing Together the Puzzle of Basal Forebrain Anatomy.- Afferents to Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Projection Neurons: An Update.- Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid and Mu Opioid Receptor Localization and Adaptation in the Basal Forebrain.- Calcium-Binding Protein (Calbindin D-28K) Immunoreactive Neurons in the Basal Forebrain of the Monkey and the Rat: Relationship with the Cholinergic Neurons.- Glutamate-like Immunoreactivity is Present within Cholinergic Neurons of the Laterodorsal Tegmental and Pedunculopontine Nuclei.- Electrophysiology and Pharmacology of Basal Forebrain Neurons.- Electrophysiologic Characteristics of Basal Forebrain Neurons In Vitro.- Substance P Excites Cultured Cholinergic Neurons in the Basal Forebrain.- Neuromodulatory Actions of Dopamine and Cholecystokinin in the Ventral Striatum.- Is Dopamine a Neurotransmitter within the Ventral Pallidum/ Substantia Innominata?.- The Cholinergic Basal Forebrain: A Critical Role in Cortical Arousal.- Basal Forebrain Modulation of Cortical Cell Activity During Conditioning.- Electrophysiological Studies of the Functions of the Nucleus Basalis in Primates.- The Relationship Between Learning, Memory and Neuronal Responses in the Primate Basal Forebrain.- The Contribution of Basal Forebrain to Limbic-Motor Integtation and the Mediation of Motivation to Action.- Functional and Pharmacologic Evaluations of Basal Forebrain Involvement with Locomotion, Reward and Cognition.- Functional Output of the Basal Forebrain.- Effect of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Drugs Injected into the Ventral Pallidum on Locomotor Activity.- GABAergic and Enkephalinergic Regulation of Locomotion in the Ventral Pallidum: Involvement of the Mesolimbic Dopamine System.- Pharmacology of Basal Forebrain Involvement in Reinforcement.- Basal Forebrain Involvement in Self-Administration of Drugs of Abuse.- Basal Forebrain Cholinergic System: A Functional Analysis.- Choline-Induced Spatial Memory Facilitation Correlates with Altered Distribution and Morphology of Septal Neurons.- The Pharmacology of Basal Forebrain Involvement in Cognition.- Behavioral Pharmacology and Biochemistry of Central Cholinergic Neurotransmission.- Clinical Manifestation of Basal Forebrain Dysfunction, and Models of this Dysfunction.- In Vitro Cell Cultures as a Model of the Basal Forebrain.- The Epidemiology of Dementia in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease.- Pathology in the Cholinergic Basal Forebrain: Implications for Treatment.- History of Acetylcholine.- Historical Aspects of the Cholinergic Transmission.