Lentiviral Vectors as Research Tools in Neurobiology: Design and Production -- Recombinant Adenovirus in Neurobiology -- Adeno-Associated Virus-Based Vectors -- Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1)-Based Vectors -- Alphavirus-Based Vectors -- Viral Vectors to Study Synaptic Function -- Using Viral Vectors to Study the Memory Trace in Mice -- Development of Cell-Type Specific Viral Vectors to Tease Apart the Neural Circuitry that Contributes to Drug Addiction -- Using Viral-Mediated Gene Transfer to Study Depressive-Like Behavior -- Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease -- Lentiviral Vectors in Huntington’s Disease Research and Therapy -- Application of Viral Vectors to Motor Neuron Disorders -- In Vivo Gene Silencing by Virally Delivered MicroRNA -- Viral Manipulation of Neural Stem/Precursor Cells -- Viral Vector-Based Techniques for Optogenetic Modulation In Vivo -- Viral Vectors for Optogenetics of Hypothalamic Neuropeptides -- Viral Vectors in Primate Research: Examples from Parkinson's Disease Research.

Aiming toward improvement in the safety, efficiency, and specificity of viral vectors for neurobiological research and clinical applications, Viral Vector Approaches in Neurobiology and Brain Diseases covers key aspects related to the use of viral vectors in neuroscience, with a major emphasis on basic mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory, as well as molecular neuropharmacology and experimental animal models of brain disorders.  The volume begins by delving into features of the viral vectors currently available in neuroscience and their production methods, and it then continues onward to examples of successful applications of viral vector technology to psychiatric and memory research, current applications of viral vector technology in the context of neurological disorders, as well as various cutting-edge applications of viral vector technology to neuroscience, including optogenetics.  Written for the Neuromethods series, the chapters of this book contain the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that promotes successful, repeatable results.   Practical and up to date, Viral Vector Approaches in Neurobiology and Brain Diseases will be useful not only to neurobiologists wishing to routinely use viral vectors in the laboratory but also to experienced scientists needing detailed new protocols for a variety of experimental applications.