Main description:

The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous lipid ligands (endocannabinoids) and the enzymatic machinery for their synthesis and degradation. In the brain, endocannabinoids regulate ion channel activity and neurotransmitter release and thereby contribute to various aspects of brain function, including memory, reward and emotions. Their ability to modulate synaptic efficacy has a wide range of functional consequences and provides unique therapeutic possibilities. Unprecedented advances have been made in the understanding of the role of endocannabinoids in the regulation of the emotional brain over the past few years. However, a comprehensive book encompassing all these aspects is still lacking. The book will provide an overview of the role played by the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of emotional processes with particular emphasis on the modulation of memory and reward for emotionally arousing events and for the regulation of motivational aspects in cannabis use.

Contents:

Part 1

Cannabinoid Modulation of Memory and Emotions

Chapter 1

Endocannabinoid Modulation of Memory for Emotionally Arousing Experiences

Maria Morena and Patrizia Campolongo

Chapter 2

Cannabinoids Modulation of Emotional and Non-Emotional Memory Processes After Stress

Irit Akirav

Chapter 3

The Hippocampal Endocannabinoid System in Different Memory Phases: Unveiling the CA1 Circuitry

Jorge Alberto Quillfeldt and Lucas de Oliveira Alvares

Chapter 4

Interactions Between Cannabinoid Signaling and Anxiety: a Comparative Analysis of Intervention Tools and Behavioral Effects

Mano Aliczki and Jozsef Haller

Chapter 5

Role of the Endocannabinoid System in Depression: from Preclinical to Clinical Evidence

Vincenzo Micale, Katarina Tabiova, Jana Kucerova, and Filippo Drago

Chapter 6

Cannabinoid Control of Fear Responses

Mathilde Metna-Laurent, Giovanni Marsicano and Edgar Soria-Gomez

Part 2

Cannabinoid Modulation of Reward and Motivation

Chapter 7

Subjective and Cognitive Effects of Cannabinoids in Marijuana Smokers

Marie R. Ehrler, Erin C. McGlade, and Deborah A. Yurgelun-Todd

Chapter 8

Endocannabinoid-Dopamine Interactions Shape Ethologically Relevant Behavior through Computation of Conditioned Stimuli

Erik B. Oleson and Joseph F. Cheer

Chapter 9

Synthetic Cannabinoid Effects on Behavior and Motivation

William D. Wessinger, Jeffery H. Moran, and Kathryn A. Seely

Chapter 10

Cannabinoid Modulation of Rodent Ultrasonic Vocalizations in a Social Context: Communicative and Rewarding Properties

Antonia Manduca, Louk J.M.J. Vanderschuren, and Viviana Trezza

Chapter 11

Age-Dependent Effects of Cannabinoids on Neurophysiological, Emotional, and Motivational States

Maria-Paz Viveros and Eva Maria Marco

Chapter 12

Gender Differences in Cannabis Addiction and Dependence

Caroline Davis and Liana Fattore

Part 3

Cannabinoid Interactions in Modulating Emotions and Reward

Chapter 13

Cannabinoid-Nicotine Interactions

Alessia Auber, Zuzana Justinova, Maria Scherma, Steven R. Goldberg, and Leigh V. Panlilio

Chapter 14

Cannabinoid-Alcohol Interactions

Luis A. Natividad, Paola Maccioni, Loren H. Parsons, and Giancarlo Colombo

Chapter 15

Cannabinoid-Opioid Interactions

Michael L. Miller, Benjamin Chadwick, Claudia V. Morris, Michael Michaelides, and Yasmin L. Hurd

Chapter 16

Interactions of Cannabis and Amphetamine-Type Stimulants

Simone Tambaro and Marco Bortolato

Chapter 17

Cannabinoid-Dopamine Interactions: Modulation of Midbrain DA Neurons by Endocannabinoids

Francois Georges and Miriam Melis