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The visual system is the most studied part of the cortex, providing a basis for understanding not only visual processing per se but also the fundamental operations of the brain in general. Significant progress has been made in understanding neural structures sensitive to different visual attributes such as form, surface brightness, color and motion. Here, the basic neural structures and processing pathways for these visual features are reviewed. Dysfunctions in these processing pathways lead to deficits in the perception of different aspects of a visual object. In recent years, there is a growing interest in applying accumulated knowledge in vision science to investigate altered neural structures and abnormal perceptual processing observed in neurological disorders. Key issues and clinical studies are also discussed within the context of visual feature processing.

The olfactory system is vital mechanism for our survival to interact with the environment, influencing not only on odor detection but also on nutrition, social behavior and well-being. Current findings suggest that before the onset of any cognitive decline reflecting early sign of dementia, dysfunction in the areas processing olfactory information is present at the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Behavioral test including thresholds, odor identification, recognition memory tasks are the most common types of odor measurement. However, recent neuroimaging techniques using measures of brain response, including Olfactory Event Related Potentials (OERPs) suggested the potential for detection of AD at the early preclinical stage. The importance of olfactory event related potentials and their relation with AD appear to be very promising.

Alcoholism is a disorder caused by an excessive and maladaptive pattern of alcohol consumption. A series of impairments can arise from such consumption, including psychiatric comorbidities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of occurrence of anxiety and depression comorbidities in alcoholics and to investigate the associations of such comorbidities with the dose of ingested alcohol, period of alcohol use, personality traits and the presence of early emotional trauma. The sample consisted of 110 alcoholics, evaluated by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV – clinical version) and recruited at the Hepatopathy Outpatient Service of a University Hospital. Data collection was individual and took place through the application of self-evaluation instruments. Statistical analysis was performed using parametric statistics with a significance level of p≤0.05. The main results showed that 46.3% of alcoholics had psychiatric comorbidities with mood disorders and/or anxiety. In addition, according to the logistic regression model, the increase in the doses of alcohol ingested and the presence of early emotional traumas were risk factors for the development of such comorbidities in alcoholics: (ODDS=1.18; p=0.005) and (ODDS=1.17; p=0.001), respectively. These data indicate the need for early intervention with regard to the primary care of both alcoholics who suffered early trauma and alcoholics who ingest large amounts of alcohol daily to decrease the risk of psychiatric comorbidities in this high-risk group.

The serotonin transporter (5-hydroxytryptamine transporter, 5- HTT) gene (SLC6A4) is considered to be one of the most important candidate genes for genetic involvement in psychiatric conditions like anxiety, self- confidence and motivation. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the distribution of SLC6A4 promoter long and short (L and S, respectively) polymorphism in young Turkish basketball players. We enrolled 24 players in the study, 17 were females and 7 were males. 12%, 35% and 53% of the females had SS, LS and LL genotype, respectively; whereas 28,5% of the males had SS and the same percentage of them had LS, and 43% had LL genotype. When we examined the allelic counts, L allele was recorded as 71% in females and 57% in males; S allele was 29% in females and 43% in males. Our results were in agreement with the previous ones, indicating the presence of L allele in individuals dealing with sport. We suggest that SLC6A4 promoter analysis is important for genetic counseling for the individuals who are prone to be successful in sports.

The possible involvement of different neurotransmitters in the action of neuromedin S (NMS) in the memory consolidation of passive avoidance behavior was studied by pretreating rats with different receptor blockers which alone did not change the test. The involvement of cholinergic, dopaminergic, adrenergic, serotonergic, opiate and GABA-ergic receptors and nitric oxide was tested. The animals were pretreated with the non selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, atropine, the non selective β-adrenergic receptor antagonist phenoxybenzamine, the β-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol, the D2, D3, D4 dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol , the non selective 5-HT2 serotonergic receptor antagonist cyproheptadine, the nonselective opioid receptor antagonist naloxone,. the γ-aminobutyric acid subunit A (GABA-A) receptor antagonist bicuculline, or the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine. Atropine, haloperidol, phenoxybenzamine, propranolol, cyproheptadine, naloxone and nitro-Larginine prevented the effects of NMS on passive avoidance learning. Bicuculline did not change the effects of NMS. The results demonstrate that muscarinic acetylcholine, α- and β- adrenergic, dopaminergic , 5-HT2 serotonergic and opioid receptors and nitric oxide are involved as mediators. In the action of NMS on the consolidation of passive avoidance learning

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental brain disease and a severe psychiatric disorder which is seen approximately in 1% of the society. About the half of the individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have substance abuse story, and this rate is higher than the general population. Alcohol dependence, smoking and substance abuse has been reported very often in schizophrenia. Especially smoking rate is very high in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this paper is to briefly review the literature related to the relationship between schizophrenia and nicotine-alcohol dependency.

Clinical lycanthropy is defined as a rare psychiatric syndrome that involves a delusion that the affected person can transform into, has transformed into, or is a non-human animal. Its name is connected to the mythical supranatural stories of lycanthropy, in which humans are said to physically shape shift into wolves. According to suggested diagnostic criteria for lycanthropy, either a delusional belief in current or past transformation or behavior that suggests a person thinks of himself as transformed is considered evidence of clinical lycanthropy. Hereby we present a case of clinical lycanthropy in a male patient reporting moments of feeling himself as a wolf and behaving in a manner that resembles wolf behavior, for example howling and growling.

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