Nerves and Mechanoreceptors

• Preface. Introduction. Primary sensory neurons. General characteristics. Development of primary sensory neurons. Nerve regeneration in immature animals. Nerve regeneration in mature animals. Summary. Muscle spindles. Development. The reaction of developing spindles to denervation and disuse. Elimination, reinnervation and neoformation of muscle spindles after neonatal nerve crush. Distribution. Structure of adult muscle spindles. Morphofunctional correlations. Denervation of adult muscle spindles. Reinnervation and recovery of muscle spindles after nerve injury. Regeneration of muscle spindles. Summary. Tendon organs. Development. The effect of denervation and disuse on developing tendon organs. Structure of mature tendon organs. Relation of structure to function. Distribution. Reinnervation of mature tendon organs. Summary. Pacinian corpuscles. Development. Distribution. The effect of denervation upon developing Pacinian corpuscles. Regeneration and reinnervation of Pacinian corpuscles after nerve lesions during development and growth. Structure of mature Pacinian corpuscles. Relation of structure to function. Survival of denervated corpuscles in adult animals. Reinnervation of Pacinian corpuscles in adult animals. Regeneration and neoformation of Pacinian corpuscles in adult animals. Nerve cross-unions. Summary. Merkel cell receptors. Development. Mature Merkel cells and receptors. Function of Merkel cell receptors. The effect of denervation. Reinnervation of Merkel cell receptors. Summary. Meissner and Meissner-like lamellar corpuscles. Development. Denervation and reinnervation of developing corpuscles. Structure of mature corpuscles. Function. The effect of denervation on mature Meissner corpuscles. Reinnervation of Meissnerian corpuscles in the adults. Regeneration. Transplantation and cross-innervation. Summary. Mechanoreceptor complexes associated with hair. Development of vibrissal follicles; is it related to sensory innervation? Development of sensory receptors associated with hair. The effect of denervation on developing sensory receptors associated with hairs. Structure and function of mature sensory receptors at hairs. Hair types and associated sensory receptors. Denervation and reinnervation of hair. Summary. Concluding remarks. Special features of mechanoreceptor morphogenesis. Recognition by sensory growth cones of competent target cells. Induction of mechanoreceptors by primary sensory neurons. Critical periods of development and cell death. Maintenance of structural integrity. Specificity of neuronal influence. The effect of the periphery on primary sensory neurons and somatotopic brain maps. Summary. References. Index.

The book is very well written, is illustrated by 70 high quality figures, a subject index and more than a thousand literary references. It is a valuable treatise on the subject of mechanoreceptors and will be found of indispensible assistance as a source of up-to-date information for both experimentalists and clinicians involved in this field of research. - Physiological Research; ...an essential source of contemporary information on the development and maintenance of histologically distinct mechanoreceptors in skin and muscle. - Journal of Anatomy; When asked to comment on scientific publications, one usually finds something to criticise. The monograph by Zelena is a rare exception which can only be recommended highly to all colleagues interested in neurobiology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, development, degeneration and regeneration of the peripherous nervous system. Actually, anybody involved in morphological reserach or teaching morphology should read this book. - Annals of Anatomy