The Reproductive Neuroendocrinology of Aging and Drug Abuse

The communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonad is bi-directional, and alterations of the communication in the circuitry, as often occurs during aging and drug abuse, results in acyclicity, hypogonadism, and impotence. This important reference covers topics on the neuroendocrine control mechanisms governing the reproductive process in both males and females. It discusses the importance of the differentiation of the neuroendocrine brain during the developmental period for the normal reproductive process. It also summarizes the effects of prenatal drug abuse on the differentiation of the neuroendocrine brain development and how this alteration induces abnormalities in the reproduction process. This comprehensive volume compares the effects of various psycoactive drugs on the maintenance of reproduction and describes the changes in the reproductive neurendocrine axis during aging.