Publisher's Synopsis
This book contains a state-of-the-art view of the field of pineal research. It focuses on the pineal itself as well as on its relationship to endocrine function and psychiatric disorder. The following issues are covered by experts in the field: regulation of the pineal gland and in particular its relationship to circadian rhythms, the role of the pineal gland in seasonal and non-seasonal reproduction, the role of the pineal gland in humans and mammalian physiology, abnormalities of the pineal gland in depressive illness, and brain targets for pineal actions.