Chapter 1. Overview of the NMDA receptor by Hisashi Mori -- 2. Synaptic and extra-synaptic NMDA receptors in the CNS by Thomas Papouin and Stéphane H.R. Oliet -- 3. Functional Distribution and Regulation of the NMDAR in the Kidney, Heart and Parathyroid Gland by Milica Bozic and José M. Valdivielso -- 4. Rapid Antidepressant Activity of Ketamine beyond NMDA Receptor by Kenji Hashimoto -- 5. D-aspartate, an atypical amino acid with NMDA receptor agonist features: involvement in schizophrenia by F. Errico and A. Usiello -- 6. NMDA Receptors and Signaling in Chronic Neuropathic Pain by Geoffroy Laumet, Shao-Rui Chen, and Hui-Lin Pan -- 7. Role of NMDA receptors in pancreatic islets by Okka Scholz, Alena Welters and Eckhard Lammert -- 8. NMDA Receptor in Bone by Yukio Yoneda.

This volume provides a history of and an update on the functional status of the NMDA receptors. The NMDA receptors are essential for neuronal development, synaptic plasticity, learning, and cell survival. It covers molecular, cellular, anatomical, biochemical, and behavioral aspects, to highlight their distinctive regulatory properties, their functional significance, and their therapeutic potential in a number of diseases. A group of international experts discuss the development of NMDA receptors, their basic functions, and how they are implicated in a wide range of diseases including depression, psychosis, and pain.