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neuroendocriwhat?

The 35th Symposium of the Society of Neuroendocrinology was held at Ciarus from Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 September 2008.
 
But what is “neuroendocrinology”?
    Valérie Simonneaux, organiser of the symposium and researcher at Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, explains: “Neuroendocrinology is at the intersection of two major disciplines, neurobiology and endocrinology. It studies all forms of interaction between the nervous system and the endocrine system: the control that the former exerts over the latter, the effects that hormones may have (this is what the endocrine system does) on the nervous system in order to adapt the organism to variations in the internal environment (inside the body) and the outside environment. For example, because of the rotation of the earth on itself and around the sun, we are subject to daily and seasonal variations in various factors in our environment (light, temperature, quality and quantity of food, parasites, etc.).

    To adapt to these variations, our brain has a biological clock (located in the hypothalamus), which allows all of our biological functions to synchronise with our environment. Two examples: we sleep at night and animals are born in spring.” Disturbances in these rhythms could have consequences, for example, on cardiovascular problems, obesity or ulcers, but also on ageing, which was the theme of a public lecture by Professor Jacques Epelbaum: “Ageing: all in the mind?” (Owing to its tremendous success, this lecture will be given again in November).

    This symposium brought together 154 participants, including 39 students, from all over France and 15 from abroad (Belgium, Spain, Holland, Morocco, Switzerland). It was also a chance to introduce the participants to Alsatian wine and cuisine!