[New approaches to the study of central nervous system regulation mechanisms]

The paper discusses whether microdialysis can be used for follow-ups of the biochemical bases of human and animal brain functions. This technique provided evidence for varying norepinephrine levels in various brain regions when the appetite-regulating centers are artificially stimulated, as well as for nicotine-induced changes of serotonin. The paper also demonstrates this technique in monkeys while studying stress in particular. Evidence is also given for the possibility of using the technique to follow-up the biochemical processes occurring in the human brain in case of studying the levels of dopamine, serotonin, and purines in parkinsonian patients. The formation of the new direction in neurobiology--functional biochemistry of the brain--is stated in the paper.