Publications

Preface

The "Indalo man" is purported to be the symbol of the ancient civilisation of Mojacar, a fertile region of southern Andalusia blessed with the warmth of sunshine, and sitting astride a major maritime highway of the pre-Roman world. He represents hard work and good health, fertility and harvest, but not least of all the happiness and euphoria of achievement provoked by untiring effort. As a concept, Indalo lends itself to broad and manifold associations, deriving multi-cultural richness from the long-past, Trojan-Etruscan, Greek-Roman, Phoenician-Carthigian, Vandal-Visigoth, Moorish-Castillian, historic-modern, and now-present European common market. Factors such as these, provide the essential contextual background upon which descriptions and investigations of the malfunctioning brain may be coerced to provide discussions and speculations, explanations and rejections, therapeutic advances and empirical retreats to enliven an "Indalo brain". This is a brain derived of ever-recurring cycles, upon a body with arms joined above, upwards-downwards, left-right, inwards-outwards, never-ending, contemplated in the scenario of brain disorders by high-low levels, affinities, activities and conformities of the molecules and their charged particles that modulate, modify and mortify structure and function. Possibly the inherent hedonism of the Indalo may be sought in the exquisite organisation of the mesotelencephalic dopamine reward system, where transient/permanent disruptions affect daily functions.

Certainly, the International Meeting on Dopamine Disease States, held at the Mojacar Parador Reyes Católicos , October 18-22, 1995, was deeply imbued with the grace of these fortunes. The scientific program encompassed symposia, from Dopamine-Schizophrenia to Dopamine-Parkinson's disease, Addiction and Neurochemistry to Disorder Interactive Studies, and finally from the General Considerations of Dopamine to the essence of the Disease States. Indalo blessings not withstanding, there were sad moments. Alberto Portera Sánchez bears with him his auctoritas and lends it to the occasion, but his dignitas emerges from the personality within - and when duty called him prematurely away, it departed with him. The meeting was partially dedicated to the Memory of Anne Vibeke Christensen whose tragic loss will be mourned over country, creed, culture, political ideology and professional allegiance. The organisers will appreciate forever the sincerity and love expressed by Jorgen Scheel-Kruger : to him we say, "we thankyou for giving us the great honour of letting those of us on the outside for a short time stand beside those of you on the inside". It remains part of the Indalo spirit that in joy there is sorrow, and in sorrow there is joy; the joyful spirit of Vibeke was with us in Mojacar and shall follow us always.

Far in time, but not space, from the mundane and self-destructive conflict of those unmentionables, Gnaeus Pompeius (self-styled Magnus) and Caecilius Metellius Pius, with the champion of Spain, Quintus Sertorius, our meeting was seasoned with mellow innovation. The sumptuous repasts laid on by Mr. Diego Martínez of the Parador were ruminated with soft warmth and Spanish brandy in contemplations of the distant coast of North Africa lying opposite. Here, close yet far, from the fears and tribulations of Rommel and Kesselring, one would bask in the knife-edged repartee of Bob McArthur , orchestrated by the canny wit of Nick Moore . Throughout, we missed by unfortunate circumstance the provocative intellect of Paul Willner . Through Indalo mediation possibly the loss was compensated in the presience of Nancy Andreasen's explicit-pragmatic, plausible-affirmative loci of dysfunction in schizophrenia. But then, early birds were rewarded by the phenomenal splendour of Bill Deakin's running suit. Flagging souls were rejuvenated by the infectious bon vivant and impulsive friendliness of Erik Claveria , perhaps discreetly awed by his worthy, yet fear-inspiring, challenge. Much-awaited, but determined to keep us in suspense until just before his talk, Tim Crow may well prove to be to neuroscience what Sir John Gielgud became to the theatre, and what Lester Piggott failed to inherit on the track.

Eventually we all acquainted ourselves with 'El Manitas' - craftsman, sage, thinker and guide. Yet, what of this artist and Indalo sculptor, Bernard , sallying from his molten metallic concoctions to offer his subtle inspiration? Each actor, emerging and exuding, clutching and caressing the bright and soft creation, excited and suffused by its form, carried the reassurance of this self-constructed symbolism, an indefatigable antidote/panacea to the scientist´s doubts and defeats, to those places where the small miracles of endeavour and discovery awaited their renewed consolidation. But still, Bernard stands there in the village of Mojacar, eyes glistening, face radiating, hands revolving each other in anticipations of new consummation, offering his fountain to both the thirsty and the quenched - the unsurpassable implicity of pleasure in every conscious, explicit operation.

T. Archer R.J. Beninger T. Palomo