MARCH Issues in Brain and Behaviour, as its name almost implies, is a course that examines selective issues, within a broad context. No one will be surprised to know that there is input from the disciplines such as psychology, physiology and pharmacology, as well as input from other life sciences and healthcare professions. Again it is not surprising that many students enter the course with backgrounds in one or more of these disciplines, but others come armed just with an interest and a background of academic study. To the two central themes of the course, addiction and ageing, share the characteristics of academic interest and social relevance. The addiction arm focuses not only on dependence on drugs and related substances, but also on the wider issues linked to addictive behaviour. Ageing, though focusing on behavioural and nervous system issues as the course title demands, also looks at how wider aspects of ageing influence nervous system function and behaviour in the elderly. The Reith lectures currently being broadcast by the BBC touch on several key issues.