Current Neuropharmacology - Volume 1, Issue 2, 2003

Depression and schizophrenia are major psychiatric disorders. Recently it has been documented that these diseases are characterized by deficits and / or loss of neurons in specific brain regions. Nerve growth factor and brainderived neurotrophic factor are endogenous biological mediators involved in neuronal survival and plasticity of dopaminergic, cholinergic, and serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system. Struct Read More

Lipid peroxidation is one of the major outcomes of free radical-mediated injury to tissue that directly damages membranes and generates a number of secondary biologically active products. This occurs through fragmentation and rearrangement of oxygenated fatty acids that act via modification of macromolecules and activation of cell surface receptors. Numerous studies have demonstrated regionally increased bra Read More

Stroke is the third leading cause of death after cancer and heart disease. Although great strides have been made in our understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to stroke pathology, effective pharmacological interventions for the millions of people annually affected by this disease is minimal. The only available treatment is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) which promotes reperfusion of the ischaemic area, but the Read More

Central serotonergic, and dopaminergic systems play a critical role in the regulation of normal and abnormal behaviors. Recent evidence suggests that a dysfunction of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmitter systems contribute to various pathological conditions. Among the multiple classes of 5-HT receptors described in the central nervous system, much attention has been devoted to the role of 5-HT2 recep Read More

Drug addiction is characterized by loss of control over drug consumption, with compulsive drug seeking and taking, despite obvious adverse consequences. It is a chronic brain disorder since the increased risk of relapse to active drug use remains high even after years of abstinence. Current research attempts to identify the cellular and molecular basis for the neuronal modifications underlying these complex behavio Read More

Behavioral studies in animals are an important part of neuropharmacological research, because they integrate findings from in vitro pharmacology, chemical neuroanatomy and electrophysiology at the system's level, thereby bridging the gap between basic research on one hand, and the development of pharmacological treatment with clinical trials on the other hand. Animal behavioral models of neuropsychiatric diseases Read More