Current Neuropharmacology - Volume 11, Issue 1, 2013

Focal dystonias are dystonias that affect one part of the body, and are sometimes task-specific. Brain imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques have been valuable in defining the pathophysiology of dystonias in general, and are particularly amenable to studying focal dystonias. Over the past few years, several common themes have emerged in the imaging literature, and this review summarizes these Read More

The neurological movement disorder dystonia is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous group of related conditions where at least 20 monogenic forms have been identified. Despite the substantial advances resulting from the identification of these loci, the function of many DYT gene products remains unclear. Comparative genomics using simple animal models to examine the evolutionarily conserved functional relationships wi Read More

The majority of studies investigating the molecular pathogenesis and cell biology underlying dystonia have been performed in individuals with primary dystonia. This includes monogenic forms such as DYT1and DYT6 dystonia, and primary focal dystonia which is likely to be multifactorial in origin. In recent years there has been renewed interest in non-primary forms of dystonia including the dystonia-plus syndromes and her Read More

Musicians' dystonia is a task-specific and painless loss of motor control in a previously well-executed task. It is increasingly recognized in the medical and musical community. Recent advances in neuroimaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation and novel techniques in electroencephalography have shed light on its underlying pathophysiology. To date, a deranged cortical plasticity leading to abnormal se Read More

A strong association between dystonia and tremor has been known for more than a century. Two forms of tremor in dystonia are currently recognized: 1) dystonic tremor, which is tremor produced by dystonic muscle contraction and 2) tremor associated with dystonia, which is tremor in a body part that is not dystonic, but there is dystonia elsewhere. Both forms of tremor in dystonia frequently resemble essential tremor Read More

The focal dystonia benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) affects as many as 40,000 individuals in the United States. This dystonia is characterized by trigeminal hyperexcitability, photophobia, and most disabling of the symptoms, involuntary spasms of lid closure that can produce functional blindness. Like many focal dystonias, BEB appears to develop from the interaction between a predisposing condition and an environmen Read More

Our understanding of the syndromes of Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA) continues to grow considerably. In addition to the core syndromes of pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN, NBIA1) and PLA2G6-associated neurodegeneration (PLAN, NBIA2), several other genetic causes have been identified (including FA2H, C19orf12, ATP13A2, CP and FTL). In parallel, the clinical and patholog Read More

The activity of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons has been extensively investigated in a variety of behavioural states. In fact this norepinephrine (NE)-containing nucleus modulates many physiological and pathological conditions including the sleep-waking cycle, movement disorders, mood alterations, convulsive seizures, and the effects of drugs such as psychostimulants and opioids. This review focuses on the modulation e Read More

The multiplicity of peptidergic receptors and of the transduction pathways they activate offers the possibility of important advances in the development of specific drugs for clinical treatment of central nervous system disorders. Among them, retinal ischemia is a common clinical entity and, due to relatively ineffective treatment, remains a common cause of visual impairment and blindness. Ischemia is a primary cause o Read More

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome which, depending on various neurobiological, psychological and social factors, carries a high risk of developing into dementia. As far as diagnostic uncertainty and the heterogeneous underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are concerned, only limited therapeutic options are currently available. Clinical trials involving a wide range of substances have failed to show efficacy on pri Read More

The neurobiological etiopathogenesis of OCD is still obscure. Neuroimaging studies have been very influential in shaping neurobiological models of OCD. Investigations performed within last twenty years have revealed some important findings and proposed that specific cortico-striato-thalamic circuits are involved in the mediation of its symptoms. The effects of antiobsessional drugs and cognitive behavioral therapy on structur Read More

Until recently, epilepsy medical therapy is usually limited to anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). However, approximately 1/3 of epilepsy patients, described as drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) patients, still suffer from continuous frequent seizures despite receiving adequate AEDs treatment of sufficient duration. More recently, with the remarkable progress of immunology, immunity and inflammation are considered to be key elements o Read More