Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Formerly Current Medicinal Chemistry - Central Nervous System Agents) - Volume 11, Issue 1, 2011

Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry continues with its objective of bringing together the different perspectives of scientists with diverse backgrounds in chemistry, biology and pharmacology with the common goal of fostering the development of medicinal chemistry and its integration with growing disciplines in the field of medical sciences. With a careful selection of subjects and up to date reviews, Central N Read More

In the etiology of brain injury associated to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and neurodegenerative diseases, a critical involvement of excessive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and successive induction of iNOS expression has widely been evidenced. Any compound capable to down-regulate STAT1 activation seems to represent a new, promising anti-inflammatory drug. Among plant comp Read More

Some modifying factors may determine the risk of brain tumors. Until now, it could not be attempted to identify people at risk and also to improve significantly disease progression. Current therapy consists of surgical resection, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Despite of these treatments, the prognosis for patients is poor. In this review, we highlight general aspects concerning genetic alterations in brain tumors Read More

In the last years, the hypothesis that cortical hyperexcitability may play a role in the physiopatology of migraine led to the therapeutic use of some antiepileptic drugs. To evaluate the efficacy of levetiracetam as prophylactic treatment for migraine without aura in elderly patients. We performed a small open-label trial treating 13 elderly patients( 8F 5M) mean age 64.7 years (SD 3.4), range 60-72 years affected by migraine witho Read More

Neurological diseases and related conditions affect an estimated 1 billion of individuals worldwide [1]. There is still no cure for neurological diseases and disorders, barely a few treatments more or less efficient. This mandates the design and development of novel paradigms and strategies, to discover and develop new treatments and cures for these diseases. Neurogenesis occurs in the adult brain of mammals primarily in two Read More

Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis (LC) refers to diffuse seeding of the leptomeninges by tumor metastases and is a rare presentation of solid tumors, particularly breast cancer, lung cancer and malignant melanoma in adults and hematogenous malignancies and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) in children. Recently, the incidence of LC has been reported to be increasing due to a longer overall survival obtained in patients Read More

Mammalian p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are activated by various cellular stresses, as well as in response to inflammatory cytokines. In the central nervous systems (CNS), activation of the p38 MAPK pathway constitutes a key step in the development of several diseases, and the molecular mechanisms mediated by p38 MAPK signaling have been defined. Activation of this cascade releases pro-inflammato Read More

A series of thiosemicarbazones of halogen substituted benzaldehydes, benzophenone and acetophenone were synthesized using an appropriate synthetic route and characterized by thin layer chromatography and spectral analysis. The anticonvulsant activity of synthesized compounds was established in three seizures models which includes maximal electroshock (MES), subcutaneous pentylene tetrazole (scPTZ) induced seiz Read More

Tuberculous meningitis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. This bacteria spreads to the brain from another site within the body. If untreated, tuberculous meningitis can be lifethreatening. Substantial brain damage can result from infection which results in mental impairment, motor paralysis, seizures, and abnormal behavior. This study presents the analysis of the effectiven Read More

Catatonic syndromes involve a complex mixture of motor, behavioral, and systemic manifestations that are derived from unclear mechanisms. What is clear is that neurotransmitters, such as dopamine (DA), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate (GLU), are of major importance in the pathogenesis of catatonia and Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) and that serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) is crucial t Read More