CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - CNS & Neurological Disorders) - Volume 14, Issue 5, 2015

Uric acid has been associated as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Recently, however, there is growing evidence that uric acid plays a role as antioxidant in the brain. In cognitive dysfunction, vascular and oxidative stress mechanisms play a role, but the link remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated the link between serum uric acid-levels and cognitive function in 62 elderly subjects. The statistical analysis was adjuste Read More

Stroke is one of the most common conditions requiring rehabilitation, and its motor impairments are a major cause of permanent disability. Hemiparesis is observed by 80% of the patients after acute stroke. Neuroimaging studies showed that real and imagined movements have similarities regarding brain activation, supplying evidence that those similarities are based on the same process. Within this context, the Read More

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has been investigated in older men as a preventative treatment against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. However, previous studies have been contradictory. We assessed TRT physiological effects in 44 older men (aged 61 ± 7.7 years) with subjective memory complaints using a double blind, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled study. Participants were randomized into Read More

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability for which there is currently no effective drug therapy available. Because drugs targeting a single TBI pathological pathway have failed to show clinical efficacy to date, pleiotropic agents with effects on multiple mechanisms of secondary brain damage could represent an effective option to improve brain recovery and clinical outcome in TBI patients. In this multi Read More

Medulloblastoma, a tumor of the cerebellum, is the most common pediatric central nervous system malignancy. These tumors are etiologically linked to mutations in the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway, which signals through the primary, non-motile cilium. The growth of these aggressive tumors relies on self-renewal of tumor-propagating cells known as cancer stem cells (CSCs). Previous reports have implicated CD133-ex Read More

Transmembrane AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptor regulatory protein (TARP) γ−8 is an auxiliary protein associated with some AMPA receptors. Most strikingly, AMPA receptors associated with this TARP have a relatively high localization in the hippocampus. TARP γ−8 also modifies the pharmacology and trafficking of AMPA receptors. However, to date there is little understandin Read More

Objective: It is our aim to elaborate on the new developments in regard to the respiratory subtype (RS) of panic disorder (PD) since it was first described. We will present psychopathological features, diagnostic criteria, genetic and physiopathological hypotheses, as well as therapeutic and prognostic characteristics. Method: Two searches were performed in the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge (http://wokinfo.com/): 1 - s Read More

A significant number of laboratories observed that poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, administered a few hours after ischemic or traumatic brain injury, may drastically reduce the subsequent neurological damage. It has also been shown that PARP inhibitors, administered for 24 hours to rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), may reduce the number of dying neurons for a long period af Read More

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental illness that affects millions of people worldwide. There is now compelling evidence that the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play an important role in MDD and co-morbid alcohol or nicotine addiction. As a result, there has been growing interest for the treatment of MDD and co-morbid alcohol or nicotine use disorder by targeting nAChRs. Emerging evid Read More

Numerous studies have deciphered the importance of Cyclophilin D (CypD/ peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase F) in the formation and regulation of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), implicated in the cell death mechanisms in various neurological diseases. Decrease in the ATP and increase in the calcium levels are the most common aftermath consequences that are observed in these diseases. Increased calciu Read More

Migraine and neuropathic pain are common causes of chronic pain. The exact pathomechanism has not been fully clarified for either disorder, but their pathophysiological backgrounds involve several similar mechanisms. Peripheral sensitization occurs in the neuronal elements of the dorsal root ganglion or the trigeminal ganglion, while central sensitization appears in the second-order neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal Read More

Results from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and pre-clinical studies strongly suggest that systemic and CNS-intrinsic immune activation plays a central role in ALS pathogenesis. Microglial cells are emerging in this context as master regulators with a bi-functional role in the progression of the pathological response. They foster a pro-inflammatory setting through the production of cytotoxic cytokines and che Read More