CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - CNS & Neurological Disorders) - Volume 18, Issue 4, 2019

Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs), particularly the Chinese herbal medicines, are valuable sources of medicines and have been used for centuries. The term “TCMs” both represents to the single drug agent like Salvia miltiorrhiza, Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis, and those herbal formulas like Jingshu Keli, Wenxin Keli and Danzhen powder. In recent years, the researches of TCMs developed rapidly to underst Read More

Background & Objective: Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are responsible for the generation and propagation of action potentials in most excitable cells. In general, a VGSC consists of one pore-forming α subunit and two auxiliary β subunits. Genetic alterations in VGSCs genes, including both α and β subunits, are considered to be associated with epileptogenesis as well as seizures. This review aims to summarize the mut Read More

Objective & Background: Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) and potassium channels are critical in the generation of action potentials in the nervous system. VGSCs and potassium channels play important roles in the five fundamental senses of vision, audition, olfaction, taste and touch. Dysfunctional VGSCs are associated with clinical sensory symptoms, such as hyperpselaphesia, parosphresia, and so on. Conclusion: Thi Read More

Background & Objective: The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) belong to a large and expanding group of neurodegenerative disorders. SCAs comprise more than 40 subtypes characterized by progressive ataxia as a common feature. The most prevalent diseases among SCAs are caused by CAG repeat expansions in the coding-region of the causative gene resulting in polyglutamine (polyQ) tract formation Read More

Generation of newborn neurons that form functional synaptic connections in the dentate gyrus of adult mammals, known as adult hippocampal neurogenesis, has been suggested to play critical roles in regulating mood, as well as certain forms of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Environmental stress suppresses structural plasticity including adult neurogenesis and dendritic remodeling in the hippocampu Read More

The aim of this review was to examine the relationship between the occurrence of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, the medicines used in their treatment and the blood coagulation process. The paper mainly focuses on the effects of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs. Special attention has been paid to the influence of drugs on platelets, the vascular endothelium, plasma coagulation and fibrinolysis, regarding coagulation.

Background: Levetiracetam, a novel antiepileptic drug, has shown antidyskinetic effects in experimental animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). The tolerability and efficacy of levetiracetam in reducing the levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in PD patients have not been established. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize evidence from published prospective clinical trials about the efficacy of levetiracetam for the m Read More

Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic multifaceted disease characterized by widespread pain, muscle stiffness, fatigue, unrefreshing sleep and cognitive disorders. To date, no medication has been shown to significantly improve pain, associated symptoms and Quality of Life in fibromyalgic patients. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed data regarding 407 patients with diagnosis of fibro Read More

Background/Objective: Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) are a group of polyphenolic bioflavonoids, which possess a variety of biological functions and pharmacological properties. We studied the neuroprotective effects of GSP against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) injury and the potential mechanisms in mouse neuroblastoma N2a cells. Methods: OGD/R was conducted in N2a cells. Cell viabili Read More

Background: Neuropathic pain responds poorly to drug treatments. The present study investigated the therapeutic effect of Portulaca oleracea, in chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain in rats. Objective & Methods: Neuropathic pain was performed by putting four loose ligatures around the sciatic nerve. CCI resulted in the development of heat hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia accom Read More