Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 16, Issue 18, 2010

With the development of neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), it has become possible to directly monitor the effects of pharmacological agents on brain functioning. This is especially important for the research in the area of psychiatry and psychology. With fMRI it has become possible to see which brain functions are affected by the agent and h Read More

Mono-aminergic neurotransmitters, in particular serotonin (5-HT), are involved in regulating a large number of psychological and physiological functions, and abnormal 5-HT transmission has been implicated in a wide variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive nuclear imaging technique with exquisite sensitivity and specificity, allowing delineation of neurotransmitter function in Read More

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective in the treatment of depression and a range of anxiety disorders [1,2]. Preclinical models have been relatively successful at elucidating the key neurochemical effects of these serotonergic agents; however, a lack of understanding exists of the functional mechanisms by which these drugs exert their effects on mood and anxiety. Elucidating the link between the neurochem Read More

Acute tryptophan depletion (ATD), a method to temporarily lower central serotonin levels, has been used to study the functioning of the serotonergic system. Relatively recent studies that examined the effects of ATD on brain activation associated with cognitive and emotional processing in healthy volunteers are reviewed. An overview of the findings in healthy volunteers is important for the interpretation of th Read More

In the last decade, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) has been increasingly used to investigate the neurobiology of schizophrenia. This technique relies on changes in the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) - signal, which changes in response to neural activity. Many FMRI studies on schizophrenia have examined medicated patients, but little is known about the effects of antipsychotic medication on the BOLD-signa Read More

Evidence from psychopharmacological functional neuroimaging begins to elucidate the neurochemical mechanisms of cognitive control. Here the role of dopamine in two subcomponent processes of cognitive control is discussed: the active maintenance and the flexible updating of goal-relevant representations. A range of studies have highlighted a role for the prefrontal cortex (pFC) and its modulation by dopamine in th Read More

Phenolic group in therapeutic drugs can be used for a prodrug modification to overcome various undesirable drug properties that may become pharmacological, pharmaceutical or pharmacokinetic barriers for application. Several strategies have been used in order to overcome the limited bioavailability of phenolic drugs. Classical design represents a nonspecific chemical approach to mask undesirable drug properties, limit Read More

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating and ultimately fatal indication that is the most prevalent adult-onset motoneuron disorder. ALS imparts tremendous suffering upon patients and caregivers alike. Exciting new insight has been obtained as to the etiology and initiation of the disease during the past decade, particularly affecting the larger, sporadic patient population. An important new discovery is the involve Read More