Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Neurotrophins in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease
The involvement of the changed expression/function of neurotrophic factors in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), has been suggested. AD is one of the age-related dementias, and is characterized by cognitive impairment with decreased memory function. Developing evidence demonstrates that decreased cell survival, synaptic dysfunction, and reduced neurogenesis are involved in the pathogenesis of AD. On the other hand, it is well known that neurotrophic factors, especially brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high-affinity receptor TrkB, have multiple roles in the central nervous system (CNS), including neuronal maintenance, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis, which are closely linked to learning and memory function. 
  • 1.2K
  • 07 Apr 2023
Topic Review
The Single Toxin Origin of Alzheimer’s Disease
New data suggest that the aggregation of misfolded native proteins initiates and drives the pathogenic cascade that leads to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Researchers propose a unifying single toxin theory of brain neurodegeneration that identifies new targets and approaches to the development of disease-modifying treatments. An extensive body of genetic evidence suggests soluble aggregates of beta-amyloid (Aβ) as the primary neurotoxin in the pathogenesis of AD. New insights from fluid biomarkers, imaging, and clinical studies provide further evidence for the decisive impact of toxic Aβ species in the initiation and progression of AD.
  • 1.2K
  • 21 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Cerebrovascular Leak and Glymphatic Obstruction in Neurodegenerative Disease
New approaches are required to successfully intervene therapeutically in neurodegenerative diseases. Addressing the earliest phases of disease, blood brain barrier (BBB) leak before the accumulation of misfolded proteins has significant potential for success.
  • 1.2K
  • 26 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Metaverse and Neurorehabilitation
The metaverse is a new technology thought to provide a deeper, persistent, immersive 3D experience combining multiple different virtual approaches in a full continuum of physical–digital interaction spaces. Different from virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), the metaverse has a service-oriented solid model with an emphasis on social and content dimensions. The fundamental innovations that could be brought about by the metaverse rely on the evolution of immersive experience and on the employment of multiple technologies—artificial intelligence, internet of things, blockchain, etc.—to facilitate the virtuality–reality interconnection by mimicking brain functioning. In particular, AI tools (i.e., deep learning) will bring insights into new treatment approaches, leading to a profound impact on personalized medicine for mental health conditions. The complexity of the metaverse is discussed, which could be considered the future of neurorehabilitation.
  • 1.2K
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Animal Prion Diseases
Prion is defined as a “proteinaceous infectious particle” consisting exclusively of a single protein without the involvement of nucleic acids that causes spongiform encephalopathies in mammals. Prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation of abnormal isoforms of PrP glycoprotein.
  • 1.2K
  • 24 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. ADHD impairments arise from irregularities primarily in dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) circuits within the prefrontal cortex.
  • 1.2K
  • 17 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Bazedoxifene Acetate
Bazedoxifene acetate, BZA, a third-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), is an indole-based estrogen receptor ligand currently used to prevent and treat postmenopausal osteoporosis.
  • 1.2K
  • 03 Nov 2021
Topic Review
MSC-Based Therapies in Post-Acute Neurological COVID Syndrome
One of the main concerns related to SARS-CoV-2 infection is the symptoms that could be developed by survivors, known as long COVID, a syndrome characterized by persistent symptoms beyond the acute phase of the infection. This syndrome has emerged as a complex and debilitating condition with a diverse range of manifestations affecting multiple organ systems. It is increasingly recognized for affecting the Central Nervous System, in which one of the most prevalent manifestations is cognitive impairment. The search for effective therapeutic interventions has led to growing interest in Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC)-based therapies due to their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and tissue regenerative properties.
  • 1.2K
  • 10 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Network-Based Drug Repurposing in Psychiatry
Drug repurposing offers a more efficient pathway compared with de novo drug discovery with lower cost and less risk. Various computational approaches have been applied to mine the vast amount of biomedical data generated over recent decades. Aligned well with the poly-pharmacology paradigm shift in drug discovery, network-based approaches offer great opportunities to discover repurposing candidates for complex psychiatric disorders.
  • 1.2K
  • 05 Aug 2022
Topic Review
LRRK2 in Parkinson’s Disease
LRRK2 is a large (2527 amino acids, 286 kDa), multidomain protein, that bears two enzymatic functions: kinase and GTPase, and several protein-protein interaction domains. Numerous genomic LRRK2 variants have been repeatedly confirmed as pathogenic in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Inhibition of LRRK2 was shown to rescue neurite shortening caused by PD mutations in this protein. This entry discusses possible ways of targetting LRRK2 as potential treatment for PD.
  • 1.2K
  • 09 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Importance of GABA in the Nervous System
Normal development and function of the central nervous system involves a balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Activity of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons is modulated by inhibitory signalling of the GABAergic and glycinergic systems. Mechanisms that regulate formation, maturation, refinement, and maintenance of inhibitory synapses are established in early life. Deviations from ideal excitatory and inhibitory balance, such as down-regulated inhibition, are linked with many neurological diseases, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders. In the mammalian forebrain, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, binding to GABA receptors, opening chloride channels and hyperpolarizing the cell.
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Jul 2022
Topic Review
PRDM12 in Health and Diseases
PRDM12 is a member of the PRDI-BF1 (positive regulatory domain I-binding factor 1) homologous domain (PRDM)-containing protein family, a subfamily of Kruppel-like zinc finger proteins, controlling key processes in the development of cancer. PRDM12 is expressed in a spatio-temporal manner in neuronal systems where it exerts multiple functions. PRDM12 is essential for the neurogenesis initiation and activation of a cascade of downstream pro-neuronal transcription factors in the nociceptive lineage.
  • 1.2K
  • 12 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota for Precision Psychiatry in Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a highly disabling condition with a chronic and relapsing nature. Despite the substantial socioeconomic burden associated with BD, there are still significant research gaps in risk stratification, diagnostic accuracy, and treatment selection, all key components of precision psychiatry. One possible strategy to increase the validity of precision psychiatry approaches in BD is to increase the knowledge of disorder-associated gut microbiota perturbations. 
  • 1.2K
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Sirt3 and Neurodegenerative Diseases
An NAD+-dependent deacetylase called Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) is involved in the metabolic processes of the mitochondria, including energy generation, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and oxidative stress. Sirt3 activation can slow down or prevent mitochondrial dysfunction in response to neurodegenerative disorders, demonstrating a strong neuroprotective impact. The mechanism of Sirt3 in neurodegenerative illnesses has been elucidated over time; it is essential for neuron, astrocyte, and microglial function, and its primary regulatory factors include antiapoptosis, oxidative stress, and the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. Sirt3 plays a key part in the central nervous system (CNS)  and participates in the regulation of the physiological and pathological functions of various nerve cells. Many of these mechanisms are closely related to neurodegeneration, implying that Sirt3 is a key regulatory molecule in neurodegenerative diseases.
  • 1.2K
  • 15 May 2023
Topic Review
Lactobacillus as Probiotics against Different Health Issues
Probiotics are microorganisms involved in the growth and development of other microorganisms, derived from a Greek word meaning "for life". The well-accepted definition of probiotics was given by Fuller, according to which "Probiotics are live microbial feed supplements which beneficially affect the host animal by improving microbial balance" . WHO redefines the term as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host". The concept of probiotics was introduced by Elie Metchnikoff in 1907. He introduced the idea that food microbes can modify the normal flora of the human body and that replacement of harmful microbes with beneficial microbes is possible. Based on this concept, the term “probiotics” was defined in different ways. The term probiotic was first used by Lilly and Stillwell in 1960. In 1857, Pasteur discovered the first bacteria that were lactic acid-producing. Then in 1878, Lister also separated and recognized these lactic acid bacteria. In 1889, Henry Tissier discovered Bifidobacterium and also found that these bacteria could be used to treat acute gastroenteritis caused by an imbalance of harmful microorganisms. The idea that probiotics could be friendly and used to treat certain intestinal diseases was also reported and presented by Tissier, in 1906. The most widely used microorganism as probiotics is Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces boulardii. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are Gram-positive rods that are obligated facultative anaerobes and S.boulardii is a yeast.
  • 1.2K
  • 09 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Glial Scar in Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex tissue injury resulting in permanent and degenerating damage to the central nervous system (CNS). Detrimental cellular processes occur after SCI, including axonal degeneration, neuronal loss, neuroinflammation, reactive gliosis, and scar formation. The glial scar border forms to segregate the neural lesion and isolate spreading inflammation, reactive oxygen species, and excitotoxicity at the injury epicenter to preserve surrounding healthy tissue. The scar border is a physicochemical barrier composed of elongated astrocytes, fibroblasts, and microglia secreting chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, collogen, and the dense extra-cellular matrix.
  • 1.2K
  • 24 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel in Neurodegenerative Diseases
The pore-forming subunits (α subunits) of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) are encoded in humans by a family of nine highly conserved genes. Among them, SCN1A, SCN2A, SCN3A, and SCN8A are primarily expressed in the central nervous system. The encoded proteins Nav1.1, Nav1.2, Nav1.3, and Nav1.6, respectively, are important players in the initiation and propagation of action potentials and in turn of the neural network activity. In the context of neurological diseases, mutations in the genes encoding Nav1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.6 are responsible for many forms of genetic epilepsy and for Nav1.1 also of hemiplegic migraine. Conversely, VGSCs seem to have a modulatory role in the most common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, where SCN8A expression has been shown to be negatively correlated with disease severity.
  • 1.2K
  • 30 May 2023
Topic Review
PITRM1 in Neurodegeneration
Mounting evidence shows a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer Disease. Increased oxidative stress, defective mitodynamics, and impaired oxidative phosphorylation leading to decreased ATP production, can determine synaptic dysfunction, apoptosis, and neurodegeneration. Furthermore, mitochondrial proteostasis and the protease-mediated quality control system, carrying out degradation of potentially toxic peptides and misfolded or damaged proteins inside mitochondria, are emerging as potential pathogenetic mechanisms. The enzyme pitrilysin metallopeptidase 1 (PITRM1) is a key player in these processes; it is responsible for degrading mitochondrial targeting sequences that are cleaved off from the imported precursor proteins and for digesting a mitochondrial fraction of amyloid beta (Aβ).
  • 1.2K
  • 05 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Components of the Blood–Brain Barrier
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a highly specialized and dynamic compartment which regulates the uptake of molecules and solutes from the blood. The neurovascular unit (NVU) has been described as a structure formed by microvascular endothelium, astrocytes, pericytes and neurons that are in physical proximity to the endothelium, basal lamina and parenchymal basement membrane. Each NVU component is intimately and reciprocally linked to each other, sharing several characteristics and establishing an anatomical and functional whole, which results in a highly efficient system regulating cerebral blood flow. 
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Intranasal Drug Administration in Alzheimer-Type Dementia
Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD) treatments face limitations in crossing the blood–brain barrier and systemic adverse effects. Intranasal administration offers a direct route to the brain via the nasal cavity’s olfactory and trigeminal pathways. 
  • 1.2K
  • 22 May 2023
  • Page
  • of
  • 54
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Academic Video Service
Feedback