Neurology: Neurochemistry, Neuropharmacology and Neurosciences

Biography

Biography: Arman Rahimmi

Abstract

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which is considered as one of the most prevalent diseases of Central Nervous System (CNS). Its clinical signs include both motor (resting tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia) and mental disorders (cognitive problems, behavioral impairments and dementia). These clinical symptoms are mainly the consequents of progressive loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in brain, especially those of Substantia Nigra (SN) and Striatum (ST). Accordingly, current PD therapies focus on maintaining dopamine levels of brain at normal range. However, this approach is fairly useful to control and manage Parkinson’s disease, it has some disadvantages. Firstly, patients need higher doses of drugs over time which it implies some serious side effects such as psychosis, motor fluctuations, and dyskinesias. Additionally, PD patients under this type of treatment develop a series of dopa-resistant motor symptoms (speech impairment, abnormal posture, and gait and balance problems) and dopa-resistant non-motor signs (anosmia, sleep disorders, autonomic dysfunction, mood impairment and pain) after a while. In this regard, previous studies indicate that Levodopa and other dopaminergic medications accelerate neuronal degeneration in some parkinsonian brains via production of free radicals and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). This is in addition to the main oxidative and inflammatory processes of PD. Literature strongly confirm the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in development and progression of Parkinson’s disease. So that, during the recent years, interest in administration of neuroprotective factors such as brain repairing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory drugs for management of PD is being popular, increasingly. On the other hand, since PD is a chronic and long-lasting disease, it is important to improve life quality and life expectancy of PD patients by appropriate medications. According to the above literature, it is important to understand the mechanism of action of these neuro-protectant factors and investigate the new and more effective ones. Therefore, the objective of this article is to do a comprehensive review on oxidative and inflammatory mechanisms playing role in pathogenesis of PD. We also highlight the studies concerning antioxidant and anti-inflammation therapies for PD and their molecular mechanisms of action.