Anti-Excitotoxic Therapies in Neurologic Diseases: Current Evidences and New Perspectives

摘要: To counteract excitotoxic mechamisms involved in a great deal of acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders, efforts have been addressed, over the last decade, to search for drugs that either reduce glutamate synaptic levels or block its postsysnaptic effects. Among large amount compounds tested, riluzole NMDA receptor antagonist memantine proved be quite efficacious amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Alzheimer, disease respectively. Other clinical trials antiexcitotoxic agents unsuccessful, despite encouraging data collected animal models, probably because methodological dosage problems. Moreover, some these might increase their efficacy if administred early stages combination with other neuroprotective agents, such as antioxidants antiapoptotic substances.