Prevention of post-traumatic excitotoxic brain damage with NMDA antagonist drugs: a new strategy for the nineties.
Excitotoxic mechanisms due to overactivity of the amino acid neurotransmitters glutamate and aspartate maybe responsible for brain damage after injury. In this review we examine ischaemia and shear injury, which are relevant to human head injury. The opportunities for treatment using glutamate antagonist drugs are discussed.
Bullock
R
R
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Kuroda
Y
Y
Teasdale
G M
GM
McCulloch
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D005971:Glutamates / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006801:Humans; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D012183:Retrograde Degeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D005971:Glutamates; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate