title: Putative neuroprotective agents in neuropsychiatric disorders.
abstract: In many individuals with major neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, their disease characteristics are consistent with a neuroprogressive illness. This includes progressive structural brain changes, cognitive and functional decline, poorer treatment response and an increasing vulnerability to relapse with chronicity. The underlying molecular mechanisms of neuroprogression are thought to include neurotrophins and regulation of neurogenesis and apoptosis, neurotransmitters, inflammatory, oxidative and nitrosative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, cortisol and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and epigenetic influences. Knowledge of the involvement of each of these pathways implies that specific agents that act on some or multiple of these pathways may thus block this cascade and have neuroprotective properties. This paper reviews the potential of the most promising of these agents, including lithium and other known psychotropics, aspirin, minocycline, statins, N-acetylcysteine, leptin and melatonin. These agents are putative neuroprotective agents for schizophrenia and mood disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. seetald@barwonhealth.org.au
authors.forename: Seetal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Olivia M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moylan
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008094:Lithium; D001241:Aspirin