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Free radicals in Alzheimer’s dementia: currently available therapeutic strategies

  • Conference paper
Alzheimer’s Disease — From Basic Research to Clinical Applications

Part of the book series: Journal of Neural Transmission. Supplementa ((NEURAL SUPPL,volume 54))

Summary

Substantial evidence now exists that oxidative stress may play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of DAT. The different sources of oxidative stress in DAT are suggesting several pharmacological opportunities for influencing the disease. It is possible to distinguish 2 major types of possible therapeutic agents according to their pharmacological point of attack.

  1. 1.

    Radical scavengers, agents directly interacting with free radicals. Candidates of this type are gingko biloba, vitamins A, C, E and estrogen.

  2. 2.

    Antioxidants, which are able to prevent or decrease the production of free radicals by use of specific neuropharmacological properties. Candidates are selegiline, a MAO-B inhibitor well established in the therapy of Parkinson’s disease, and tenilsetam, which is believed to be an AGE-inhibitor.

Recent in vitro studies have demonstrated the efficacy of both types of therapeutic agents by preventing or delaying oxidative neural damage.

Some clinical data exist regarding the antidementive properties particularly in terms of gingko biloba, selegiline and vitamin E. The efficacy studies about these compounds seem to indicate a promising future strategy in the therapy of DAT. But it is too early to draw definite conclusions since it is well kown that all of our candidate substances do not act specifically as radical scavengers or antioxidants.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Department, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstrasse 15, D-97080, Würzburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    Dr. M. Rösler, W. Retz, J. Thome & P. Riederer

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  1. Dr. M. Rösler
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  2. W. Retz
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  3. J. Thome
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  4. P. Riederer
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Universität Leipzig, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

    H.-J. Gertz

  2. Paul-Flechsig-Institut für Hirnforschung, Universität Leipzig, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

    Th. Arendt

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© 1998 Springer-Verlag/Wien

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Rösler, M., Retz, W., Thome, J., Riederer, P. (1998). Free radicals in Alzheimer’s dementia: currently available therapeutic strategies. In: Gertz, HJ., Arendt, T. (eds) Alzheimer’s Disease — From Basic Research to Clinical Applications. Journal of Neural Transmission. Supplementa, vol 54. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-7508-8_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-7508-8_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-83112-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-7508-8

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