Your readers are provided with essential information on Neurodegenerative Disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, Huntington's, and multiple sclerosis. This book also serves as a historical survey, by providing information on the controversies surrounding its causes. Compelling first-person narratives by people coping with Neurodegenerative Disorders give readers a first-hand experience. Patients, family members, or caregivers explain the condition from their own experience. The symptoms, causes, treatments, and potential cures are explained in detail. Essential to anyone trying to learn about diseases and conditions, the alternative treatments are explored. Student researchers and readers will find this book easily accessible through its careful and conscientious editing and a thorough introduction to each essay.

Inflammation of the brain in the context of neurodegenerative disorders is an area of intense debate and discussion, not least in terms of its pathogenic significance and the extent to which it drives disease processes and pathology. This inflammation can take several forms including innate responses recruiting microglia, humoral responses involving antibody, complement mediated processes and cellular T-cell activation, of which the role and extent of each may differ between diseases. Whilst some diseases have been more intensely linked to inflammation and long-term degeneration (e.g. MS), more traditional chronic neurodegenerative disorders have been thought of in terms of intrinsic neuronal pathology with a secondary innate response. However, it has been described that microglia activation is an early event of many degenerative disorders and evidence is accumulating that it may play a critical role in actually causing pathology and driving disease processes. If true, this would have major therapeutic implications, but what is the evidence that this is the case? The initial observations by Patrick McGeer’s group of post-mortem tissue from patients with Parkinson’s disease revealed the presence of activated brain microglia and has thus lead to the hypothesis that chronic inflammation could participate to neuronal degenerative processes. The significance of these original observations has only been recently revisited, and the development of more powerful tools to study the brain immune response has certainly contributed to this field of research. Chronic inflammation in the brain can take many forms but of particular interest has been the resident microglia and the role they play in this process. In this context, microglia have often been thought to become activated only after the disease has begun and then to contribute minimally to the degenerative process. Emerging new concepts challenge this view by proposing that microglial senescence, for example, may release the disease process and/or accelerate it. In addition, microglia, once activated, can adopt different phenotypes which can be both pro-inflammatory and pro-repair and may impact not only on the healthy adult neuronal population but on those new neurons derived from neurogenic niches of the adult brain. In this Research Topic, we attempt to explore this by first considering the innate immune responses in the brain and the methods by which they can be studied experimentally and in patients with various neurodegenerative disorders. This sets the scene for then discussing a range of different disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These papers seek to discuss the evidence for an innate immune response and whether this is beneficial or detrimental, as well as its therapeutic implications.

Researchers have tried various effective treatments that prevent the progressive neurodegeneration of neurons within the brain. Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Multiple sclerosis (MS) are some of the most common neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). Recent Advances in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders provides interesting updates on treatments of these neurological disorders. Ten chapters have been contributed by experts in pharmacology and give a unique perspective to reader on special topics in this area, including the treatment of neurodegenerative treatment of neurodegenerative disease through ayurveda and phytochemicals, the therapeutic role of vitamins in Parkinson’s disease, mushrooms in NDD treatment, MS treatment, ALS treatment and the use of nanoparticles and nano formulations in NDD treatment. This is an informative reference for pharmacologists, medicinal chemists and healthcare professionals (general practitioners and neurologists) seeking updates in the treatment of some common neurodegenerative disorders.

Neurodegeneration is a key feature of several diseases that are referred to as neurodegenerative diseases. The process of neurodegeneration is not well-understood so the diseases that stem from it have, as yet, no cures. As such, studying the effects of these disorders can provide insight into the treatment, prevention, and future opportunities and challenges in this growing field. The Handbook of Research on Critical Examinations of Neurodegenerative Disorders is a critical scholarly resource that provides an extensive explanation of various neurodegenerative disorders based on existing studies to clarify etiology, pathological mechanisms, diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, as well as current status and future opportunities and challenges. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as dementia, mitochondrial dysfunction, and risk factors, this book is geared towards neurobiologists, neuropsychologists, neurophysiologists, neuropathologists, medical professionals, academicians, and researchers seeking research on the complexity of neurodegenerative disorders.

This second edition brings together up-to-date contributions from leaders in the field internationally on the various ways in which mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The reader is guided through the basic functions of mitochondria and the mechanisms that lead to their dysfunction, and on to the consequences of this dysfunction for neuronal function before finishing with the modelling of these disorders and discussion of new potential therapeutic targets. Additional chapters have been added to the book to reflect advances in the field and there are many new contributors and topics, including how mitochondria are degraded and the interaction of the mitochondria with pathologically relevant proteins. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Disorders provides an accessible, authoritative guide to this important area for neurologists; research and clinical neuroscientists; neuropathologists; and residents with an interest in clinical research.

This book compiles all articles within the Research Topic "Neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry of neurodegenerative disorders" published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. The call was launched in 2014 and closed in 2015 with 21 articles published. Papers deal on several important topics of neuropsychology -such as language and visuospatial functions- and neuropsychiatry - such us the emotional or motivational spheres - , and the interphase between them. There are also articles on psychometry, brain morphometry, brain connectivity, diagnostic tests and interventional studies. All these articles are focused on neurodegenerative conditions, mostly Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Interestingly, several articles addressed the early stages of these diseases. All together, this Research Topic provides a rich perspective of the research made today around neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric aspects of neurodegenerative diseases. We hope readers enjoy this collection of articles.

Comprehensive overview of different aspects of autophagy as it relates to neurodegenerative diseases. The pathogenesis of the main neurodegenerative disorders includes either the accumulation of altered or misfolded proteins or exposure to several toxics. Autophagy constitute one of the two principal cellular pathways implicate in the clearance of these material and can serve as a neuroprotective mechanism. Topics include: the role of autophagy in the brain, the role of autophagy in the principal neurodegenerative disorders, and the mechanism by which different molecules cause neurotoxicity and the role autophagy plays.

As age related diseases increase in prevalence and impact more significantly on medical resources it is imperative to understand these diseases and the mechanisms behind their progression. New research has stimulated a growing interest in mitochondrial involvement in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis and the mechanisms which lead from mitochondrial dysfunction to neurodegeneration. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Disorders brings together contributions from leaders in the field internationally on the various ways in which mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of these diseases, guiding the reader through the basic functions of mitochondria and the mechanisms that lead to their dysfunction, to the consequences of this dysfunction on neuronal function before finishing with the modelling of these disorders and discussion of new potential therapeutic targets. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Disorders provides an accessible, authoritative guide to this important area for neurologists; research and clinical neuroscientists; neuropathologists; and residents with an interest in clinical research.

Neurodegeneration is characterized by the progressive loss of neural tissue that result in various neurodegeneration-initiated cerebral failures and complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease. All these medical conditions are accompanied by the disruption of blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is an interface, separating the brain from the circulatory system and protecting the central nervous system from potentially harmful chemicals while regulating transport of essential molecules and maintaining a stable environment. Owing to the inability of the neurons to regenerate on their own after neurodegeneration or severe damage to the neural tissue, neurodegenerative disorders do not have natural cures on their own. Neuroregeneration is a viable way to curb neurodegeneration. One of the current approaches is stem cell-based therapy that has been shown to be potentially helpful for the application of neuronal cell replacement for neuroregeneration. It is vital that the neurodegenerative disorder being detected at an early stage as it can provide a chance for treatment that may be helpful to prevent further progression of the fatal disease. Thus, research has focused on developing effective non-invasive diagnostic methods for early detection of these disorders. Molecular diagnostics can provide a powerful method to detect and diagnose various neurological disorders. Such diagnosis can enhance early detection, provide subsequent medical counsel based on medical pathway, as well as to gain better insight of neurogenesis and hopefully eventual cure of the neurodegenerative diseases. With research reports, reviews, mini-reviews and commentary, this research topic covers a wide range of areas in neurodegeneration research, including diagnosis and prognosis; regulating central nervous system; biomarkers and brain injury induced neurobehavioral outcomes among other timely reports on neurodegeneration.