Tag: Glutamate

Excessive levels of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate can be toxic to neurons, a process known as excitotoxicity, which is implicated in conditions like ALS and neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding **what drugs decrease glutamate levels** is vital for managing these conditions and is an active area of pharmacological research.

Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, playing a critical role in brain functions like learning and memory. Disrupting the delicate balance of this powerful chemical, however, is a key mechanism for a number of psychoactive substances, impacting how a drug increases glutamate and alters neurological activity.

Approximately one-third of people with epilepsy have drug-resistant seizures, highlighting the importance of understanding the intricate **mechanism of action of clinically approved anti seizure drugs**. These medications work in various ways to restore the crucial balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the brain to prevent seizures.

Retrospective analyses show that the incidence of drug-induced seizures (DIS) in the clinical population ranges from 0.8% to 1.7% [1.7.1]. Understanding what is the mechanism of drug induced seizures is crucial for both clinicians and patients to mitigate this serious adverse effect.

Originally developed as an antiviral drug for influenza in the 1960s, the discovery of amantadine's neurological effects was serendipitous and has led to its current use for movement disorders. What does amantadine do to the brain? The answer lies in its multi-layered interaction with key neurotransmitter systems.

As the only FDA-approved medication demonstrated to modestly prolong survival in ALS patients, riluzole works by targeting the complex glutamatergic system to block glutamate release and prevent neurotoxicity. Its multifaceted mechanism provides a neuroprotective effect that helps to manage conditions linked to excessive glutamate signaling.

In 2021, approximately 70.9 million prescriptions for gabapentin were dispensed in the United States, making it one of the country's most prescribed medications. But what does gabapentin do to neurotransmitters to achieve its therapeutic effects?

Every individual has a unique 'seizure threshold,' the level of brain excitability at which a seizure may occur. In this context, understanding what is the seizure threshold for lamotrigine is not about a fixed number but rather how the medication works to raise this threshold, effectively making seizures less likely.

In 1995, Riluzole (marketed as Rilutek) became the first FDA-approved medication for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The medication works primarily by inhibiting the activity of glutamate, a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. By interfering with glutamatergic signaling, the drug helps to reduce the neurotoxicity believed to contribute to the progressive nerve cell damage seen in ALS.

While memantine is primarily an FDA-approved medication for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, its use for Parkinson's disease (PD) is an off-label and less-established area of treatment. Research has explored if and how memantine might address specific cognitive and motor symptoms associated with PD, yielding mixed results and highlighting its limited role in current practice.