Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027066 (myoclonus)
 4,275 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A major consequence of severe cardiac arrest is impairment of neurological functions. Posthypoxic myoclonus and seizures are two of the major neurological problems following ischemic and hypoxic insults. This condition affects motor function to different degrees of severity ranging from mild to serious debilitation. The pathophysiological mechanism(s) associated with these neurological conditions remain elusive. Glutamate-mediated neuronal overexcitation is thought to play a major role in the neuronal damage and in the neurological consequences of the posthypoxic state. Therefore, lamotrigine, a new anticonvulsant that indirectly modulates glutamatergic neurotransmission by interfering with voltage-dependent sodium channels, was tested for its effectiveness in controlling the neurological and histopathological changes in the animal model of cardiac arrest-induced myoclonus. Lamotrigine dose-dependently attenuated the audiogenic seizures and action myoclonus seen in this rat model. Histological analysis using Nissl staining and the novel Fluoro-Jade histochemistry in cardiac-arrested rats showed an extensive neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Lamotrigine treatment significantly attenuated the neuronal degeneration in these brain areas. The neuroprotective effect was more pronounced in hippocampal pyramidal and cerebellar Purkinje neurons. The therapeutic window of lamotrigine in this model was 8 hours. These results suggest that lamotrigine can be viewed as a potential antimyoclonic and neuroprotective agent for the treatment of posthypoxic myoclonus and seizures. The study also suggests that neuronal hyperexcitability may play a role in the etiology of posthypoxic myoclonus and seizure.
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PMID:Antimyoclonic and neuroprotective effects of lamotrigine in an animal model of cardiac arrest. 1267 Dec 43

Ethanol-responsive movement disorders are a group of movement disorders of which clinical manifestation could receive significant improvement after ethanol intake, including essential tremor, myoclonus-dystonia, and some other hyperkinesia. Emerging evidence supports that the sensitivity of these conditions to ethanol might be attributed to similar anatomical targets and pathophysiologic mechanisms. Cerebellum and cerebellum-related networks play a critical role in these diseases. Suppression of inhibitory neurotransmission and hyper-excitability of these regions are the key points for pathogenesis. GABA pathways, the main inhibitory system involved in these regions, were firstly linked to the pathogenesis of these diseases, and GABAA receptors and GABAB receptors play critical roles in ethanol responsiveness. Moreover, impairment of low-voltage-activated calcium channels, which were considered as a contributor to oscillation activity of the nervous system, also participates in the sensitivity of ethanol in relevant disease. Glutamate transporters and receptors that are closely associated with GABA pathways are the action sites for ethanol as well. Accordingly, alternative medicines aiming at these shared mechanisms appeared subsequently to mimic ethanol-like effects with less liability, and some of them have achieved positive effects on different diseases with well-tolerance. However, more clinical trials with a large sample and long-term follow-ups are needed for pragmatic use of these medicines, and further investigations on mechanisms will continue to deepen the understanding of these diseases and also accelerate the discovery of ideal treatment.
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PMID:Mechanisms and Pharmacotherapy for Ethanol-Responsive Movement Disorders. 3298 23