Neurosurgery and Neuroscience

Neuroprotection is a burgeoning area of scientific research. Certain pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals have the potential to modify and enhance nerve cell response to toxic stimuli. This discovery has spawned intense interest in unlocking the cellular mechanisms that confer such resilience and recovery. Numerous biochemical pathways play a role in neuroprotection, such as: enhanced neutralization of molecular radicals; mitochondrial membrane integrity support; arresting generation of pro-inflammatory cell membrane metabolism products; activation of neurotrophic factors; modification of intracellular calcium homeostasis; inducing shifts in the resting endogenous balance of proapoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors within the cell; and others. This session introduces participants to fundamental and advanced concepts in neuroprotection through an examination of the downstream mechanisms of psychotropic agents and nutraceuticals. Recent advances in neuroprotection are also reviewed. The session will prepare clinicians to engage the literature on neuroprotection with an informed, critical eye. Proprietary animations developed by the author, bring to life difficult-to-understand abstract concepts, and provide a unique learning experience for participants. Comprehensive critical review of the biochemical sciences and biomedical literature through PubMed and EMBASE. While bench research and animal studies currently dominate the neuroprotection literature, as this nascent area of science evolves, it is hoped that it will culminate in the development of specific sub-cellular targets in humans. Human studies are costly, complicated, and require a large number of participants to show an effect, posing a potential barrier for real-world progress in neuroprotection.