Animal Models For Neurodegenerative Disease

In recent years, medical developments have resulted in an increase in human life expectancy. Some developed countries now have a larger population of individuals aged over 64 than those under 14. One consequence of the ageing population is a higher incidence of certain neurodegenerative disorders. In order to prevent these, we need to learn more about them. This book provides up-to-date information on the use of transgenic mouse models in the study of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. By reproducing some of the pathological aspects of the diseases, these studies could reveal the mechanism for their onset or development. Some of the transgenic mice can also be used as targets for testing new compounds with the potential to prevent or combat these disorders. The editors have extensive knowledge and experience in this field and the book is aimed at undergraduates, postgraduates and academics. The chapters cover disorders including: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's and other CAG diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), recessive ataxias, disease caused by prions, and ischemia.

Animals have been used to model diseases or test new treatments since around 300 BC, and undoubtedly our ability to model disease in animals – including transgenic animals – has provided major breakthroughs in all fields of biomedical research. Due to their complexity and plurality of pathology and symptomatology, the study of neurodegenerative diseases relies heavily on animal models. These models have been developed in many species in the attempt to undercover the complex nature of the disease mechanisms involved. The ultimate goal is to test promising therapies and to manage, prevent or cure neurodegenerative disease. But because most animal models in this area do not reproduce the full phenotypical disease spectrum and the etiology and clinical presentation of neurodegenerative diseases differ from one patient to the next, the testing of these diseases in animal models often translates poorly to indices of efficacy when applied to the clinical population. Written by experts in the field with these advances and challenges in mind, this handbook provides an updated overview of the animal models being developed and used to study complex disease dynamics. The first part of the book presents an overview of animal models of various species and includes a review of new invertebrate animal models to study neurodegeneration. The second section presents the use of animal models to pinpoint disease mechanisms, and the last part of the handbook examines the various therapeutic interventions being used in models of neurodegenerative disease.

Animals have been used to model diseases or test new treatments since around 300 BC, and undoubtedly our ability to model disease in animals - including transgenic animals - has provided major breakthroughs in all fields of biomedical research. Due to their complexity and plurality of pathology and symptomatology, the study of neurodegenerative diseases relies heavily on animal models. These models have been developed in many species in the attempt to undercover the complex nature of the disease mechanisms involved. The ultimate goal is to test promising therapies and to manage, prevent or cure neurodegenerative disease. But because most animal models in this area do not reproduce the full phenotypical disease spectrum and the etiology and clinical presentation of neurodegenerative diseases differ from one patient to the next, the testing of these diseases in animal models often translates poorly to indices of efficacy when applied to the clinical population. Written by experts in the field with these advances and challenges in mind, this handbook provides an updated overview of the animal models being developed and used to study complex disease dynamics. The first part of the book presents an overview of animal models of various species and includes a review of new invertebrate animal models to study neurodegeneration. The second section presents the use of animal models to pinpoint disease mechanisms, and the last part of the handbook examines the various therapeutic interventions being used in models of neurodegenerative disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases are the most frequent cause of dementia, representing a burden for public health systems (especially in middle and middle-high income countries). Although most research on this issue is concentrated in first-world centers, growing efforts in South America are affording important breakthroughs. This emerging agenda poses new challenges for the region but also new opportunities for the field. This book aims to integrate the community of experts across the globe and the region, and to establish new challenges and developments for future investigation. We present research focused on neurodegenerative research in South America. We introduce studies assessing the interplay among genetic, neural, and behavioral dimensions of these diseases, as well as articles on vulnerability factors, comparisons of findings from various countries, and works promoting multicenter and collaborative networking. More generally, our book covers a broad scope of human-research approaches (behavioral assessment, neuroimaging, electromagnetic techniques, brain connectivity, peripheral measures), animal methodologies (genetics, epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics, other molecular biology tools), species (all human and non-human animals, sporadic, and genetic versions), and article types (original research, review, and opinion papers). Through this wide-ranging proposal, we hope to introduce a fresh approach to the challenges and opportunities of research on neurodegeneration in South America.

Most biological pathways, physical and neurological properties are highly conserved between humans and Drosophila and nearly 75% of human disease-causing genes have a functional homologue in Drosophila. This volume provides recent advances in Drosophila models for various human diseases, with each chapter providing a review of studies involving Drosophila models, as well as detailed protocols commonly used in laboratories. Starting with a review of Drosophila’s value as a highly tractable model organism for studying human diseases, subsequent chapters present Drosophila models for specific human diseases. The book provides a useful resource for all scientists who are starting to use the Drosophila model in their studies, and for researchers working in the pharmaceutical industry and using new screening models to develop new medicines for various diseases.

Animal disease models are a vital tool to study diseases and associated conditions. Studies on animal models can, in some cases, be used as a basis for modeling and understanding human diseases. Biomedical scientists face a challenge to choose the correct animal model to study disease pathology, and neurological diseases are no exception to this rule. Animal Models for Neurological Disorders covers different animal models which have been used for studying neurological disorders. 13 topical chapters have been contributed by a group of experts on the subject with an aim to cover emerging experimental models of a range of neurological diseases encountered in the clinic including Alzheimer’s disease, psychosis, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease, vascular dementia, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis and brain tumors, among others. The chapters also inform readers about relevant clinical correlations in each disease model where appropriate. Animal Models for Neurological Disorders is intended for all scholarly researchers and students of biomedical sciences, pharmacology, medicine (oncology, neurology, psychiatry), pharmacy, biochemistry, and biotechnology. The organized contents of the book also serve as a quick reference point for scientists working in applied areas of neuroscience including the study of neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive dysfunction in living organisms.

Olfactory dysfunction, although caused by many factors including physical damage and genetic abnormalities, is an early stage symptom of several neurodegenerative diseases. Not only is the olfactory system subject to the specific histological abnormalities but patients also lose the capacities to detect, identify, and discriminate among odors. In addition to olfactory deficits, motor dysfunction is another prominent manifestation of these conditions. Recent studies have begun to create zebrafish (Danio rerio) models for neurodegenerative diseases. Despite successful execution, there remains a great deal of potential in testing the models using established methods of olfactory and motion assessment. This chapter discusses the current zebrafish models and suggests olfactory and motor endpoints for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, multiple system atrophy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

This book introduces undergraduate, postgraduate and research students and scientists to animal models of neurological disorders, along with their working principle and brief procedures. Addressing all the disorders related to the central nervous system (CNS) in a single platform, on the basis of various literature surveys it describes different procedures to induce a single disease with the help of toxins/chemicals. It also includes numerous protocols for inducing single neurological diseases, thus fulfilling an urgent need for a book that makes specific procedures for neurological disorders available, so that specific disease can be induced in laboratories according to the availability of resources. Further, it acquaints readers with the pathological changes that occur in a particular neurological disorder, which reflect specific signs and symptoms of any particular disease, and examines how they affect everyday life. It is a valuable resource for researchers aiming to eradicate or improve neurological disorders by testing the benefits of different drugs.