Review Article
Year: 2021 | Month: July-September | Volume: 6 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 322-326
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20210755
Nitric Oxide: The Common Link in Different Forms of Dementia
Dipak Kumar Dhar
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physiology,
Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Jolly Grant, Dehradun.
ABSTRACT
Dementia broadly refers to a global decline in cognitive and higher functions of the brain. With the gradually increasing number of aging population, the incidence of dementia has been steadily rising and expected to increase further in the coming years. The causes and forms of dementia are wide-ranging and diverse, with Alzheimer’s disease being its best studied form. With increasing knowledge about various effects and mechanisms of nitric oxide, this chemical neurotransmitter appears to be the connecting link in the cellular pathogenesis of dementia. An exhaustive search of research articles, commentaries and books published from 1990s onwards was performed with various words and combinations linked to dementia and nitric oxide. The existing medical literature shows both neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects of nitric oxide. The present article intends to delve into this topic and provide a lucid understanding of the role of nitric oxide in dementia.
Keywords: Dementia, Nitric Oxide, Alzheimer’s disease, excitotoxicity, nitrosative stress.