Glutamate receptor antagonists and treatment

Glutamate Receptor Antagonists and Treatment of Neurological Disorders... 

In experimental studies, chronic antidepressant treatments have been shown to reduce the behavioural effects of the NMDA-glutamate receptor antagonist dizolcipine. This suggests that antidepressants may act as functional NMDA receptor antagonists and thereby reduce excitatory glutamate transmission which is mediated by NMDA receptors. 

In CONCLUSION, the future drug treatment of stroke will probably depend on a combination of both neuroprotection (e.g. hypothermia, glutamate receptor antagonists, free radical scavengers, etc.) with thrombolysis which attempts to re-establish normal blood flow. Such treatments may help to expand the window between the initial ischaemic episode and brain damage. Whether any of the drugs mentioned here will ultimately be of any value in the prevention and / or treatment of stroke is still a matter of conjecture. 

An alternative strategy for the treatment of AD is the use of the NMDA glutamate-receptor antagonist memantine (Namenda). Memantine produces a use-dependent blockade of NMDA receptors. In patients with moderate to severe AD, use of memantine is associated with a reduced rate of clinical deterioration. Whether this is due to a true diseasemodifying effect, possibly reduced excitotoxicity, or is a symptomatic effect of the drug is unclear. Adverse effects of memantine usually are mild and reversible, and may include headache or dizziness. 

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