Toxicology of neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases represent a heterogeneous group of diseases with the common trait of the selective and progressive loss of neurons either in the central or the peripheral nervous system. This loss affects different types of cells depending on the disease and its pathophysiology, and as such, the neurodegenerative diseases present with different clinical signs and symptoms. Three of the most prominent and well-studied neurodegenerative diseases are Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Albeit varying, these diseases also share the common element of not having a definite causative factor. In this chapter, we concisely present the toxic factors that have been linked to these three conditions, focusing on the underlying pathophysiology and the current scientific data. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.