Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and Neuroprotective Mechanisms

Abstract

There has been a resurgence of interest in recent years in monoamine oxidase inhibitors, primarily because of the demonstrated neuroprotective and/or neurorescue properties of several of these drugs in a variety of toxic situations in vivo and in vitro. The consequence has been an increased interest in possible neuroprotective effects of psychiatric drugs in general, an improved understanding of glia-neuron interactions, and the provision of important clues to development of future drugs for treating psychiatric and neurological disorders. A brief overview of some relevant studies in this area is provided in this editorial.