Traditional Chinese medicine promotes the control and treatment of dementia

Abstract

Dementia is a syndrome that impairs learning and memory. To date, there is no effective therapy for dementia. Current prescription drugs, such as cholinesterase inhibitors, fail to improve the condition of dementia and are often accompanied by severe adverse effects. In recent years, the number of studies into the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for dementia treatment has increased, revealing a formula that could significantly improve memory and cognitive dysfunctions in animal models. TCM showed fewer adverse effects, lower costs, and improved suitability for long-term use compared with currently prescribed drugs. Due to the complexity of ingredients and variations in bioactivity of herbal medicines, the multi-target nature of the traditional Chinese formula affected the outcome of dementia therapy. Innovations in TCM will create a platform for the development of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of dementia, further strengthening and enhancing the current influence of TCM.

Keywords: Chinese herbal medicine; dementia; inflamation; oxidative stress; tau protein.

FIGURE 1

There are two main types of protein aggregation—phosphorylated tau protein and amyloid-β protein aggregations, which play a vital role in the development of dementia. Soluble amyloid-β is beneficial in memory and synaptic transmissions among cells, but amyloid-β aggregations are harmful to cell survival. The tau protein interferes with the normal activities of nerve cells in a variety of ways, such as by reducing microtubule stability.

FIGURE 2

The role of oxidative stress and inflammation in the progression of dementia. Multiple pathological factors contribute to the occurrence of dementia. Hypoxia-induced oxidative stress impairs mitochondria, promoting the generation of ROS, which further stimulates the activation of inflammasomes that relieve pro-inflammatory cytokines and finally leads to the apoptosis of brain cells, which aggravates the condition of dementia.