Description

Neurodegenerative is the umbrella term for the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including death of neurons. Many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease occur as a result of neurodegenerative processes. Such diseases are incurable resulting in progressive degeneration and death of neuron cell. Many similarities appear that relate these disease to one another on a sub-cellular level. There are many parallels between different neurodegenerative disorders including a typical protein assembly as well as induced cell death (Rubinsztein, 2006; Bredesen et al., 2006). Neurodegeneration can be found at different levels of neuronal circulatory ranging from molecular to systemic.

The population of the USA is aging and an ever increasing number of Americans are affected with neurodegenerative disease that results from the gradual and progressive loss of neuronal cells leading to nervous system dysfunction. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and stroke there are more than 600 neurologic disorders with approximately 50 million Americans affected each year. The concern about environmental agents for their potential for causing cancer, and neurodegenerative represent opposite ends of a spectrum; where cancer is an uncontrolled proliferation of cells, neurodegenerative is the result of the death of cells, whether due to direct cell death by necrosis or the early process of apoptosis. Attention is now being focused on environmental agents, and their potential for damaging the developing and mature nervous system resulting in neurodegenerative diseases.