Molecular imaging in traditional Chinese medicine therapy for neurological diseases

Biomed Res Int. 2013:2013:608430. doi: 10.1155/2013/608430. Epub 2013 Oct 7.

Abstract

With the speeding tendency of aging society, human neurological disorders have posed an ever increasing threat to public health care. Human neurological diseases include ischemic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury, which are induced by impairment or specific degeneration of different types of neurons in central nervous system. Currently, there are no more effective treatments against these diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is focused on, which can provide new strategies for the therapy in neurological disorders. TCM, including Chinese herb medicine, acupuncture, and other nonmedication therapies, has its unique therapies in treating neurological diseases. In order to improve the treatment of these disorders by optimizing strategies using TCM and evaluate the therapeutic effects, we have summarized molecular imaging, a new promising technology, to assess noninvasively disease specific in cellular and molecular levels of living models in vivo, that was applied in TCM therapy for neurological diseases. In this review, we mainly focus on applying diverse molecular imaging methodologies in different TCM therapies and monitoring neurological disease, and unveiling the mysteries of TCM.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Therapy / methods
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional / methods*
  • Molecular Imaging / methods*
  • Nervous System Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Nervous System Diseases / pathology
  • Nervous System Diseases / therapy
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal