Understanding Hormesis for Optimizing Brain Health

This chapter introduces the reader to the concept of hormesisHormesis, a highly generalizable evolutionary adaptive responseAdaptive response, that is characterized by a low dose stimulation and a high dose inhibition. The chapter provides a general overview of the biological characteristics of the hormesisHormesis dose responseDose response and then applies this concept to the challenge of enhancing brain healthBrain health during the ageingAgeing process and as a means to attenuate the onset and progression of neurodegenative brain diseasesBrain disease and injury related conditions. This discussion finishes with a series of questions and answers relating to issues of considerable biomedical and therapeutic interest where hormesisHormesis may have considerable importance.