Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), represent a growing social, economic, and health burden worldwide. Several molecular alterations and pathogenic factors including oxidative stress have been proposed to explain their etiology. In fact, previously published human studies reported an elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brains of patients suffering from these disorders. On the other hand, a diet rich in antioxidant molecules has been reported to reduce the risk of developing these illnesses. Interestingly, oxidative stress was sufficiently documented as a unifying factor for somehow including other proposed pathological components such as neuroinflammation, disease proteins (β-amyloid and α-synuclein), metabolic dysfunction, and neuro-cholinergic system deficiency. The interaction between these risk factors drives neuronal death and directly impacts the clinical presentation of the disease. The present chapter provides a critical analysis of the current neuropathology/pathophysiology, etiology, and therapeutic strategies of neurodegenerative diseases with a focus on AD and PD.