Involvement of Metabolic Paradigm in Progression of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS) are relatively common and devastating neurological disorders. Despite of the significant increase in number of patients all over the world, these diseases are characterized by the lack of true disease-modifying therapy that can reverse or halt disease progression. Recent studies indicated that metabolic alterations have been observed in neurons and glia of these diseases, suggestive of an alternative target to protect against disease onset and progression. Oxidative stress associated with disrupted glucose metabolism is an expected end state of most of the NDDs. Clinically, brain hypometabolism associated with the oxidative stress is considered as an early biomarker for most NDDs and stopping it could prove to be an effective preventive strategy. In the present chapter, we have presented recent understanding related to the involvement of metabolic paradigm in NDD onset and progression.