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Related Concept Videos

Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin01:26

Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin

Directly acting muscle relaxants like dantrolene and botulinum toxin (BoNT) have distinct mechanisms and applications. Dantrolene, a hydantoin derivative, acts on the ryanodine receptor (RYR1) in skeletal muscle cells. RYR1 are calcium channels present at the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. In response to excitation, they release calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol. Calcium promotes actin-myosin-mediated contraction of muscles.
The binding of dantrolene to the RYR1...
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses01:31

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Skeletal muscle relaxants are used to relax muscle tone and alleviate painful muscle contractions. However, the choice of skeletal muscle relaxants depends on the duration of the surgical procedure in order to minimize potential side effects. Skeletal muscle relaxants like neuromuscular blocking agents [NMBAs] are commonly employed as adjuvants alongside general anesthetics in clinical settings. NMBAs are also used to maintain controlled ventilation during surgery of the larynx or pharynx as...
Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses01:24

Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Centrally acting muscle relaxants reduce muscle tone and tension by interfering with the postsynaptic reflexes in the central nervous system.
Centrally acting drugs are classified into spasmolytic and antispasmodic drugs. Spasmolytic drugs such as baclofen, diazepam, and tizanidine inhibit spinal motor neurons and decrease muscle tone. Spasmolytic drugs are administered for severe and chronic spasms due to multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, and spinal cord and muscle injuries. However,...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses01:11

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists have many therapeutic uses in various medical fields. Choline esters, including acetylcholine, have limited clinical utility due to their non-selectivity and short duration of action. Still, acetylcholine and carbachol are applied topically during ophthalmologic surgery to induce miosis. Pilocarpine, a muscarinic and ganglionic stimulator, effectively treats open-angle glaucoma and alleviates xerostomia and dry mouth caused by radiotherapy or Sjögren syndrome.
Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants01:28

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants

Skeletal muscle relaxants are a group of drugs that can reduce muscle stiffness and induce temporary paralysis to relieve pain. These agents can act centrally to reduce muscle tone or spasms in painful conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or spinal injuries; they are called antispasmodics or spasmolytics.
Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants interfere with the neurotransmission at the neuromuscular end plate to induce paralysis during...
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment01:24

Parkinson's Disease: Treatment

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Implantation of Osmotic Pumps and Induction of Stress to Establish a Symptomatic, Pharmacological Mouse Model for DYT/PARK-ATP1A3 Dystonia
10:41

Implantation of Osmotic Pumps and Induction of Stress to Establish a Symptomatic, Pharmacological Mouse Model for DYT/PARK-ATP1A3 Dystonia

Published on: September 12, 2020

Experimental therapeutics for dystonia.

H A Jinnah1, Ellen J Hess

  • 1Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.

Neurotherapeutics : the Journal of the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics
|April 9, 2008
PubMed
Summary

New drug discovery strategies offer hope for dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions). Research advances enable rational and empirical approaches, alongside refining existing therapies, to develop effective treatments for this neurological syndrome.

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Measurement &amp; Analysis of the Temporal Discrimination Threshold Applied to Cervical Dystonia
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Measurement & Analysis of the Temporal Discrimination Threshold Applied to Cervical Dystonia

Published on: January 27, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Implantation of Osmotic Pumps and Induction of Stress to Establish a Symptomatic, Pharmacological Mouse Model for DYT/PARK-ATP1A3 Dystonia
10:41

Implantation of Osmotic Pumps and Induction of Stress to Establish a Symptomatic, Pharmacological Mouse Model for DYT/PARK-ATP1A3 Dystonia

Published on: September 12, 2020

Measurement &amp; Analysis of the Temporal Discrimination Threshold Applied to Cervical Dystonia
10:05

Measurement & Analysis of the Temporal Discrimination Threshold Applied to Cervical Dystonia

Published on: January 27, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology
  • Biomedical Research

Background:

  • Dystonia is a neurological disorder affecting over 3 million people globally, characterized by involuntary muscle contractions, twisting movements, and abnormal postures.
  • Current treatments for dystonia offer limited efficacy and can cause side effects, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore and outline multifaceted strategies for the discovery of novel therapeutics for dystonia.
  • To leverage recent advancements in understanding dystonia's pathogenesis for targeted drug development.

Main Methods:

  • Refining existing dystonia therapies to improve efficacy and reduce adverse effects.
  • Identifying rational drug targets based on etiological, physiological, and nosological insights into dystonia.
  • Employing empirical drug discovery through high-throughput screening of compounds using newly developed animal models of dystonia.

Main Results:

  • Recent research progress has significantly advanced the understanding of dystonia's pathogenesis, making drug discovery feasible.
  • The development of multiple animal models facilitates the creation of assays for large-scale compound screening.

Conclusions:

  • A multifaceted approach combining rational and empirical drug discovery strategies is crucial for developing effective dystonia treatments.
  • These combined efforts are expected to yield promising lead compounds for clinical translation, addressing the unmet need for better dystonia therapies.