Neurorestoratology: New Advances in Clinical Therapy

Neurorestorative treatments have been able to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from neurological diseases and damages since the concept of Neurorestoratology was proposed. The discipline of Neurorestoratology focuses on restoring impaired neurological functions and/or structures through varying neurorestorative mechanisms including neurostimulation or neuromodulation, neuroprotection, neuroplasticity, neuroreplacement, loop reconstruction, remyelination, immunoregulation, angiogenesis or revascularization, neuroregeneration or neurogenesis and others. The neurorestorative strategies of Neurorestoratology include all therapeutic methods which can restore dysfunctions for patients with neurological diseases and improve their quality of life. Neurorestoratology is different from regenerative medicine in the nervous system, which mainly focuses on the neuroregeneration. It also is different from Neurorehabilitation. Neurorestoratology and Neurorehabilitation share some functional recovering mechanisms, such as neuroplasticity, especially in the early phase of neurological diseases; but generally Neurorehabilitation mainly focuses on recovering neurological functions through making the best use of residual neurological functions, replacing lost neurological functions in the largest degree, and preventing and treating varying complications. Recently, there have been more advances in restoring damaged nerves by cell therapy, neurostimulation/neuromodulation and braincomputer interface (BCI), neurorestorative surgery, neurorestorative pharmaceutics, and other clinic strategies. Simultaneously related therapeutic guidelines and standards are set up in succession. Based on those advances, clinicians should consider injured and degenerated nervous disorders or diseases in the central nervous system as treatable or neurorestorative disorders. Extending and encouraging further neurorestorative explorations and achieving better clinical efficacy with stronger evidence regarding neurorestoratology will shed new light and discover superior benefits for patients with neurological disorders.