Neuropeptides as Potential Biomarkers in Vascular Dementia.

Abstract

Neuropeptides are endogenous active substances within the central and peripheral nervous systems that play important roles in a wide range of brain functions, including metabolism, food intake, social behavior, reproduction, learning, sleep, and wakefulness. This article reviews recent advances in the involvement of neuropeptides in vascular dementia. Neuropeptides are present in the brain as chemical signals and last for nearly 50 years. Peptide hormones are chemical signals of the endocrine system. Thus, neuropeptides are the most diverse class of signaling molecules in the brain, involving the genomes of many mammals, encoding neuropeptide precursors and many bioactive neuropeptides. Here the aim is to describe the recent advances in classical neuropeptides, as well as putative neuropeptides from other families, in the control of or as diagnostic tools for vascular dementia. Additionally, its molecular mechanisms are described to explore new avenues of treatment and early diagnosis, as there is increasing evidence that dysregulation of vascular processes is associated with different pathological conditions.