About this Research Topic
In traditional, complementary, and integrative medical systems, there are a large number of herbal recipes for ischemic stroke, cognitive decline, and vertigo generally not based on a specific diagnosis. Well-known examples are the diverse preparations used in Traditional Chinse Medicine as well as in Indian medical systems. Some of these recipes have been scientifically studied and reviewed by many groups. Animal studies have also shown promising pharmacological results for some preparations. However, no single bioactive compound has been identified to mimic the therapeutic effect of the entire herbal recipe on ischemic stroke. This raises the concern that the known targets we have been testing may not be fully responsible for the pathogenesis of the above conditions. New targets, such as signal pathways involved in the contraction, dilation, or even death of pericytes in the brain, might be key players as well. Further research is needed to screen more potent bioactive compounds or to discover new targets and corresponding therapeutics. There are assumptions that a single bioactive compound is unable to take the therapeutic effect, instead, it is the combination of multiple ingredients in the herbal recipe that restores the neurological functions of the patients.
It is the goal of this Research Topic to collect original research, review, and meta-analysis to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine on neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and vertigo and to disentangle their underlying mechanisms. This is in line with the WHO’s strategic plan for future development. The scope will cover the following aspects, but is not limited to them:
•Clinical studies assessing the therapeutic efficacy of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine, like herb recipes, plant derivatives, and other natural products in managing neurodegenerative diseases, stroke and vertigo.
•Basic original research on the underlying mechanisms of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine in managing neurodegenerative diseases.
•Systemic review or meta-analysis on the efficacy of certain recipes or individual bioactive compounds on the above conditions and their underlying mechanisms.
We encourage the submissions of both in vitro and in vivo studies that will make a significant contribution to understanding underlying mechanisms of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine, like herbal medicines, isolated metabolites, and other natural products in managing neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and vertigo. These studies will pave the way to discovering new effective therapeutics to treat the above medical conditions.
Please note:
All the manuscripts submitted to the collection will need to fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version here). Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool, and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205. Please note the traditional context including the primary background and modern uses with supporting references must be included in the manuscript introduction. Purely in silico approaches using complex mixtures (extracts) are generally not considered.
You need to check your MS using ‘https://ga-online.org/best-practice’ and include a PDF in your resubmissions with the relevant tables of the tool filled (1 and 2a)(cf : Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.953205).
Keywords: neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, dementia, vertigo, herbs
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.