About Neurology

When something goes wrong with the fundamental mechanisms underlying thought, emotion, or behavior, mental illness results. Mental disorders represent four of the top ten causes of disability for people over 5 years of age - major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mental disorders are also major contributors to mortality, with suicide representing one of the leading preventable causes of death. Fortunately, many of these disorders can be treated quite successfully with appropriate medications - e.g. antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics.

Neurological diseases can strike at any age. An understanding of what goes wrong in the nervous system in neurological illness provides researchers with the knowledge to design specific treatments. This approach has led to a number of successful drug treatments, for instance in Parkinson's disease.

Damage to nerves (neuropathy), as seen, for instance, in diabetes - can cause distressing pain and disability, and is another condition requiring innovative treatment approaches.

Neurology Clinical Trials at Novartis

Novartis Pharmaceuticals is directing its research efforts to provide improved medications for mental and neurological disorders. Some areas under investigation include:

Epilepsy
Epilepsy is characterized by unprovoked, recurring seizures that disrupt the nervous system and can cause mental and physical dysfunction.

Schizophrenia
A psychosis results in the inability to tell the difference between what is real and what is imaginary. Schizophrenia is the most common type of psychosis; it affects one person in 100. There are usually dramatic disturbances in thoughts and feelings, resulting in bizarre behavior. Some people hear voices or see things (hallucinations), while others feel persecuted.

Anxiety disorders
For some people, moments of anxiety, instead of being isolated and rare, become a constant and dominating force that severely disrupts the quality and enjoyment of their lives, and goes far beyond mere occasional "nervousness." Panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive behavior, agoraphobia and post-traumatic stress disorder are types of anxiety disorders.

Depression
A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It's not the same as a passing blue mood. People with a depressive illness cannot just "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years.

Bipolar disorder
Also called manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder is a type of depression. It's characterized by cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression). In the depressed cycle, an individual can have all of the symptoms of depression. In the manic cycle, they may be overactive and over-talkative, with altered thinking, judgment, and social behavior.

Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS)
These diseases are all characterized by loss of nerve cells in different parts of the brain. Researchers are developing a drug to try to 'rescue' these brain cells from destruction.

Neuropathic pain
As many as 40% of diabetics will develop signs of diabetic neuropathy, mainly affecting the peripheral nerves, which is frequently associated with pain. This pain is not always responsive to usual analgesic medications.

If you are interested in learning more about other disease areas or therapeutic areas of Novartis clinical research, please select from the list below.

• Arthritis, Rheumatology and Bone Health Clinical Trial Information


• Cancer and Oncology Clinical Trial Information


• Cardiology and Vascular Diseases Clinical Trial Information


• Diabetes Clinical Trial Information


• Dermatology Clinical Trial Information


• Gastroenterology and Digestive Diseases Clinical Trial Information


• Neurology Clinical Trial Information


• Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases Clinical Trial Information


• Respiratory Clinical Trial Information


• Novartis Medical and Clinical Research