Cerebral vasodilator

{{Short description|Drug that increases brain blood flow}}

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| Use = To treat cerebrovascular insufficiency

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| Mode_of_action = Increase blood flow to the brain

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A cerebral vasodilator is a drug which acts as a vasodilator in the brain.{{cite journal | vauthors = Toda N, Okamura T | title = Cerebral vasodilators | journal = Jpn J Pharmacol | volume = 76 | issue = 4 | pages = 349–367 | date = April 1998 | pmid = 9623714 | doi = 10.1254/jjp.76.349 | url = | doi-access = free }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Cook P, James I | title = Drug therapy: cerebral vasodilators (first of two parts) | journal = N Engl J Med | volume = 305 | issue = 25 | pages = 1508–1513 | date = December 1981 | pmid = 7029283 | doi = 10.1056/NEJM198112173052505 | url = }} They are used to improve blood flow in people with cerebrovascular insufficiency and to treat neurological disorders secondary to this condition. A number of different cerebral vasodilators exist.{{cite journal | vauthors = Yesavage JA, Tinklenberg JR, Hollister LE, Berger PA | title = Vasodilators in senile dementias: a review of the literature | journal = Arch Gen Psychiatry | volume = 36 | issue = 2 | pages = 220–223 | date = February 1979 | pmid = 420543 | doi = 10.1001/archpsyc.1979.01780020110012 | url = }} An example is ifenprodil, which has been marketed for use as a cerebral vasodilator in France, Hong Kong, and Japan.{{cite journal | vauthors = Egunlusi AO, Joubert J | title = NMDA Receptor Antagonists: Emerging Insights into Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications in Neurological Disorders | journal = Pharmaceuticals (Basel) | volume = 17 | issue = 5 | date = May 2024 | page = 639 | pmid = 38794209 | pmc = 11124131 | doi = 10.3390/ph17050639 | doi-access = free | url = }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Tadano T, Yonezawa A, Oyama K, Kisara K, Arai Y, Togashi M, Kinemuchi H | title = Effects of transient global ischemia and a monoamine oxidase inhibitor ifenprodil on rat brain monoamine metabolism | journal = Prog Brain Res | volume = 106 | issue = | pages = 173–80 | date = 1995 | pmid = 8584652 | doi = 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)61213-3 | url = }}{{cite book | author=Schweizerischer Apotheker-Verein | title=Index Nominum: International Drug Directory | publisher=Medpharm Scientific Publishers | year=2004 | isbn=978-3-88763-101-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EgeuA47Ocm4C&pg=PA625 | access-date=2 September 2024 | page=625}} Other examples include buphenine (nylidrin), isoxsuprine, oxyfedrine, suloctidil, and tinofedrine.{{cite book | last=Braestrup | first=C. | title=Psychotropic Agents: Part II: Anxiolytics, Gerontopsychopharmacological Agents, and Psychomotor Stimulants | publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg | series=Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology | year=2012 | isbn=978-3-642-67767-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tVbmCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA419 | access-date=17 October 2024 | pages=419–420}}

Similar drugs include cerebral activators, or cerebral metabolism activators, like bifemelane, indeloxazine, and teniloxazine, which are also used to treat cerebrovascular disease.{{cite journal | vauthors = Fisman M | title = Clinical pharmacology of senile dementia | journal = Prog Neuropsychopharmacol | volume = 5 | issue = 5–6 | pages = 447–457 | date = 1981 | pmid = 6122228 | doi = 10.1016/0364-7722(81)90026-6 | url = }}{{cite journal|last1=Yamamoto|first1=M|last2=Kawabata|first2=S|last3=Shimizu|first3=M|title=Pharmacological effects of indeloxazine, a new cerebral activator, on brain functions distinct from other cerebral metabolic enhancers|journal=Neuropharmacology|volume=28|issue=12|year=1989|pages=1291–1297|issn=0028-3908|doi=10.1016/0028-3908(89)90001-4|pmid=2615913|s2cid=10028363}}{{cite journal|last1=Takahashi|first1=Koichiro|last2=Yamamoto|first2=Minoru|last3=Suzuki|first3=Masanori|last4=Ozawa|first4=Yukiko|last5=Yamaguchi|first5=Takashi|last6=Andoh|first6=Hirofumi|last7=Ishikawa|first7=Kouichi|title=Effects of cerebral metabolic enhancers on brain function in rodents|journal=Current Therapeutic Research|volume=56|issue=5|year=1995|pages=478–485|issn=0011-393X|doi=10.1016/0011-393X(95)85080-5}}{{cite journal | vauthors = van Reekum R, Black SE, Conn D, Clarke D | title = Cognition-enhancing drugs in dementia: a guide to the near future | journal = Can J Psychiatry | volume = 42 | pages = 35S–50S | year = 1997 | issue = Suppl 1 | pmid = 9220128 }}