Neurocognitive Disorder (NCD)
Neurocognitive disorder (NCD) is a clinically significant syndrome involving a grievous reduction in cognitive functioning from a prior level of performance due to underlying brain pathology. Protheragen is known to have a wide-ranging team of experts in NCD research and science. They strive to lead the advancement of innovative and high-impact therapies for NCD, focusing on developing tailored treatments to fulfill unmet medical needs and move the field forward.
Introduction to Neurocognitive Disorder (NCD)
Neurocognitive disorder (NCD) is a syndrome which involves a considerable drop in cognitive functioning from a prior level of performance, impacting skills like remembering, paying attention, speaking, and reasoning. This drop disrupts one's ability to perform daily activities independently and can be caused by Alzheimer's disease, vascular injury, Lewy body disease, frontotemporal degeneration, or even traumatic brain injury and some other medical illnesses.
Fig.1 The nomenclature about the perioperative neurocognitive disorder. (Luo L, et al., 2025)
Pathogenesis of Neurocognitive Disorder (NCD)
The development of neurocognitive disorder (NCD) relies heavily on the formation of harmful proteins which results in the damage of the neurons and the loss of synapses. Important causes of NCD include amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles in Alzheimer's disease, alpha-synuclein Lewy bodies in Lewy body disease, cerebrovascular stroke or chronic ischemia in vascular cognitive impairment, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau or TDP-43 proteinopathies. These disorders often lead to neuroinflammation, oxidative damage, and in the end, neurodegeneration, and atrophy of the brain.
Therapeutic Development for Neurocognitive Disorder (NCD)
| Drug Name | Mechanism of Action | Targets | Research Phase |
| Citalopram | Inhibits the reuptake of serotonin into the presynaptic neuron, increasing synaptic availability. | Serotonin transporter (SERT) | Approved |
| Venlafaxine | Blocks the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine, enhancing neurotransmission. | Serotonin transporter (SERT), norepinephrine transporter (NET) | Approved |
| Mirtazapine | Antagonizes α2-adrenergic autoreceptors and heteroreceptors to increase noradrenergic and serotonergic transmission. | α2-adrenergic receptors, 5-HT2 receptors, 5-HT3 receptors | Approved |
| Bupropion | Inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine while acting as a nicotinic receptor antagonist. | Norepinephrine transporter (NET), dopamine transporter (DAT), nAChRs | Approved |
Disclaimer: Protheragen focuses on providing preclinical research services. This table is for information exchange purposes only. This table is not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.
Our Services
Protheragen specializes in providing cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic development services for rare neuropsychiatric diseases, including neurocognitive disorder (NCD). We focus on creating advanced disease models to better understand NCD pathogenesis, and we utilize innovative blood-brain barrier (BBB) models to enhance the delivery and efficacy of therapeutic compounds. Through our comprehensive approach, we aim to accelerate the development of accurate diagnostic kits and effective treatments tailored to NCD.
Therapeutic Development Services
By Mechanism of Action
Disease Model Development Services
In Vitro Model Development
- D-Galactose-Induced Senescence Model
- Amyloid-β-Induced Model
- Cerebrovascular Injury Model
- APP/PS1 Model
- 5xFAD Model
- Other Models
Focusing on preclinical research, Protheragen offers comprehensive pharmacodynamic (PD), pharmacokinetic (PK), and toxicology study services to support the development and regulatory approval of potential therapies. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details and quotation information of related services.
Reference
- Luo L, Gong Q, He M, et al. Bridging Nutrition and Neurology: Malnutrition's Role in Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders[J]. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2025, 12: 1601021.