Treatment of neurological disorders

Abstract

This invention relates to the use of selenate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in methods and compositions of treating or preventing non-tauopathy neurological disorders. In some embodiments, the invention relates to the use of selenate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in combination with other therapies for use in methods of treating or preventing non-tauopathy neurological disorders.

1 . A method for the treatment or prevention of a non-tauopathy neurological disorder in a subject comprising administering an effective amount of selenate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the non-tauopathy neurological disorder is not an α-synucleopathy. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the neurological disorder is selected from the group consisting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntington's disease, stroke, cerebral ischaemia, dementia associated with stroke or cerebral ischaemia, dementia associated with HIV, disorders associated with excitotoxicity, epilepsy, seizures, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, acute brain trauma (severe traumatic brain injury) and oxygen glucose deprivation. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein the disorder associated with excitotoxicity is selected from the group consisting of ischaemia during stroke, trauma, hypoxia, hypoglycaemia, hypoglycaemia and hepatic encephalopathy, disorders related to long term plastic changes in the central nervous system, anxiety, depression, acute pain and tinnitis. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein the neurological disorder is selected from the group consisting of epilepsy, seizures, schizophrenia, stroke, cerebral ischaemia and oxygen glucose deprivation. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the effective amount of selenate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof delivers a supranutritional amount of selenium. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the supranutritional amount of selenium is 5 μg/kg to 1.0 mg/kg per day. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the selenate is in the form of sodium selenate. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising administration of the selenate or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in combination with another therapy for the treatment or prevention of neurological disorders. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of reducing the amount of tau protein in a cell comprising exposing the cell to an effective amount of selenate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10  wherein the tau protein is abnormally phosphorylated. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the abnormally phosphorylated tau protein is hyperphosphorylated.