▁N P s , ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁provide ▁this ▁protection ▁from ▁apo pt osis ▁or ▁de grad ation ▁of ▁brain ▁neur ons ▁by ▁elev ating ▁the ▁concentr ations ▁of ▁N AA G ▁within ▁the ▁syn ap se ▁of ▁neur ons . ▁N AA G ▁then ▁reduces ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁gl ut am ate ▁while ▁stim ulating ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁some ▁tro ph ic ▁factors ▁from ▁the ▁gl ia ▁cells ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁nerv ous ▁system , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁protection ▁from ▁apo pt osis ▁or ▁de grad ation ▁of ▁brain ▁neur ons . ▁It ▁is ▁important ▁to ▁note , ▁however , ▁that ▁these ▁N P ▁in hib itors ▁do ▁not ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁any ▁effect ▁on ▁normal ▁gl ut am ate ▁function . ▁The ▁N P ▁in hib ition ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁naturally ▁occurr ing ▁reg ulation ▁instead ▁of ▁activ ating ▁or ▁in hib iting ▁re cept ors ▁that ▁would ▁dis rupt ▁this ▁process . ▁Research ▁has ▁also ▁shown ▁that ▁small - m ole c ule - based ▁N P ▁in hib itors ▁are ▁benef icial ▁in ▁animal ▁models ▁that ▁are ▁relevant ▁to ▁ne uro de gener ative ▁dise ases . ▁Some ▁specific ▁applications ▁of ▁this ▁research ▁include ▁ne urop ath ic ▁and ▁infl am mat ory ▁pain , ▁tra um atic ▁brain ▁injury , ▁is chem ic ▁stroke , ▁sch iz op hren ia , ▁di ab etic ▁ne urop ath y , ▁am y ot roph ic ▁later al ▁s cl eros is , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁drug ▁add