Small, Alexandra Joanne2014-09-232014-09-232014-05https://hdl.handle.net/1794/1830335 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Biology and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Science, Spring 2014.Neurological diseases have high prevalence globally and most are untreatable. Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PO) are highly common especially with a growing elderly population. Alexander disease (ALX) is a rare neurodegenerative brain disease that typically affects infants, but has paralleling characteristics with AD, PD and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) including oxidative stress and neuronal degeneration. As a consequence ALX is much less researched. Using the large volume of research that has been done on AD, PO and ALS, this paper explores the possibility of using cellular antioxidant pathways, specifically the Nrf2-ARE pathway, to treat ALX. By utilizing the different experimental approaches taken in animal and cellular models of AD, PO, and ALS it is proposed that further research regarding the Nrf2-ARE pathway in ALX models is needed for its use for potential treatment.en-USAll Rights Reserved.Alexander DiseaseBrain diseasesOxidative stressNrf2-ARE PathwayLeukodystrophyThesis / Dissertation