Hormesis refers to a dose-response relationship that is generally characterized as a biphasic dose response, and it induces an adaptive beneficial effect on a cell or organism at low doses but inhibits this effect at high doses. Recently, the hormesis concept attracts increasingly more attention in the field of the neural research, indicating that improving cellular adaptive ability provides a new idea and method for the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases. A class of useful stressors could markedly increase the neuronal resistance to more drastic stresses, which is defined as neurohormesis. This paper reviews the progress in hormesis research, neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of low doses of chemicals, radiation and calories restriction through inducing neurohormesis.

hormesis  /  neuroprotection  /  dose response