The present invention relates to the use of creatine compounds including
creatine, creatine phosphate or analogs of creatine, such as
cyclocreatine, for treating diseases of the nervous system. Creatine
compounds can be used as therapeutically effective agents against a
variety of diseases of the nervous system such as diabetic and toxic
neuropathies, peripheral nervous system diseases, Alzheimer's disease,
Parkinson's disease, stroke, Huntington's disease, amyotropic lateral
sclerosis, motor neuron disease, traumatic nerve injury, multiple
sclerosis, dysmyelination and demyelination disorders, and mitochondrial
diseases. The creatine compounds which can be used in the present method
include (1) creatine, creatine phosphate and analogs of these compounds
which can act as substrates or substrate analogs for creatine kinase; (2)
bisubstrate inhibitors of creatine kinase comprising covalently linked
structural analogs of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine; (3)
creatine analogs which can act as reversible or irreversible inhibitors
of creatine kinase; and (4) N-phosphorocreatine analogs bearing
non-transferable moieties which mimic the N-phosphoryl group.