ABSTRACT
Roflumilast, one of the second generation of phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors, has been approved for the treatment of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by the United States Food and Drug Administration since 2011. It has shown a variety of beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-alcoholic, and anti-diabetic profiles. Recent studies have demonstrated that roflumilast, like other PDE4 inhibitors, has neuroprotective and precognitive properties. It also has been shown to produce promising cognitive improvement in animals and humans. Therefore, roflumilast can be a potential drug for treatment of various degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, including Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. The major mechanism is the activation of cyclic AMP signaling and its downstream targeting molecules. All these are discussed and summarized in the current review.