Benzothiazole and related compounds

1. A compound according to Formula VII:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein:

subscripts n and p are each independently 0, 1 or 2;

subscript q is 4; and

each R 1 and each R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of halo, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, acyl, acylamino, aminocarbonyl, aminosulfonyl, amino, substituted amino, aryl, substituted aryl, carboxyl, carboxyl esters, cyano, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocyclyl, substituted heterocyclyl, hydroxyl, sulfonyl, substituted sulfonyl, thiol, thioalkyl, and nitro.

2. The compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein:

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, cyano, phenyl, —CHCH 2 , —C(O)CH 3 , —C(O)OCH 3 , —CH 2 SO 2 NH 2 , —NHC(O)CH 3 , —N(CH 3 ) 2 , —SCH 3 , and —SO 2 NH 2 ; and

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of halo, —CH 3 , —CH 2 CH 3 , cyclopentyl, —CF 3 , cyano, —CHCH 2 , —CH 2 CHCH 2 , phenyl, —CO 2 H, —CH 2 CO 2 H, —CH 2 C(O)NH 2 , —C(O)OCH 3 , —C(O)CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 2 OCH 3 , —C(O)NH 2 , —C(O)N(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH 2 SO 2 N(CH 3 ) 2 , —OCH 3 , —OCF 3 , —OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , —N(CH 3 ) 2 , —NHCOCH 3 , nitro, —SCH 3 , —SO 2 CH 3 , and —SO 2 N(CH 3 ) 2 .

3. The compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein subscripts n and p are independently selected from 0 and 1, provided that subscripts n and p are not both 1.

4. The compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, selected from the group consisting of:

5. The compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein:

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of halo, —CH 3 , —OCH 3 , phenyl, and cyano; and

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of halo, —CH 3 , —CF 3 , —OCH 3 , —OCF 3 , —CHCH 2 , —CH 2 CHCH 2 , phenyl, and nitro.

6. The compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, according to Formula VIIa:

wherein:

subscript q is 4;

R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, —CH 3 , and —OCH 3 ; and

R 7 , R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, —CH 3 , —CF 3 , —OCH 3 , —OCF 3 , phenyl, nitro;

wherein at least six of R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R 10 are hydrogen.

7. A compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, having the formula:

8. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.

9. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 8 , wherein the compound, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, is:

10. A method for increasing dendritic spine density of neurons comprising contacting the neurons with a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, under conditions sufficient to increase dendritic spine density of neurons.

11. A method for increasing dendritic spine density of neurons comprising contacting the neurons with the pharmaceutical composition of claim 8 under conditions sufficient to increase dendritic spine density of neurons.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method is conducted subsequent to a patient receiving a traumatic brain injury.

13. A method for decreasing neurotoxicity of beta-amyloid peptides to neurons comprising contacting the beta-amyloid peptides with a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, under conditions sufficient to decrease the neurotoxicity of the beta-amyloid peptides.

14. A method for decreasing neurotoxicity of beta-amyloid peptides to neurons comprising contacting the beta-amyloid peptides with the pharmaceutical composition of claim 8 under conditions sufficient to decrease the neurotoxicity of the beta-amyloid peptides.

15. A method for reducing the symptoms of traumatic brain injury in a patient suffering from traumatic brain injury by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the compound, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, is an amount sufficient to reduce the symptoms of traumatic brain injury.

16. A method for reducing the symptoms of traumatic brain injury in a patient suffering from traumatic brain injury by administering the pharmaceutical composition of claim 8 under conditions sufficient to reduce the symptoms of traumatic brain injury.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method is conducted within about 0 to 72 hours of the traumatic brain injury.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the reduction of the symptoms of trauma is measured by an improvement in the performance of one or more functional domains by at least 20% to 30% within about 7 days of treatment as compared to the performance of the one or more functional domains measured prior to treatment but after injury.