Methods for preconditioning, treating and/or providing neuroprotection to the animal central nervous system against the effects of neurodegeneration caused by iron accumulation in the brain. Therapeutic agents are administered to the upper third of the nasal cavity to bypass the blood-brain barrier and access the central nervous system directly to avoid unwanted and potentially lethal side effects. Therapeutic agents include those substances that interact with iron and/or copper such as iron chelators, copper chelators, and antioxidants. An examplary therapeutic agent is the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO). An effective amount of DFO may be administered to the upper third of the nasal cavity of a patient at risk for or diagnosed with neurodegeneration caused by iron accumulation in the brain. The effective amount of DFO is delivered directly to the patient's central nervous system for preconditioning, preventing and/or treating neurodegeneration caused by iron accumulation in the brain.
Methods of treating neurodegeneration caused by iron accumulation in the brain comprising administering metal chelators to the upper one-third of the nasal cavity