A bespoke virtual assistant based on artificial intelligence has outperformed neurologists in the diagnosis of chronic ataxias in a recent study.

New work shows that transplantation of dopaminergic progenitor cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells is safe and could be effective in Parkinson disease.

Measures of glymphatic function could serve as markers of Huntington disease and its progression, new research has shown.

Single-molecule analysis of amyloid-β antibody binding has shown that lecanemab preferentially binds to small aggregates that form early in Alzheimer disease.

The Society for Equity Neuroscience (SEQUINS) was founded in 2024 to identify and address global inequities in brain health. Ahead of the inaugural SEQUINS conference in May 2025, we asked Founding President Bruce Ovbiagele about his expectations and aspirations for the conference and for the future of SEQUINS.

A population cohort study has shown that Epstein–Barr virus interacts with genetics to increase the risk of multiple sclerosis.

Growing evidence links menopause to the risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) in women, but the effect of menopause hormone therapy (MHT) on this risk remain unclear. Two new studies illuminate how menopause and MHT influence synaptic health and tau pathology, offering new insights into sex-specific mechanisms and MHT timing considerations in AD risk.

Nir Giladi was truly a man on a mission. His rich career was dedicated to fulfilling a beautiful dream: finding a treatment that would slow or stop the progression of Parkinson disease (PD) and ultimately finding a cure. That he was not given enough time to realize these breakthroughs is incredibly sad, yet his legacy is enormous. Nir was also among the first to understand that walking and standing

Microplastics have been observed in human brain tissue for the first time, and higher levels were associated with dementia. However, important questions remain about the mechanisms of microplastic accumulation and clearance, the influence of environmental factors such as geographical location, and whether the association with dementia reflects cause or effect.

Plasma biomarker tests for Alzheimer disease are becoming increasingly reliable, which enables implementation in clinical settings in which cerebrospinal fluid analysis and PET scans are unavailable. However, a new study shows that some patients have discordant plasma and PET biomarker results. Clinicians need clear guidance to identify and manage patients who do not fit into standard clinical or biological

Nature Reviews Neurology is interviewing individuals who are driving efforts to address disparities in neurology through a broad spectrum of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. We spoke with neurologist Esther Bui from Canada about her work to improve neurological health for women. We spoke with neurologist Esther Bui from Canada about her work to improve neurological health for women.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of people with Alzheimer disease (AD) from diverse ancestral backgrounds has identified 16 genetic loci previously unknown to be associated with the disease. The study included individuals from the All of Us cohort, 78% of whom are from non-white groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research, alongside the National Institute on Aging Genetics of Alzheimer’s

A study published in Nature Medicine has found that microglia are responsible for amyloid-β (Aβ) clearance in people with Alzheimer disease (AD) treated with Aβ immunotherapies. Transcriptomic analysis of frontal cortex sections revealed brain region-specific differential expression of genes involved in microglial function in people with AD treated with active Aβ immunotherapy AN1792, as compared with

Synapse formation in parvalbumin-expressing interneurons underlies motor improvements following post-stroke rehabilitation and offers a drug target for stroke recovery, new research suggests. Task-based rehabilitation training in a mouse model of stroke selectively enhanced the synaptic input from parvalbumin interneurons to neurons that projected to the site of stroke induction, which resulted in

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) released from damaged neurons induces neuroinflammation, according to new research. NfL is used as a biomarker for many neurodegenerative diseases, but was not previously known to contribute to disease processes. Glutamate-induced stress in primary neuronal cultures resulted in a twofold increase in NfL release from baseline, which was dependent on calpain proteolysis

Walking the Talk for Dementia is no ordinary conference, but an experience that is designed to bring together people with diverse perspectives on dementia, including people with lived experience, and to foster new ways of thinking and collaborating. We asked founder Fernando Aguzzoli-Peres to tell us more about his unique initiative.

Researchers have developed a CRISPR–Cas9-based epigenetic editing approach that sensitizes glioblastoma cells to standard chemotherapy drugs and could improve the treatment of tumours that have developed resistance to these drugs.

The use of bioengineered implants has provided insight into the immunological processes that underlie progression in multiple sclerosis.

A case–control study has found that lesions in a specific hippocampal circuit cause psychosis. This circuit could represent a novel therapeutic target for conditions such as schizophrenia.

A new paper presents insights from an individual who survived to an advanced age without developing dementia, despite the presence of genetic risk factors for Alzheimer disease and substantial amyloid pathology in the brain.

Measurements of neurofilament light chain, glial fibrillary acidic protein and contactin 1 in plasma can provide useful prognostic information following traumatic spinal cord injury, according to new research.

A recent article reports the successful prenatal treatment of a child with spinal muscular atrophy type 1.

Glioblastoma-associated macrophages (GAMs) have been effectively targeted with chemotherapy drugs that were modified to cross the blood–brain barrier in new research. The drugs camptothecin and resiquimod were conjugated to a tandem peptide that binds to low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1, thereby facilitating their transport into the brain. Once inside the CNS, the drugs switched the

Neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) is altered in neurodegenerative diseases and activated by deep brain stimulation, new research suggests. Analysis of postmortem brain tissue showed that the SVZ was thinner in people with Parkinson disease (PD) than in people without neurodegenerative disease. By contrast, the SVZ was thicker in people with Huntington disease and in people with PD who had

New research suggests that pathological α-synuclein in Parkinson disease can propagate from kidney to brain.

Somatic CAG repeat expansion is associated with neurodegeneration decades before clinical onset of Huntington disease (HD), a new study has shown. The work involved 57 people with expansions in the HD gene whose clinical onset was predicted to be around 23 years away. Even though there was no clinical impairment at baseline, cerebrospinal fluid and imaging markers indicated early neurodegeneration

Brain cell types associated with schizophrenia have been identified in a new analysis. The researchers combined data from the largest genome-wide association study of schizophrenia with single-nucleus RNA sequencing data for the human brain, which enabled them to map the genetic risk to specific cell types. The analysis identified 109 cell types, encompassing a variety of cortical and subcortical neurons

Patient and public involvement and engagement is increasingly mandated in funding applications, yet often remain tokenistic and transitory. Working with patient and public contributors requires investment, thought, care and time. We discuss approaches that aim to increase agency for coresearchers, with the goal of strengthening public confidence and trust in research.

Biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology can predict the development of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in people with idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD), new research has shown. Levels of amyloid-β40 (Aβ40), Aβ42 and phosphorylated tau-181 (pTau181) were measured in blood from 142 people with iRBD. Among people who went on to develop DLB, the ratio of Aβ40 to Aβ42 was lower and the

Real-world data indicate that ocrelizumab is safe and effective in Latino people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent report. In a prospective observational study, a total of 305 people with relapsing–remitting MS, primary progressive MS or secondary progressive MS received ocrelizumab during a median follow-up period of 29.5 months. Only one person experienced a relapse, and disability

Two recently published studies have provided new insights into the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the nervous system.

Characterization of the networks formed between neurons and glioblastoma cells enables targeting of these networks with the potential to improve treatment, according to new research. Researchers used retrograde tracing with modified rabies virus to visualize neuron–tumour networks in patient-derived glioblastoma spheroid cultures, which revealed widespread connections. Surprisingly, the connections

In a new study, deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the lateral hypothalamus facilitated recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rodents and humans. The researchers identified glutamatergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus as a therapeutic target from a brain atlas of neurons involved in recovery of walking. Stimulation of these neurons in mice and rats with SCI improved walking and led to a durable

Dementia is largely excluded from discussion of noncommunicable diseases, which limits its inclusion in health policies and allocation of resources — yet it is already a leading cause of mortality and its effects are set to increase. Alzheimer’s Disease International calls for changes in policies to address the effects of dementia now and in the future.

Katherine Behl is a physician and the mother of a child with alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) — an ultra-rare neurological disease that is exacerbated by temperature changes. Here, she highlights the day-to-day challenges of living with AHC and considers what stakeholders in climate action can learn from people with lived experience of disease.

Nature Reviews Neurology is interviewing individuals who are driving efforts to address disparities in neurology through a broad spectrum of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. We spoke with neuroimmunologist William L. Conte from the USA about his work to promote inclusive care for LGBTQ+ people with multiple sclerosis.