The 17th World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy) took place March 23-25 2023 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Prof. Amos D. Korczyn, CONy President (University of Tel-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel) joined touchNEUROLOGY to discuss the main aims and focus of the recent CONy meeting, the unique debate presentation style, and the most exciting debates, topics and highlights […]

Atogepant represents a relatively new class of medications called CGRP receptor antagonists, which have shown efficacy in preventing migraines. The PROGRESS phase 3 clinical trial assessed the efficacy of atogepant, an important new oral treatment option for the 8% of people with migraine who live with chronic migraine. Prof. Richard Lipton (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, […]

The discovery of ketamine’s therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders changed the field of mental health, since nearly every FDA-approved medication for schizophrenia and mood disorders targeted monoamine signaling, i.e., dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. As ketamine was initially used as an anaesthetic, ketamine’s ability to modulate monoamine signaling pathways emerged, leading to ground-breaking breakthroughs. In this […]

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase IIb study X-TOLE (NCT03796962) is investigating the efficacy of XEN1101, a novel potassium channel modulator, in adults with focal epilepsy.   In this interview with touchNEUROLOGY, Prof. Jacqueline French (Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, New York University, New York, NY, US) discusses this clinical trial and the outcomes of its open-label extension.  The […]

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive, progressive and universally fatal disease in the spectrum of dystrophinopathies,1 with an incidence of 21.4 patients in 100,000 live male births worldwide.2,3 Historically, patients with DMD would lose ambulation by the age of 10 due to muscle weakness and die by the age of 20 from respiratory failure […]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder of the central nervous system characterized by inflammation, demyelination and neurodegeneration. Natalizumab is a widely used anti-α4 integrin inhibitor for treating highly active MS. In the pivotal trials of natalizumab for MS, the SENTINEL and AFFIRM trials, natalizumab was established to reduce the rate of clinical relapses and […]

Highlights Limb–joint contractures may represent an important clinical clue of muscle dystrophies, as they limit the spectrum of the diagnosis assumptions. Limb–girdle muscular dystrophies phenotype can rarely be a clinical presentation of retractile myopathies, except for non-specific Achilles tendon tightness. Anti-PM/Scl antibody screening using line-blot assays and commercial antibody–panel testing is likely to detect false-positive antibodies. Dysferlinopathies, calpainopathy and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy are the conditions most frequently confused […]

Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have brought about substantial improvements to the lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS).1–3 However, MS remains a chronic disease with a variable course and symptoms, representing a substantial challenge to quality of life.2,3 MS management requires a personalized approach by which healthcare professionals (HCPs) partner with patients.4,5 MS nurses play a central role in […]