This content is intended for healthcare professionals in the USA only.

Please confirm that you are a healthcare professional in the USA.

Decline

This activity has been sponsored by Biogen. Biogen provided financial support and video content, and has had input into the detailed project scope. This activity is provided by Touch Medical Communications (TMC) for touchNEUROLOGY.

Listen on the go
Download Infographic
CORRECT!
Next question
Faculty & Disclosures
Michael Benatar, MD, PhD

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

Michael Benatar is a neurologist at the University of Miami specializing in ALS. He earned his medical degree from the University of Cape Town and a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Oxford. He leads the Pre-Symptomatic Familial ALS study and the CReATe Consortium, the latter focusing on improving understanding of ALS and related disorders. He has also authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles.

Michael Benatar discloses: Received research funding from the NIH (U54 NS092091, U01 NS107027, R01 NS105470, U24 NS107376), the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Grant 645863), and the ALS Association (Grants 23-PP-664 and 24-PP-696); serves as the Global Principal Investigator for the ATLAS trial sponsored by Biogen (233AS303) and served as a site investigator for other clinical trials sponsored by Biogen (233AS101, 233AS102, 245AS101, 245AS102); has served as a consultant to Alaunos, Alector, Annexon, Arrowhead, Biogen, Canopy, CorEvitas, Denali, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, uniQure, and Woolsey; reports a provision patent (Determining onset of ALS); and is an unpaid member of the Board of Trustees for the ALS Association

 
Charlotte Sumner, MD

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

Charlotte Sumner is a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University specializing in genetically mediated neuromuscular diseases. She earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed her residency at UCSF. She co-directs the Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center and leads research on motor neuron and peripheral nerve disorders. She has also authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles.

Charlotte Sumner discloses: Currently receives/has received grant funding from Biogen, Actio Biosciences, and Roche; is or has been a paid consultant to Biogen, Roche/Genentech, and Novartis; and has been an unpaid advisory to Nura Bio, Epirium, and Actio Biosciences. She is also an unpaid advisory to CMT Association, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Research Foundation, Kennedy’s Disease Association, Cure SMA, SMA Foundation, SMA Europe, Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy Center, Packard Center for ALS Research, and Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Back to Faculty
touchNEUROLOGY touchNEUROLOGY
Start activity
 
Video Chapters

touchMEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Pioneering pathways: evolving use of neurofilaments in neurodegenerative disease

Overview

Neurofilaments, the building blocks of neurons are released into the cerebrospinal fluid and blood by injured and degenerating neurons.1,2 In the neurological diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), neurofilament levels are elevated and can be measured.3,4 In this activity, learn about the relationship between neurofilament levels and disease progression in ALS and SMA, and the potential use of neurofilament levels in trials and clinical practice.

Learning Objectives

After watching this activity, participants should be better able to:

  • Educate on the foundation of evidence for potential use of neurofilaments in understanding biological and pathogenic processes and/or response
  • Discuss the evolving paradigm of use of neurofilaments in clinical research of neurodegenerative disease
  • Discuss considerations for use of neurofilaments in SMA and ALS clinical practice
References
  1. Yuan A, Rao MV, Veeranna, et al. Neurofilaments and Neurofilament Proteins in Health and Disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2017;9(4):a018309.
  2. Verde F, Otto M, Silani V. Neurofilament Light Chain as Biomarker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Neurosci. 2021;15:679199.
  3. Witzel S, Huss A, Nagel G, et al. Population-Based Evidence for the Use of Serum Neurofilaments as Individual Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Ann Neurol. 2024;96(6):1040-1057.
  4. Bayoumy S, Verberk IMW, Vermunt L, et al. Neurofilament light protein as a biomarker for spinal muscular atrophy: a review and reference ranges. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2024;62(7):1252-1265.

DOWNLOAD PDF

Topics covered in this activity

Neuromuscular Diseases / Neurodegenerative Diseases
This activity is sponsored.

This activity has been sponsored by Biogen.

Biogen provided financial support and video content, and has had input into the detailed project scope. This activity is provided by Touch Medical Communications (TMC) for touchNEUROLOGY.

Unapproved products or unapproved uses of approved products may be discussed; these situations may reflect the approval status in one or more jurisdictions. TMC has advised the sponsor to ensure that they disclose any such references made to unlabelled or unapproved use. No endorsement by TMC of any unapproved products or unapproved uses is either made or implied by mention of these products or uses in TMC activities. TMC accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the faculty and do not necessarily reflect those of any sponsor.

Biogen-266293

Date of preparation: June 2025

Topics covered in this activity

Neuromuscular Diseases / Neurodegenerative Diseases
Feedback

Thank you! We really appreciate you taking time to give us your feedback on this activity.

Copied to clipboard!
accredited arrow-down-editablearrow-downarrow_leftarrow-right-bluearrow-right-dark-bluearrow-right-greenarrow-right-greyarrow-right-orangearrow-right-whitearrow-right-bluearrow-up-orangeavatarcalendarchevron-down consultant-pathologist-nurseconsultant-pathologistcrosscrossdownloademailexclaimationfeedbackfiltergraph-arrowinterviewslinkmdt_iconmenumore_dots nurse-consultantpadlock patient-advocate-pathologistpatient-consultantpatientperson pharmacist-nurseplay_buttonplay-colour-tmcplay-colourAsset 1podcastprinter scenerysearch share single-doctor social_facebooksocial_googleplussocial_instagramsocial_linkedin_altsocial_linkedin_altsocial_pinterestlogo-twitter-glyph-32social_youtubeshape-star (1)tick-bluetick-orangetick-red tick-whiteticktimetranscriptup-arrowwebinar Sponsored Department Location NEW TMM Corporate Services Icons-07NEW TMM Corporate Services Icons-08NEW TMM Corporate Services Icons-09NEW TMM Corporate Services Icons-10NEW TMM Corporate Services Icons-11NEW TMM Corporate Services Icons-12Salary £ TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-01TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-02TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-03TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-04TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-05TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-06TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-07TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-08TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-09TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-10TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-11TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-12TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-13TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-14TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-15TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-16TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-17TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-18TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-19TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-20TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-21TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-22TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-23TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-24TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-25TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-26TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-27TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-28TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-29TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-30TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-31TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-32TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-33TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-34TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-35TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-36TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-37TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-38TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-39TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-40TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-41TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-42TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-43TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-44TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-45TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-46TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-47TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-48TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-49TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-50TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-51TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-52TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-53TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-54TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-55TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-56TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-57TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-58TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-59TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-60TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-61TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-62TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-63TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-64TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-65TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-66TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-67TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-68TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-69TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-70TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-71TMM-Corp-Site-Icons-72
Close Popup