It is my pleasure to introduce the 2025 of touchREVIEWS in Neurology, which brings together an exceptional collection of reviews, original research and congress highlights that reflect the continued evolution of neurological science and clinical innovation.
This issue opens with Jelle Demeestere and Sarah Gorey’s editorial on the 2025 European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC), which summarizes landmark advances in acute stroke management, telemedicine and secondary prevention. The featured trials, including ASSET-IT, MSU-TELEMED and CONVINCE, highlight a global effort to optimize safety, efficacy and accessibility in stroke care.
In neurodegenerative disease, Khaled A Abdel-Sater explores the intersection of geroscience and Alzheimer’s disease research, integrating biological ageing mechanisms with lifestyle and pharmacological strategies to delay cognitive decline. Complementing this, Joseph Samaha et al. and Gloria Ibis Tirado et al. present in-depth reviews on Huntington’s disease, spanning symptomatic treatment of chorea and the emerging role of genetic, proteomic and metabolic biomarkers for tracking disease progression and therapeutic response.
Two reviews in this issue address the latest developments in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Pavel Burko et al. provide an updated synthesis of aetiopathogenetic mechanisms, from protein aggregation and RNA metabolism to oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Meanwhile, Joshua Newman et al. trace the journey of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1)-ALS from gene discovery to targeted therapeutics, detailing the scientific advances that led to the approval of the first antisense oligonucleotide therapy for this form of familial ALS.
In epilepsy, Hiba Bashar et al. present a systematic comparison of phenobarbital versus levetiracetam as first-line therapy for neonatal seizures, demonstrating comparable efficacy and improved safety with levetiracetam. Isabella Henderson et al. provide a comprehensive overview of neurostimulation therapies, including vagus nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation and deep brain stimulation, alongside emerging non-invasive modalities such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Further insight into neuromuscular and vascular neurology is provided by Robert Hadden et al., who review hyaluronidase-facilitated subcutaneous immunoglobulin therapy in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), offering practical guidance for clinical transition and optimization. Alhoi Hendry Henderson et al. deliver a systematic meta-analysis identifying clinical and morphological risk factors for ruptured intracranial aneurysm, providing valuable data for early risk stratification.
The issue concludes with Tiara Aninditha et al., whose original research compares headache characteristics in patients with and without autoimmune disease, highlighting important demographic and symptomatic differences that may guide diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making in clinical practice.
On behalf of the editorial team, I extend our sincere thanks to the authors, peer reviewers and scientific community for their continued contributions to advancing neurological care. ❏
Marcello Moccia
Dr Marcello Moccia is Assistant Professor at the University of Naples, and Consultant Neurologist at the Policlinico University Hospital of Naples, Naples, Italy. Dr Moccia received his medical degree (MD) from University of Naples in 2010 and completed there his training in Neurology (2016) and PhD in Neuroscience (2019). He has further trained at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (London, UK), and has been awarded MD(Res) degree at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (London, UK) (2020). His clinical and research interests are in the field of multiple sclerosis, including immunology, neuroimaging, epidemiology and translational applications. Dr Moccia has authored over 200 peer-reviewed and indexed articles. He is an Editorial Board Member of Neurology and Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
