The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has caused a worldwide pandemic, and its impact on healthcare systems around the world is still being investigated. The potential effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on people living with dementia and the ability of COVID-19 to precipitate the risk of developing dementia are particular areas of concern. This article provides an overview of the current understanding of the impact […]

The report entitled “Sex, gender and sexuality in the context of dementia: A guide to raise awareness amongst health and social care workers“ is a guide published by Alzheimer Europe that offers practical advice to health and social care workers on how to address issues related to sex, gender and sexuality in the context of dementia.1 The guide […]

The Guidelines for the ethical and inclusive communication about portrayal of dementia and people with dementia were published by Alzheimer Europe and the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD).1,2 The document provides guidance on how to communicate about dementia and people living with dementia ethically and inclusively. The guidelines emphasize the importance of respecting the rights and dignity of individuals with dementia and of avoiding stigmatizing […]

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), first characterized in 1931,1 is a non-specific clinical syndrome of polyfocal central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory demyelination; it is characterized by encephalopathy and large, poorly demarcated cerebral white matter lesions.2,3 Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), a specific neuronal antibody-mediated disease that can often present as ADEM, was discovered only in the last decade.4 Both […]

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic condition affecting over 750 million people globally.1 The disease causes acid from the stomach to reflux into the oesophagus, leading to epigastric discomfort, cough, sore throat and chest pain.1 Left untreated, this disease can lead to oesophagitis, gastritis, oesophageal metaplasia, gastrointestinal ulcers, strictures and bleeding.2 For mild cases of acid disorders, […]

After so many failures, we finally got the positive signal that we have been waiting for: a disease-modifying treatment that might work for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). On 6 January 2023, lecanemab, a humanized immunoglobulin G1 version of a mouse monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to large, soluble amyloid-beta (Aβ) protofibrils, was approved by the US […]

Opioid therapy has become a mainstay for the treatment of chronic pain, despite evidence that these medications may be ineffective and even unsafe in this patient population.1,2 In patients with chronic back pain, the use of first-line medications (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen) declined by 48% from 1999 to 2010; simultaneously, there was a 53% rise […]

Intracranial radiosurgery, no matter the means or methods of administration, is predicated on a core set of principles, including head immobilization and precise delineation of the treatment target. For some five decades after Leksell introduced the concept of stereotactic radiosurgery in 1951,1 rigid head fixation via an invasive device was an integral component towards these ends. […]

Welcome to our new issue of touchREVIEWS in Neurology, which features a wide range of topical articles covering various areas of neurology. We begin with two practice pearls. The first from Garg et al., focusses on the increasingly important subject of social media. Twitter provides a useful platform for clinicians, and this article provides advice on […]