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 […]

Over the past two decades, monoclonal antibodies targeting the surface antigen CD20 have emerged as highly effective disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS).1 The major mechanism of action of these therapies is via B-cell depletion, as CD20 is expressed throughout much of the B-cell lineage, including pre-B-cells through memory B-cells. B-cells play multiple roles in […]

Hirayama disease (HD) is a lower motor neurologic disorder that manifests in young males in their early 20s, manifesting with gradually progressive weakness and wasting of C7-T1 innervated muscles. Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clinches the diagnosis, and treatment is mainly supportive using a cervical brace, and in refractory cases, surgical. This review aims to […]

Background for molecular-based therapy for spinal muscular atrophy Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disease and the most common cause of infant death worldwide, with an incidence of 1:10,000 live births and carrier frequency of 1:50.1 This disease, caused by degeneration of spinal and bulbar motor neurons, is characterized by progressive muscle […]

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 […]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to unprecedented illness and death among the global population. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can range from mild upper respiratory symptoms that subside with no lasting effects to multiorgan system failure and death.1 It can also result in numerous neurological symptoms that are less well […]