Affecting over 70 million patients worldwide, epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by intermittent bursts of hyper-synchronous neuronal discharges.1 The manifestations are variable but reflective of the unique milieu and biology of epileptogenic foci.2 Pharmacological treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is supportive only and, for up to 30% of patients, is inadequate in preventing seizures.3 While surgical […]

Rescue medications are an important part of the treatment regimen for patients with intractable epilepsy, specifically those who experience seizure clusters or prolonged seizure episodes. Rescue medications are prescribed to end seizure activity quickly and effectively in order to prevent further seizure-related morbidities and prevent seizure recurrence. An ideal rescue medication is stable at room […]

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by prodromal and clinical stages; the clinical phase is characterized by a constellation of motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS).1 Despite the extensive discussions and publications of the clinical heterogeneity of PD,2 the precise heterogeneous pathological mechanisms, the natural history of PD and the progression pattern of many NMS remain unclear.3–7 There have also […]

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with a worldwide distribution.1 The first clinical description of NMOSD was made a century ago by Devic and Gault, who documented patients with monophasic and bilateral optic neuritis (ON) and myelitis.2 A few decades ago, NMOSD was considered a variant […]

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, with its incidence increasing globally.1 With disease progression, the benefit from medications shortens, and symptom control becomes strictly dependent on peripheral levodopa (L-dopa) levels, leading to the development of daily fluctuations of motor and non-motor symptoms severity and L-dopa-induced […]

Introduction The term ‘stroke’ is used to describe an adverse clinical state involving interference of blood circulation to the brain due to obstruction or rupture of blood vessels.1 Stroke was previously categorized into a cardiovascular disorder until the release of the International Classification of Disease 11 (ICF-11) in 2018, when stroke was recognized as a neurological […]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disease that can pose significant challenges in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Over the years, the quest for more precise and accessible diagnostic tools has led to the exploration of different fluid biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or serum. Fluid biomarkers can offer insights into the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment […]

In the latest edition of touchREVIEWS in Neurology, we are pleased to present a collection of insightful articles that highlight the current landscape and future directions in neurological research and treatment. Firstly, Rajvinder Karda opens this issue with a compelling expert interview on the future of SCN1A gene-targeting research for the treatment of Dravet syndrome. […]

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 […]