Neurological Disease News and Research

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Discovery of gene silencer offers hope for autosomal dominant leukodystrophy

A team led by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health geneticists has shown, for the first time, that a gene "silencer" that resides in junk DNA is directly sparing people from a devastating and fatal progressive neurological disease.

13 Feb 2025

Study suggests sun exposure during first year of life may reduce MS relapses

Getting at least 30 minutes of daily summer sun in the first year of life may mean a lower relapse risk for children who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) later, according to a study published on February 12, 2025, online in Neurology® Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Feb 2025

Epidural steroid injections may offer modest short-term pain relief for some back pain

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has developed a new systematic review to summarize for neurologists and other clinicians the evidence for epidural steroid injections and whether they reduce pain and disability for people with certain kinds of chronic back pain.

13 Feb 2025

Systemic racism may play a role in genetic testing disparities, study suggests

For children with signs of neurological conditions such as autism, epilepsy and global developmental delay, genetic testing can help make the diagnosis, identify possible treatments and determine whether family members could be affected, among other benefits.

13 Feb 2025

New research advances understanding of Parkinson's disease stages

From a study that analyzed brain images of more than 2,500 people with Parkinson's disease in 20 different countries, scientists were able to identify patterns of neurodegeneration and create metrics for each of the five clinical stages of the disease.

12 Feb 2025

Tenecteplase injection after clot removal improves stroke recovery

Removing a blood clot from a large brain artery, then injecting the clot-dissolving drug tenecteplase into the artery resulted in stroke survivors being more likely to have better function 90 days after their stroke than those receiving standard clot removal, according to preliminary late-breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2025.

8 Feb 2025

Racial disparities found in migraine diagnosis for children and teens

Children and young people who are Black or Hispanic are less likely to be diagnosed with migraine than those who are white when being seen for headache in a pediatric emergency department, according to a study published in the February 5, 2025, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

5 Feb 2025

Duke engineers develop AI platform to target undruggable disease proteins

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed an AI-based platform that designs short proteins, termed peptides, capable of binding and destroying previously undruggable disease-causing proteins.

31 Jan 2025

Fluctuating cholesterol linked to higher risk of dementia in older adults

Older adults whose cholesterol changes over time may be more likely to develop dementia than people whose cholesterol is stable, regardless of the actual cholesterol level, according to a study published in the January 29, 2025, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Jan 2025

Mental health risks higher for pregnant people with MS

Pregnant people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a higher chance of experiencing mental illness both during their pregnancy and in the first years after they give birth than those without MS, according to a study published in the January 22, 2025 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Jan 2025

Stem cell therapy shows promise in restoring brain activity after stroke

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. For survivors of the most common type of stroke, called an ischemic stroke, only about 5 percent fully recover.

17 Jan 2025

U.S. launches national plan to tackle Parkinson's disease and related disorders

With support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is leading the implementation of the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson's Act (P.L. 118-66), which was signed into law on July 2, 2024.

17 Jan 2025

Unmasking the gender bias in Tourette syndrome diagnosis

Tourette syndrome is currently diagnosed about three times more frequently in males than in females. A new study finds that female individuals are less likely to be diagnosed with the syndrome, take longer to receive a diagnosis and are older when they are diagnosed than male individuals. The study is published in the January 15, 2025, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Jan 2025

COVID-19 infection linked to increased cases of ME/CFS

New findings from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative suggest that infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may be associated with an increase in the number of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) cases.

13 Jan 2025

Wait times for neurological specialty care vary across conditions

Older people wait an average of just over a month to see a neurologist for specialty care after being referred by their primary care physician or another physician, according to a study published in the January 8, 2025, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Jan 2025

Prolonged sauna exposure without adequate hydration linked to heat stroke risk

Basking too long in a sauna may put bathers at risk of heat stroke, particularly if they haven't drunk enough water beforehand, warn doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports, after treating a woman whose condition required admission to hospital.

7 Jan 2025

Twelve factors to protect brain health in the New Year

Improving your brain health in the new year can start with a simple step, talking with your neurologist or primary care physician about 12 factors to protect your brain.

23 Dec 2024

New migraine drug atogepant shows quick relief

A drug recently approved to prevent migraine may start working right away, according to a study published in the December 23, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 Dec 2024

COVID-19 infection not associated with worsening MS symptoms or disability

For people with multiple sclerosis (MS), having a COVID-19 infection is not associated with worsening MS symptoms or disability, according to a study published in the December 23, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 Dec 2024

Sleep disruptions may increase brain volume in the hippocampus

People with breathing problems during sleep may have a larger hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and thinking, according to a study published in the December 18, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

18 Dec 2024