Volume 13 Issue 2, February 2017

Cover image supplied by David Fernandes-Cabral, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The corticospinal tract of the human brain on high-definition fibre tracking. The corticospinal tract, the longest white matter tract in the CNS, originates from the primary motor cortex, and crosses the internal capsule, brainstem and, finally, the spinal cord. Lesions such as brain tumours, arteriovenous malformations and strokes can displace, disrupt or infiltrate this tract. Advanced fibre tracking methods allow precise reconstruction of the tract, which can help improve outcomes after neurosurgical procedures.

Research Highlight

Soluble TREM2 in CSF sheds light on microglial activation in AD

Heather Wood
Research Highlight 13 Jan 2017
Advertisement
Nusinersen potentially effective in SMA

Louise Adams
Research Highlight 23 Dec 2016
Could gut microbiota influence severity of Parkinson disease?

Hemi Malkki

Collection:

Gut-brain axis
Research Highlight 16 Dec 2016
Could antibodies cause psychosis?

Ian Fyfe
Research Highlight 23 Dec 2016

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In Brief

Migraine is associated with increased risk of perioperative ischaemic stroke

Heather Wood
In Brief 01 Feb 2017
Thrombolytic removal of intraventricular haemorrhage does not improve outcomes

Heather Wood
In Brief 01 Feb 2017
Sparing of oligodendrocytes in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy

Heather Wood
In Brief 01 Feb 2017
Atypical Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease linked to sphingosine 1-phosphate lyase deficiency

Heather Wood
In Brief 01 Feb 2017

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Year in Review

2016, the year of Zika virus

In 2016, the literature on neurological infections was, understandably, dominated by Zika virus. However, we should not overlook important publications on the treatment of cryptococcal and bacterial meningitis.

Diederik van de Beek
Matthijs C. Brouwer

Collections:

Key Advances in Neurology

Key Advances in Medicine 2017
Year in Review 13 Jan 2017
Advances in brain tumour classification and therapy

Brain tumours encompass a heterogeneous collection of neoplasms, traditionally classified by histopathological criteria. In 2016, the WHO published an updated classification that, for the first time, defines brain tumour types according to integrated histological and molecular parameters. Furthermore, clinical trial results were reported that inform therapeutic decision-making in diffuse gliomas.

Matthias Preusser
Christine Marosi

Collections:

Key Advances in Neurology

Brain cancer

Key Advances in Medicine 2017
Year in Review 20 Jan 2017
Immune-directed therapies in MS — efficacy and limitations

In 2016, new highly active treatment options for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) emerged. At the same time, large clinical trials in progressive MS highlighted the limitations of immune-directed therapies, and called for new strategies to treat disease progression in MS.

Bernhard Hemmer
Mark Mühlau

Collections:

Key Advances in Neurology

Key Advances in Medicine 2017
Year in Review 20 Jan 2017
Putting AD treatments and biomarkers to the test

Investigational treatments to impede the progression of Alzheimer disease (AD) are being evaluated in clinical trials, and biomarkers to detect and track the disease are being developed and deployed. Recent findings underscore the importance of ongoing clinical trials and biomarker developments in the understanding, treatment and prevention of AD.

Eric M. Reiman

Collections:

Key Advances in Neurology

Key Advances in Medicine 2017
Year in Review 13 Jan 2017
Progress in Parkinson disease and other movement disorders

In the field of movement disorders, areas that have seen important advances in 2016 include the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease involving extra-CNS α-synuclein pathology, treatment of hyperkinetic disorders with novel dopamine-depleting drugs, and MRI-guided ultrasound surgery for the treatment of essential tremor.

Joseph Jankovic

Collections:

Key Advances in Neurology

Gut-brain axis

Key Advances in Medicine 2017
Year in Review 13 Jan 2017
Stroke is treatable, but prevention is the key

The past 2 years have seen major breakthroughs in endovascular treatment for acute ischaemic stroke. As highlighted in 2016, we now need to refine the logistics for delivery of this treatment, including patient selection. We should not forget, however, that it is better to prevent strokes in the first place.

Ale Algra
Marieke J. H. Wermer

Collections:

Key Advances in Neurology

Key Advances in Medicine 2017
Year in Review 20 Jan 2017

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Review Article

The psychosis spectrum in Parkinson disease

The publication of a consensus definition of Parkinson disease (PD) psychosis in 2007 led to a rapid expansion of literature focusing on clinical aspects, mechanisms and treatment. The authors review this literature and discuss the evolving view of PD psychosis, from distinct classes of symptoms to a continuum progressing over the course of PD.

Dominic H. ffytche
Byron Creese
Dag Aarsland

Collection:

Parkinson disease
Review Article 20 Jan 2017
Gene discovery in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: implications for clinical management

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease predominantly affecting upper and lower motor neurons. Here, the authors outline previous and current efforts to characterize genes that are associated with ALS, and describe what is currently known about the genetic architecture of ALS.

Ammar Al-Chalabi
Leonard H. van den Berg
Jan Veldink

Nature Outlook:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Review Article 16 Dec 2016
Treatment decisions in multiple sclerosis — insights from real-world observational studies

Real-world observational studies have the potential to answer questions about multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment that randomized controlled trials cannot. Trojano and colleagues discuss the pitfalls and necessary safeguards in observational studies, and the insights that such studies have provided into treatment decisions for patients with MS.

Maria Trojano
Mar Tintore
Helmut Butzkueven

Milestone:

Treatment of multiple sclerosis
Review Article 13 Jan 2017

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Science and Society

Precision medicine for disease modification in Parkinson disease

In this Perspectives article, Espay and colleagues argue that that the adoption of precision medicine in Parkinson disease will require a revision of biomarker development efforts, with the ultimate goal of testing putative disease-modifying interventions in well-defined disease subgroups.

Alberto J. Espay
Patrik Brundin
Anthony E. Lang

Collections:

Key Advances in Neurology

Parkinson disease
Science and Society 20 Jan 2017

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Erratum

Erratum: Unruptured intracranial aneurysms: development, rupture and preventive management

Nima Etminan
Gabriel J. Rinkel
Erratum 01 Feb 2017

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Volume 13 Issue 2, February 2017

Research Highlight

Soluble TREM2 in CSF sheds light on microglial activation in AD

Nusinersen potentially effective in SMA

Could gut microbiota influence severity of Parkinson disease?

Could antibodies cause psychosis?

In Brief

Migraine is associated with increased risk of perioperative ischaemic stroke

Thrombolytic removal of intraventricular haemorrhage does not improve outcomes

Sparing of oligodendrocytes in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy

Atypical Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease linked to sphingosine 1-phosphate lyase deficiency

Year in Review

2016, the year of Zika virus

Advances in brain tumour classification and therapy

Immune-directed therapies in MS — efficacy and limitations

Putting AD treatments and biomarkers to the test

Progress in Parkinson disease and other movement disorders

Stroke is treatable, but prevention is the key

Review Article

The psychosis spectrum in Parkinson disease

Gene discovery in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: implications for clinical management

Treatment decisions in multiple sclerosis — insights from real-world observational studies

Science and Society

Precision medicine for disease modification in Parkinson disease

Erratum

Erratum: Unruptured intracranial aneurysms: development, rupture and preventive management

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