Comment in 2021

Several studies indicate that, in individuals infected with herpes simplex virus and/or varicella zoster virus, antiviral therapy reduces the subsequent risk of Alzheimer disease and other types of dementia. As highlighted in this article, the preventative potential of antiviral therapy would probably be maximized by treating asymptomatic as well as symptomatic infected individuals.

In India, the peak of SARS-CoV-2 infections in May 2021 was paralleled by an outbreak of rhino-oculo-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) — a fungal infection affecting the nose, eyes and brain. This outbreak provided a unique opportunity to study the neurological manifestations of ROCM and to investigate new treatments for the condition.

The burden of epilepsy among forcibly displaced persons is thought to be high, and access to treatment is limited. In June 2021, the WHO Secretariat published a draft intersectoral action plan aimed at redressing the global epilepsy treatment gap, providing a valuable opportunity to improve epilepsy treatment for forcibly displaced persons.

The FDA has granted accelerated approval to aducanumab (Aduhelm) for the treatment of Alzheimer disease with an overly broad label. The decision disregarded key aspects of scientific process and risks eroding public trust in research, regulatory science and the FDA.

The African Stroke Organization has been inaugurated as a pan-African coalition of stroke researchers, clinicians, allied health-care professionals, national and regional stroke societies and stroke support organizations in response to the escalating burden of stroke in the continent.

The amyloid antibody aducanumab is currently undergoing review by the FDA. The treatment would be the first disease-modifying drug to be approved for Alzheimer disease; however, a medical advisory committee recently convened by the FDA did not recommend approval, raising questions about whether the existing evidence of efficacy is sufficient.