Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
A new study has shown that dietary supplementation with a serotonin precursor reduces seizure-induced respiratory arrest (S-IRA) and death in mouse models. Development of strategies to prevent S-IRA is paramount, because S-IRA is thought to be associated with a high risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
In a powerful display of international collaboration, a new genome-wide association study has mapped susceptibility loci for migraine on the basis of genetic data from 375,000 individuals. The study implicates several new loci in migraine — many of them suggestive of vascular pathophysiology — but the functional relevance of many now-detected risk alleles remains elusive.
A recent observational study showed that patients with stroke who participated in clinical research received better care and had lower mortality than patients who did not participate. However, the study has several limitations, and the available evidence suggests that patients should not be advised that participation in research improves outcomes.
Drawing on data from the Global Burden of Disease 2013 Study, Feigin and colleagues highlight the increasing global stroke burden, which indicates deficiencies in current primary prevention strategies. The authors present a four-point plan to improve primary stroke prevention, which includes a shift in emphasis from a high-risk approach to a more comprehensive approach that targets people at all levels of cardiovascular disease risk.
Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) enable severely disabled patients to interact with the environment. In this Review, Chaudhary et al. provide an overview on current use of BCIs for communication, movement and rehabilitation in patients who are paralyzed as a result of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke or spinal cord injury.
Although no cure exists for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), supportive and symptomatic care can prolong survival and improve quality of life. This Review discusses best strategies to manage symptoms in patients with ALS, including respiratory and nutritional support. Such interventions should involve a specialist multidisciplinary team, and patient should be given an active role in planning of the care.
In this Review, Mishra and Yong consider how myeloid cells — monocytes, macrophages, microglia and dendritic cells — contribute to the pathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). The authors also consider how current multiple sclerosis treatments might directly and indirectly affect these cells.
