Volume 14 Issue 9, September 2018

Moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have long been recognized as risk factors for dementia, but the relationship between mild TBI (mTBI) and dementia is unclear. New research demonstrates that even an mTBI without loss of consciousness is associated with a twofold increase in the risk of dementia.

In a recent study, rivaroxaban was not superior to aspirin for secondary prevention of stroke and systemic emboli after an initial embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) but was associated with a higher risk of bleeding. What does that mean for the concept of ESUS and for future trials?

Migraine is prevalent in the paediatric population and represents a major cause of disability. This Review outlines the epidemiology and natural history of paediatric migraine, discusses the recent landmark clinical trials of treatments for paediatric migraine and examines the best evidence-based interventions for this population in light of these new findings.

In this Review, the authors consider the evidence for the contribution of various factors to the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy, highlighting the complexities in its aetiology to inform translational research for the prevention of cerebral palsy.

Repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene are a frequent cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Balendra and Isaacs review the pathological and mechanistic features of C9orf72-associated ALS and FTD, highlighting loss-of-function, gain-of-function and downstream mechanisms.

New research is increasingly challenging old notions of an immunologically isolated CNS. In this Perspectives article, Jun Chen and colleagues highlight discoveries on the beneficial roles of regulatory immune cells in brain repair and regeneration, and discuss their promise as therapies for neurological disorders.