Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

Study clarifies role of steroids in treating HSV encephalitis

A major UK clinical trial has shown that adding the corticosteroid dexamethasone to standard antiviral treatment for encephalitis (brain inflammation), caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) does not improve long-term outcomes overall, although early use may lead to better recovery, and the treatment is safe for patients in whom encephalitis is suspected.

21 Jan 2026

Stroke transfer delays reduce access to life-saving thrombectomy

Gaps in the nation's stroke transfer system are drastically reducing survivors' chances of receiving critical treatment and increasing the likelihood that they will leave the hospital with a disability, a new study suggests.

21 Jan 2026

Long-term air pollution exposure raises motor neuron disease risk

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with a higher risk of developing motor neuron disease and poorer prognosis after diagnosis in a large nationwide Swedish study. Higher particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide exposure were also linked to faster functional decline and increased likelihood of invasive ventilation.

21 Jan 2026

Exercise-triggered mitochondrial transfer offers hope for stroke and dementia

Physical rehabilitation and symptom management still remain the mainstay of treatment for stroke, as clot removal or dissolution is effective only within a narrow time frame after the stroke.

21 Jan 2026

Rhythmic carbon dioxide exposure may enhance brain waste clearance mechanisms

Abnormal clumps of proteins like α-synuclein, amyloid beta and tau are associated with neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, but a waste removal mechanism called the glymphatic pathway can clear these proteins and other metabolic byproducts from the brain.

20 Jan 2026

Prolonged exposure to air pollution linked to elevated risk for ALS

Prolonged exposure to air pollution can be linked to an elevated risk for serious neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and seems to speed up the pathological process, report researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

20 Jan 2026

Super agers' resilience against Alzheimer's disease linked to protective gene variant

The gene variant posing the greatest genetic risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is called APOE-ε4. A different variant of the same gene, APOE-ε2, is thought to confer protection against AD.

19 Jan 2026

Study reveals how ketogenic diet protects against epilepsy seizures

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have revealed how the popular, low-carb ketogenic diet protects against epilepsy seizures and possibly neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

16 Jan 2026

Experts issue strong call for overhaul of UK dementia prevention strategy

A national panel of experts has issued the strongest call yet for the Department of Health and Social Care to overhaul how it approaches dementia prevention, pointing to vital evidence that dementia risk can be reduced and providing a framework for the development of new government policy that could improve brain health for millions.

16 Jan 2026

New blood biomarker tracks brain injury progression after ischemic stroke

A new blood marker reflects the extent of brain injury after an ischemic stroke and can predict patient outcomes months to years later.

15 Jan 2026

Incretin-based diabetes drugs show potential protective effects against dementia

A large McGill University study has found that two classes of medications commonly prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, both incretin-based, are associated with a reduced risk of dementia.

15 Jan 2026

Autonomous AI system screens for cognitive impairment using routine clinical notes

A team of Mass General Brigham researchers has developed one of the first fully autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) systems capable of screening for cognitive impairment using routine clinical documentation.

15 Jan 2026

Rare immune events link Epstein Barr virus to early multiple sclerosis damage

Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis arise when the immune system turns against the body itself.

14 Jan 2026

Hearing aid use has little impact on cognitive test scores

A new study has found that for people with moderate hearing loss, being prescribed hearing aids had little impact on cognitive test scores.

14 Jan 2026

CRISPR-Cas3: A safer gene-editing tool shows promise for transthyretin amyloidosis treatment

Genetic disorders occur due to alterations in the primary genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), of an organism. Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive disorder involving amyloid deposits of misfolded transthyretin (TTR) proteins.

14 Jan 2026

New BIND screener identifies brain-related comorbidities risk in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

In research published in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, investigators developed a brief, reliable, and valid screening tool to help identify individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (a neuromuscular disorder) who are at increased risk of brain-related comorbidities, such as language disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety.

14 Jan 2026

Single-cell analysis reveals gene disruptions in early-onset Alzheimer's brain regions

A new study led by researchers at UTHealth Houston investigated both gene expression and regulation at single cell levels to reveal disruptions in gene function in three brain regions of patients with sporadic early onset Alzheimer's disease.

13 Jan 2026

Social, family and health factors contribute to bullying among adolescents

Bullying in the United States remains a serious public health issue with consequences that extend far beyond the school grounds.

12 Jan 2026

Federal hospital safety metric fails to accurately assess emergency stroke care

A new UCLA study reveals that a widely used federal hospital safety metric is fundamentally flawed when applied to emergency stroke care, potentially creating incentives that may discourage hospitals from performing lifesaving procedures for the sickest patients.

8 Jan 2026

How neural circuits orchestrate facial expressions

When a baby smiles at you, it's almost impossible not to smile back. This spontaneous reaction to a facial expression is part of the back-and-forth that allows us to understand each other's emotions and mental states.

8 Jan 2026