Forensic neuropathology: 2026 update.

Abstract

This review discusses key publications in forensic neuropathology from the 2025 literature. In abusive head trauma (AHT), biomechanical models help clarify injury mechanisms, particularly the role of sagittal angular acceleration in younger infants. However, challenges remain, such as detecting subtle brainstem pathology with neuroimaging, stressing the need for prospective clinicopathological correlation. Meanwhile, understanding of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is expanding beyond contact sports to include victims of intimate partner violence. Research on sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) indicates overlaps with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and identifies key risk factors. At the same time, forensic neuropathology's primary role remains the exclusion of other causes of death. Artificial intelligence shows promise for analyzing radiological and histopathological data in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and epilepsy, though its adoption for routine purposes remains a distant goal. Further developments include a better understanding of the cerebellum's vulnerability to TBI, standardized postmortem MRI protocols, and the use of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, such as GFAP and S100B, to estimate time of death. Finally, research continues to probe the complex links between brain morphology and behavior, and recent studies of the neuropathology of alcohol use disorder have revealed microglial changes rather than overt neuronal loss.