{"title":"Characterization, etiology, and management of neurocognitive impairment in patients with glioma: an evidentiary update.","authors":"Kyle R Noll, Jeffrey S Wefel","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/WCO.0000000000001427","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review provides a summary of recent literature concerning neurocognitive functioning (NCF) in patients with glioma, including developments in assessment and characterization of NCF impairment, understanding of etiologic contributors, and mitigation and intervention strategies.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>NCF impairment remains ubiquitous in patients with glioma, despite recognition of the detrimental impact upon well being. Risk factors for NCF decline and the underlying neurophysiologic mechanisms continue to be unraveled, including individual genetic characteristics, dynamic tumor and treatment-related changes to local and whole-brain networks, inflammatory cascades, and influence of social determinants of health. Developments in glioma treatment may improve NCF outcomes, such as advances in brain mapping for safer resection and investigational approaches to radiation delivery, though evidence is largely preliminary. While traditional neuropsychological testing has demonstrated utility in this population, digital and other emerging assessment approaches require further study. Additionally, few strategies for management and rehabilitation of NCF impairment are well supported, though potentially efficacious intervention approaches are briefly highlighted.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Impairment of NCF arises from complex tumor and treatment-driven network injury. While development of management strategies has been relatively modest, future approaches may capitalize on the rapidly advancing understanding of etiological mechanisms underlying NCF impairment in patients with glioma.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation and microenvironment in gliomas: do immunotherapy approaches matter?","authors":"Michael Platten","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001426","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/WCO.0000000000001426","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Gliomas with mutations in the gene for isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) display a unique immune microenvironment that is distinct from IDH-wildtype gliomas. This unique immune microenvironment is shaped by 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), an oncometabolite produced by mutant IDH. These features provide an opportunity to develop and test targeted immunotherapies for IDH-mutant gliomas.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>IDH-mutant gliomas are characterized by an immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) that suppresses the infiltration and activation of tumor-specific T cells. This is owed both to direct effects of the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate on glioma-infiltrating T cells and myeloid cells and indirect effects on the chemotactic profile of tumor cells. These immunosuppressive effects are reversed by IDH inhibitors recently approved for the treatments of IDH-mutant gliomas. At the same time, clinical trials have demonstrated encouraging results for targeted immunotherapies using vaccines targeting the most frequent mutation IDH1R132H.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>The reversal of the immunosuppressive effects by IDH inhibitors has opened exciting avenues for combinatorial immunotherapies such as vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145014055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Norbert Galldiks, Jana-Marie Peplinski, Manuel Kraft, Philipp Lohmann, Jan-Michael Werner
{"title":"The role of amino acid PET in the era of checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapy for brain tumor treatment.","authors":"Norbert Galldiks, Jana-Marie Peplinski, Manuel Kraft, Philipp Lohmann, Jan-Michael Werner","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/WCO.0000000000001425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>To summarize the role of diagnostic amino acid PET in the era of checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies for brain tumor treatment.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Amino acid PET, particularly O-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) PET, has shown promise in distinguishing treatment-related changes such as pseudoprogression and pseudoresponse from true tumor relapse in patients receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapies for brain metastases and gliomas, often outperforming conventional MRI. Additionally, serial amino acid PET imaging has demonstrated potential in early response assessment following these agents.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Larger prospective trials with a higher number of patients are still needed to validate the clinical impact of amino acid PET when immunotherapy or targeted therapies are used for brain tumor therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144844837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vihang Nakhate, Gilbert Youssef, Aleksandra B Lasica, Patrick Y Wen
{"title":"Neuroimaging endpoints for clinical trials in gliomas: the neuro-oncologist perspective.","authors":"Vihang Nakhate, Gilbert Youssef, Aleksandra B Lasica, Patrick Y Wen","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001419","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/WCO.0000000000001419","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Accurate and reliable determination of tumor response and progression on neuroimaging is critical to identify effective therapies for glioma in clinical trials. In this article, we review response assessment criteria for adult glioma including their evolution over time, current recommendations, limitations, and future directions.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) 2.0 delineates unified magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based criteria informed by patient data to evaluate endpoints of tumor response and tumor progression. The positron emission tomography (PET) RANO 1.0 criteria propose endpoints for tumor progression and response on amino acid PET imaging.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>The RANO 2.0 criteria provide standardized recommendations to assess tumor response and progression across adult glioma clinical trials regardless of tumor grade, contrast enhancement, molecular profile or treatment modality. Additional validation and exploratory studies can facilitate future refinements to the criteria and possible incorporation of novel neuroimaging endpoints. Advanced imaging modalities such as perfusion MRI and amino acid PET may help overcome some limitations of MRI-based response assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144793687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"New approaches to lesion assessment in multiple sclerosis.","authors":"Paolo Preziosa, Massimo Filippi, Maria A Rocca","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001378","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001378","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>To summarize recent advancements in artificial intelligence-driven lesion segmentation and novel neuroimaging modalities that enhance the identification and characterization of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions, emphasizing their implications for clinical use and research.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Artificial intelligence, particularly deep learning approaches, are revolutionizing MS lesion assessment and segmentation, improving accuracy, reproducibility, and efficiency. Artificial intelligence-based tools now enable automated detection not only of T2-hyperintense white matter lesions, but also of specific lesion subtypes, including gadolinium-enhancing, central vein sign-positive, paramagnetic rim, cortical, and spinal cord lesions, which hold diagnostic and prognostic value. Novel neuroimaging techniques such as quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), χ-separation imaging, and soma and neurite density imaging (SANDI), together with PET, are providing deeper insights into lesion pathology, better disentangling their heterogeneities and clinical relevance.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Artificial intelligence-powered lesion segmentation tools hold great potential for improving fast, accurate and reproducible lesional assessment in the clinical scenario, thus improving MS diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment response assessment. Emerging neuroimaging modalities may contribute to advance the understanding MS pathophysiology, provide more specific markers of disease progression, and novel potential therapeutic targets.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":"306-315"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144076599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara P Dias, Tamar Akhvlediani, Raphael Bernard-Valnet, Sandra Bigi, Randi Eikeland, Pramod K Pal, Bettina Pfausler, Johann Sellner
{"title":"Sex and gender differences in neurological infections.","authors":"Sara P Dias, Tamar Akhvlediani, Raphael Bernard-Valnet, Sandra Bigi, Randi Eikeland, Pramod K Pal, Bettina Pfausler, Johann Sellner","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001389","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001389","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Neurological infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This review aims to summarize current insights and developments for sex and gender differences in the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and prognosis of neurological infections.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Sex refers to the biological and physiological factors that define males and females. Gender, on the other hand, refers to characteristics that are socially constructed. Both aspects are central to infectious disease pathogenesis, and clinical and scientific evidence of their relevance in neuroinfections is emerging. Indeed, differences in exposure to pathogens and genetic and hormonal factors modulate immune responses and modify the susceptibility, clinical course, and response to the treatment of neurological infections.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Recognizing and addressing sex and gender differences in neurological infections is crucial for tailoring diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive strategies. Our review underscores the importance of considering sex and gender in clinical practice and research to improve patient care and outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":"429-435"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144224672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Emerging neuroinfectious diseases: public health implications.","authors":"Carla Y Kim, Kathryn B Holroyd, Kiran T Thakur","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001401","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001401","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Direct neurological consequences from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as poliomyelitis, West Nile virus and Zika virus, and those with indirect neurological effects such as COVID-19 and Influenza, are major contributors to the profound impact of infectious diseases on global human health. Here, we highlight select infections of the nervous system of public health significance and discuss some of the key factors of emergence. We focus on vector-borne infections including Oropouche virus and West Nile virus, those transmitted by other nonvector animal species including Nipah and Hendra virus, and vaccine preventable infections including neurological effects of Measles virus.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Currently, the emergence of Oropouche virus, Avian Influenza, and the re-emergence of Measles outbreaks across Europe and America, are examples of current emerging infectious disease outbreaks. As pathogens spread to new areas, we will continue to see a rise in populations at risk of severe neurological effects. The recent resurgence of measles virus cases exemplifies the importance of strong vaccination programs and preventive public health measures to mitigate the impact of preventable re-emerging infections in vulnerable populations.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Neuroinfectious diseases will continue to drive significant morbidity and mortality on global populations as risk factors remain high, and global public health initiatives are hampered by inadequate governmental support.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":"436-442"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144274395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Imaging and neuromodulation in Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Alexandre Boutet, Jürgen Germann, Alfonso Fasano","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001380","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001380","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Imaging plays a key role in neuromodulation for Parkinson's disease, particularly for deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is the most frequently employed neuromodulatory treatment. Its role is rapidly expanding due to improving neuroradiological techniques.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Imaging is crucial at each stage of DBS care: pre, intra-, and postoperative, with roles now going beyond the traditional surgical planning and lead localization. Imaging opens the door to patient selection informed by their unique preoperative features and individualized electrode placement due to the direct visualization of targets. Imaging also permits intra-operative localization of electrodes with widely accessible fluoroscopy and offers the possibility of visualizing the orientation of segmented contacts. Advanced imaging techniques have defined anatomical sweets spots and efficacious connectomes associated with best outcomes after DBS. They also offer opportunities to develop new biomarker of successful stimulation, which is critical to the future of DBS programming.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Imaging should be thought as a powerful tool to push the neuromodulation field towards new boundaries focusing on personalized electrode implantation and stimulation titration. This will improve patient outcomes and inform alternative neuromodulation modalities, for which the data remain limited.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":"322-327"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144110054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of climate change on neuroinfectious diseases.","authors":"Simeona Jacinto","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001398","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001398","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>COP28 Health Day demonstrated the growing global attention to climate health. The purpose of this article is to review the impact of climate change on the emergence of neuro-infectious diseases.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Climate change influences meteorological shifts and extreme weather events which may have significant and complex effects on the emergence of neuroinfectious diseases. Particularly concerning is increasing vector borne, water borne and food borne diseases. Climate associated factors contribute to the high incidence of bacterial meningitis in the African Meningitis Belt, and expansion of viral and fungal meningitis in other regions. Increased risks to those living with HIV is a public health concern. The most vulnerable communities, especially in low and middle-income countries, will be particularly impacted.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>The complex effects of climate change on the emergence of neuroinfectious diseases result from consequences on ecologies, populations and health systems. The growing health burden must be addressed with a multifaceted approach to establishing climate resilient healthcare systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":"422-428"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144233491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Federica Agosta, Giordano Cecchetti, Edoardo G Spinelli, Alma Ghirelli, Giulia Rugarli, Massimo Filippi
{"title":"MRI protocols and sequences for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities monitoring in Alzheimer's disease patients treated with monoclonal antibodies.","authors":"Federica Agosta, Giordano Cecchetti, Edoardo G Spinelli, Alma Ghirelli, Giulia Rugarli, Massimo Filippi","doi":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001388","DOIUrl":"10.1097/WCO.0000000000001388","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review provides an updated overview of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) associated with antiamyloid monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Following regulatory approvals for both lecanemab and donanemab in the United States, and pending decisions in Europe, standardized understanding of ARIA definitions, risk factors, and optimal MRI surveillance is increasingly important to guide treatment and ensure safety.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>ARIA, including vasogenic edema (ARIA-E) and microhemorrhages/siderosis (ARIA-H), are a frequent adverse event in patients receiving antiamyloid mAbs, particularly among APOE ε4 homozygotes. Incidence varies by agent and trial design. While often asymptomatic and self-limiting, ARIA can occasionally present with symptoms or recur. MRI, especially FLAIR and susceptibility-sensitive imaging, is essential for baseline risk stratification and monitoring. Key imaging biomarkers include microbleeds and superficial siderosis. Recent guidelines support genotyping and risk-adapted MRI protocols before and during therapy.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>ARIA reflect vascular vulnerability during amyloid clearance in AD. Their management requires close collaboration between neurologists and neuroradiologists, with harmonized MRI protocols and risk mitigation strategies critical for safe and effective use of disease-modifying therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11059,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurology","volume":" ","pages":"289-297"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144224669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}