Neurology Minute

In the first part of this series, Dr. Justin Abbatemarco and Dr. Shreya Louis discuss the background and evolving terminology around circulating tumor DNA, cell‑free DNA and CSF‑based testing in neurology.  Read more about this abstract on the AAN website. 

In part two of this series, Dr. Tesha Monteith and Dr. Brett Lauring discuss the clinical trial design, including the objectives and methods. Read more about this abstract on the AAN website. 

In this episode, Dr. Andy Southerland reviews the Capitol Hill Report from April 6th, focusing on news related to appropriations and several new bills. Stay updated with what's happening on the hill by visiting aan.com/chr.  Learn how you can get involved with AAN advocacy. 

As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Neurology®, Drs. Jeff Ratliff, Steven Galetta, and Robert Griggs discuss the history and evolution of the Letters to the Editor section. Join the conversation by visiting the Letters to the Editor section. 

Dr. H.E. Hinson and Dr. Vijay Ramanan discuss the upcoming Clinical Trials Plenary Session at the AAN Annual Meeting and the landmark studies shaping neurological care. For more information about this event, visit the AAN website.  

In part one of this series, Dr. Tesha Monteith and Dr. Brett Lauring discuss the potential role TRPM8 antagonist may play in the management of migraine.   Read more about this abstract on the AAN website. 

In part two of this series, Dr. Justin Abbatemarco and Lizzy Lawrence discuss recent FDA guidance, focusing on broader agency changes and how this messaging differs from the FDA's traditional communication around regulatory decision-making. Show citation:  https://www.statnews.com/2025/12/04/fda-considers-single-clinical-trial-for-new-product-approvals/   

In the March episode of the President's Spotlight, Dr. Jason Crowell and Dr. Natalia Rost discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing academic neurology while supporting neurologists in all practice settings.  Stay informed by watching the President's Spotlight video.  

Dr. Derek Stitt and Dr. Page B. Pennell discuss antiseizure medication management during pregnancy and postpartum, based on the MONEAD study.  Show citation:  Pennell PB, Li D, Kerr WT, et al. Antiseizure Medication Dosing Strategy During Pregnancy and Early Postpartum in Women With Epilepsy in MONEAD. Neurology. 2026;106(2):e214483. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000214483 

In part one of this series, Dr. Justin Abbatemarco and Lizzy Lawrence discuss the FDA's shift toward single-trial drug approvals.  Show citation:  https://www.statnews.com/2025/12/04/fda-considers-single-clinical-trial-for-new-product-approvals/ 

Dr. Halley Alexander and Dr. Mikael Guzman Karlsson discuss the development and evaluation of an AI-enabled clinical assistant designed to support time-sensitive decision-making in neurology. View the related abstract:  https://index.mirasmart.com/AAN2026/PDFfiles/AAN2026-003409.html 

In part two of this series, Dr. Tesha Monteith and Dr. Nimish A. Mohile discuss the motivation behind the development of this roadmap to neurological health equity.  Show citation:  Patel PB, Hamilton RH, Budhu JA, et al. A Roadmap to Neurologic Health Equity: An AAN Position Statement. Neurology. 2026;106(5):e214687. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000214687 

In the first part of this series, Dr. Tesha Monteith and Dr. Nimish A. Mohile discuss what the roadmap is and how it is intended to benefit practicing neurologists. Show citation:  Patel PB, Hamilton RH, Budhu JA, et al. A Roadmap to Neurologic Health Equity: An AAN Position Statement. Neurology. 2026;106(5):e214687. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000214687   

Dr. Greg Cooper and Dr. Sara Hassani discuss periprocedural brain health and call on neurologists to engage in multidisciplinary efforts to improve periprocedural outcomes. Show citation: Hassani S, Gorelick PB. Periprocedural Brain Health: The Scope of the Problem and the Neurologist's Role. Neurology. 2025;105(12):e214427. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000214427   Show transcript: Dr. Greg Cooper: Hi, this is Greg Cooper. I just finished interviewing Sara Hassani for this week's Neurology Podcast. For today's Neurology minutes, Sara, I'm hoping you can tell us the main points of your paper. Dr. Sara Hassani:  I would say that the central message of this paper is that paraprocedural neurologic complications, they're very common, and they may actually be as high as the third leading cause of mortality, and yet very few healthcare providers realize this. And furthermore, few healthcare providers are adequately prepared to discuss the risks of the various procedures with patients and/or their family members. Dr. Greg

Dr. Paul Crane and Dr. Hanalise Huff discuss neurological and neurocognitive sequelae in pediatric survivors of the 2015 Ebola outbreak in Liberia.  Show citation:  Huff HV, Van Ryn C, Reilly C, et al. Neurologic Sequelae After Ebola Virus Disease in Children in Liberia: An Observational Study. Neurology. 2026;106(1):e214450. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000214450 

In this lab update, Dr. Stacey Clardy focuses on micronutrient screening. 

In this lab update, Dr. Stacey Clardy discusses the latest information on chronic wasting disease. 

In part two of this series, Dr. Aaron Zelikovich discusses the clinical implications for patients with HSV encephalitis.  Show citation:  Solomon T, Hooper C, Easton A, et al. Safety and efficacy of adjunct dexamethasone in adults with herpes simplex virus encephalitis in the UK (DexEnceph): a multicentre, observer-blind, randomised, phase 3, controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2026;25(2):136-146. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(25)00454-5 

Dr. Greg Cooper and Dr. Kerry Sheets discuss how hearing aid use affects cognition and the risk of dementia in older adults with hearing impairment.  Show citations: Cribb L, Moreno-Betancur M, Pase MP, et al. Treating Hearing Loss With Hearing Aids for the Prevention of Cognitive Decline and Dementia. Neurology. 2026;106(3):e214572. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000214572  Show transcript: Dr. Greg Cooper: Hi, this is Greg Cooper. I just finished interviewing Kerry Sheets for this week's Neurology Podcast. For today's Neurology Minute, I'm hoping you can tell us the main points of your paper. Dr. Kerry Sheets: The central message of our paper is that hearing aid use in adults aged 70 years or older with hearing impairment may reduce dementia risk over 7 years. Results for the impact of hearing aid use on cognitive decline were less. Dr. Greg Cooper: Well, thank you for that summary and for all of your work on this topic. Please check out this week's podcast to hear the full interview and read the full article publi

Dr. Jessica Ailani and Dr. Richard Lipton discuss future advancements in headache medicine.  Show transcript:  Dr. Jessica Ailani:  Hello and welcome to the Neurology Minute. I'm Jessica Ilani from Georgetown Headache Center in Washington, DC. In the neurology podcast with Richard Lipton from the Montefiore Headache Center, we'll be discussing the latest clinical trials in headache medicine, where our field is going, where it's been, and you'll get lots of great advice on thinking through a clinical trial, what the advances have been, where their pitfalls have been, and really how to think of both positive and negative trials. So Richard, what are you most looking forward to when it comes to new treatment targets within headache? Dr. Richard Lipton:  First, let me say that I'm sure most know about the eight CGRP targeted treatments have been approved for migraine, both as acute and preventive treatments. And it's very clear that those treatments have had incredible benefits for our patients and have really im