Neurology: Disease Deep Dive

This episode explores new evidence showing that paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) are highly prevalent early in multiple sclerosis (MS) and can differentiate MS from mimics with striking accuracy. Dr. Daniel Ontaneda, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, and Dr. Pascal Sati, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,  Los Angeles, CA, discuss how PRLs, paired with optimized susceptibility-based MRI, are reshaping diagnostic confidence and informing the latest revisions to the McDonald criteria.

Patrick Y. Wen, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses current standards of care for low- and high-grade gliomas, including the importance of comprehensive molecular testing, the World Health Organization classification of tumors of the central nervous system, and newly available therapies.

Hope O’Brien, MD, MBA, FAHS, FAAN, Founder and CEO of the Headache Center of Hope, Cincinnati, OH, discusses challenges and considerations for adult headache neurologists who are onboarding adolescent patients as they transition from pediatric practice. Dr. O’Brien highlights a framework with strategies for a seamless transition, while noting best practices for promoting patient autonomy and mental wellbeing.

Merit Cudkowicz, MD, Julieanne Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, discusses the evolving landscape of treatment for ALS, including FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies, the importance of genetic testing, the emergence of gene therapies, and the promising clinical trial pipeline targeting genetic and sporadic forms of ALS.

Abbas Kharal, MD, MPH, Neurologist at Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH, provides a review of cerebrovascular inflammatory conditions, with an emphasis on diagnostic challenges, the evolving treatment landscape, and the use of imaging and clinical responses to assist clinicians with early detection and differentiation of these conditions.