Nasal spray for brain cancer, Alzheimer’s blood test: Top neurology Q&As of 2024

Healio Neurology looks back at the most popular Q&As with industry and specialty experts from the past year.

Highlights include a potentially groundbreaking brain cancer treatment which aims to solve the issue of passing the blood-brain barrier and a growing consensus for blood-based biomarker testing for Alzheimer’s disease.

Read these and more below:

‘Groundbreaking’ intranasal brain cancer treatment bypasses blood-brain barrier

Healio spoke to Thomas Chen, MD, PhD, founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based biotechnology firm NeOnc Technologies Inc., to find out how its novel nasal spray formulation overcomes a significant obstacle in brain cancer treatment. Read more.

Blood-based biomarker testing for Alzheimer’s disease gains consensus

With FDA approvals in pocket and a growing trust from clinicians, development of blood-based biomarker testing for AD is at the vanguard of technology. In May, Quanterix CEO Masoud Toloue discussed the next steps for making this rapid method of testing more readily available. Read more.

AI-based datasets may be new method of early Alzheimer’s detection

Healio spoke to Carl D. Marci, MD, chief clinical officer at Boston-based OM1, to find out how “whispers from the brain” fashioned from 1 million patients can advance AD detection. Read more.

Female neuro physicians told to embrace their strengths

One of only 219 board-certified female neurosurgeons in the United States, Sheri Dewan, MS, MD, FAANS, chair of neurosciences at Ascension Health and clinical professor at The Chicago Medical School, offered personal perspective and insight on how discipline, passion and determination can help women in the specialty overcome bias. Read more.

Addressing rising stroke incidence in young people a complex matter

Steven Shapiro, MD, medical director for Stroke Services at RWJ Barnabas Health’s Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey, joined Healio in May for a discussion of the risk factors which make stroke a pressing issue at a younger age. Read more.

Future of pediatric epilepsy treatment depends on better diagnosis, surgical options

Just before Thanksgiving, H. Westley Phillips, MD, pediatric neurosurgeon-scientist, epilepsy and genetics researcher at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, offered unique perspective on how children with epilepsy can be best served. Read more.