NeurologyLive® Year in Review 2022: Top Expert Q&A Interviews

The NeurologyLive^® team spent all of 2022 bringing the latest information to the website's front page, and part of that effort included speaking with thousands of expert physicians, clinicians, care providers, and medical educators from around the world.

Although it is difficult to narrow down the "top" interviews we conducted over the course of this year, we can show you which conversations got the most attention. Some might be on this list for reasons that are clearer than others—perhaps because of topic or timeliness. Regardless of why so many people found these conversations, they speak to the through-lines and the ongoing discussions that are driving the various neurology specialties forward in thinking and research.

Here, we'll highlight some of the most-read Q&As on NeurologyLive^® this year. Click the buttons to read further into these conversations.

1. Understanding New Guidelines to Improve Management of Painful Diabetic Neuropathies

Brian Callaghan, MD, MS, associate professor at the University of Michigan, discussed his presentation at the 2022 American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine annual meeting on changing the treatment paradigm for painful diabetic neuropathies. He shared his thoughts on the need for change and the importance of correctly treating these conditions and noted that the current practice is far from ideal.

2. Improvements in Treating Narcolepsy, Idiopathic Hypersomnia Through Xywav

Richard Bogan, MD, FCCP, FAASM, associate clinical professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, and associate clinical professor, Medical University of South Carolina, provided commentary on the multifunctional capabilities of JZP-258 (Xywav; Jazz Pharmaceuticals) and how the medication has improved care for narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia at SLEEP 2022.

3. SPR1NT Trial Data Suggest Promise for Zolgensma in SMA With 3 Copies of SMN2

Shephard Mpofu, MD, the senior vice president and chief medical officer at Novartis Gene Therapies, offered his perspective on the latest phase 3 data of onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma) in SMA treatment and results of a multicenter, open-label study were presented at the 2022 Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinical and Scientific Conference.

4. Migraine and Mental Health: Taking Time to Ask the Questions

Lawrence Newman, MD, chair of the American Migraine Foundation, offered his insight into the findings of a survey conducted by the American Headache Foundation that identified correlations between migraine and mental health conditions. He shared perspectives on how these data impact the migraine patient community and the physicians that treat them.

5. Evaluating Chronic Migraine Medication Overuse Strategies

Vincent Martin, MD, president of the National Headache Foundation, discussed the MOTS trial, a noninferiority study aimed at understanding treatment strategies with preventives for chronic migraine. He discussed the reasons for the trial, the need to study medication overuse in this chronic migraine population, and whether the findings will change the way clinicians go about prescribing treatment regimens.

6. Improving the Identification and Treatment of Pediatric Migraine

Christina Szperka, MD, MSCE, director of the CHOP Pediatric Headache Program, shared her perspective on the state of awareness for pediatric migraine amid the shifting landscape for adults. She offered up her perspective on the current state of clinical care for pediatric migraine, and provided her insight into the changes the landscape of treatment has undergone and their effect on pediatric care.

7. Regenerative Medicine for Neurologic Injury and the Potential of SB623

Peter J. McAllister, MD, FAAN, medical director and chief medical officer at the New England Center for Neurology and Headache, offered his insight into data from the phase 2 STEMTRA trial in TBI that were presented at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, and the trends he has observed in the field of regenerative medicine.

8. Need for Guidelines on Migraine in Emergency Department Settings

Anne-Maree Kelly, MD, director of the Joseph Epstein Center for Emergency Medicine Research, detailed the complexities of presenting migraine in the emergency department and why consensus international/national guidelines tailorable to the capabilities of institutions are necessary. She also stressed that some countries do not have the same capabilities as others, and thus their recommendations should be slightly altered.

9. Understanding Individual Risks, Improving Trial Designs for Sleep Disorders in Alzheimer Disease

Ruth Benca, MD, PhD, professor and the chair of Psychiatry & Human Behavior at Wake Forest School of Medicine, provided insight on the age- and sex-related differences in sleep disorders, and the needed research on the effects of therapeutics in older populations while on-site at the 2022 SLEEP Annual Meeting.

10. AAIC Expert Insight: Can Alzheimer Disease Be Treated With a Single-Target Approach?

During a Focused Topic Session at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, NeurologyLive^® inquired with a panel of experts—including Eric M. Reiman, MD; Laura Baker PhD; John Didsbury, PhD; and Maria C. Carrillo, PhD— about the possibility of exploring a combination approach to Alzheimer disease as the future of treatment.