Using the connections of commissural neurons as an example, Lent et al. propose that expanded brain circuits may constitute a “connectomic reserve” that enables neuroplasticity to occur throughout life, and that may be a proxy for cognitive reserve. shorturl.at/5HNlS

Kollenburg et al. review the molecular mechanisms and regional activity patterns underlying conditions including migraine, cluster headache, and paroxysmal hemicrania, integrating basic and clinical perspectives. shorturl.at/fkKHg

The symbol for DNA is all around us, on advertising and in the news. Yet it is almost always drawn incorrectly. Elizabeth Fisher explains how it should be depicted, and why it is important that we get the famous double helix right. shorturl.at/D5P91

Donadio et al. show that the detection of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein in skin nerves is a highly reliable biomarker for the early identification of Parkinson’s disease. shorturl.at/iRKBE

González-Velasco et al. show that somatic mutations in known ALS genes are enriched in the motor cortex of patients with sporadic ALS, particularly in excitatory neurons. shorturl.at/eJiO9

March's issue of Brain is now online! academic.oup.com/brain/issue/...

Temporal lobe epilepsy has a complex genetic basis, but how genetic vulnerability leads to brain changes is unclear. Ngo et al. show that higher risk for TLE in healthy children is linked to brain thinning in key regions that mirror patterns in patients. shorturl.at/aVY2m

Soni argues that modern seizure classifications change too often, confusing clinicians and pts. Contrasting them with the stable, descriptive approaches of Hippocrates, Galen and Ibn Sina, she calls for simpler, enduring language to improve epilepsy care. shorturl.at/FKKeG

In a mouse model of focal ischaemia, Deng et al. show that extracellular vesicles released from the ischaemic penumbra carry pathogenic RNAs to remote regions, driving secondary degeneration beyond the infarct. shorturl.at/IUldF

Gradually, then suddenly: the precarious position of UK preclinical #neuroscience Professor Mark Walton’s new opinion piece in @brain1878.bsky.social highlights the funding and workforce pressures facing UK preclinical neuroscience. academic.oup.com/brain/advanc... #PreclinicalResearch

Huang et al. review the structure and functions of the perineuronal net, highlighting its roles in neuronal homeostasis, synaptic plasticity and neuroprotection, and its dysregulation in neurological and psychiatric disorders. shorturl.at/3gm2h

In patients with intractable epilepsy being considered for surgery, should thalamic sEEG be standard practice or should it remain within the domain of IRB-approved research? Four new Opinion articles in this month's issue explore the debate: shorturl.at/ki9Ax

Carletta et al. analysed brain tissue from people with ALS and found that increased activity of type-I interferon-stimulated genes was linked to faster disease progression, especially in C9orf72-related ALS. Blocking this pathway in a mouse model slowed progression. shorturl.at/TGiHW

Pruckner et al. show that the structural effects of neurosurgery extend beyond the resected tissue into connected networks through transneuronal degeneration. They were able to reliably predict these changes from preoperative MRI. shorturl.at/Dm3uE

The complexity of interpreting TSPO PET neuroimaging in first-episode psychosis New scientific commentary by Agnieszka Kalinowski & Lawrence Steinman shorturl.at/dqEO5

Latest issue of @brain1878.bsky.social out with a great set of Opinion pieces on the value and ethics of thalamic stereoEEG recordings in people with intractable epilepsy being considered for surgery.

Cardoso et al. review the conditions collectively termed Huntington’s disease phenocopies, in which Huntington’s disease is suspected but no HTT mutation is found. They discuss clinical features and underlying aetiologies with an emphasis on acquired causes. shorturl.at/qqYFE

Benina et al. evaluated the plasma pTau217/Aβ 1-42 ratio as a blood-based marker of AD pathology. The ratio improved diagnostic accuracy and reduced indeterminate results vs pTau217 alone, supporting its clinical utility for identifying amyloid positivity. shorturl.at/qBUS1

Over 125 years ago, Cécile & Oskar Vogt began assembling an extensive collection of brain histological sections and related documents. Katrin Amunts explores how digitizing these materials will create a valuable resource for modern neuroscience. shorturl.at/RaMw8

Vermorgen et al. examine tau aggregation in astrocytes in brains from middle-aged adults. They show that ARTAG (ageing-related tau astrogliopathy) is not restricted to elderly brains and is associated with neurodegenerative pathology. shorturl.at/NEYWB

Tsang et al. reviewed 13 studies combining TMS with intracranial EEG in humans and non-human primates. They found that stimulation can rapidly alter neuronal activity and connectivity, with some effects persisting for extended periods. tinyurl.com/yver3s93

The January 2026 issue of Brain is now online! academic.oup.com/brain/issue/...

Have you read an outstanding paper published in Brain Communications during 2025? Take note of it for the Early Career Researcher Paper Prize! Nominations are Open! #ecr #paperprize #neuroscience Link to form: buff.ly/8DWT8TV Find out more at: buff.ly/5WfBuCR

González-Velasco et al. show that somatic mutations in known ALS genes are enriched in the motor cortex of patients with sporadic ALS, particularly in excitatory neurons, and may contribute to disease initiation. tinyurl.com/24vx7shp

Multiple studies have shown a mismatch between EEG parameters and subjective sleep quality. Hauglund & Nedergaard argue that nightly clearance of brain waste via the glymphatic system may be crucial for the restorative properties of sleep. tinyurl.com/2ju4cyc6

Defining neurological disease is less objective than often assumed. Simon Shorvon considers how confusion between symptoms and disease, shifting criteria, unstable classifications, and complex aetiology can undermine the medical model. tinyurl.com/5n8anfsc

Although new Alzheimer's disease therapies reduce amyloid plaques, they have not led to major clinical improvements. Pini et al. suggest that changes in brain connectivity may offer a more sensitive and biologically meaningful marker of disease modification. tinyurl.com/32975se3

Thalamic highways as a bridge to neuromodulation New scientific commentary by David Burdette, Bahram Sarvi Zargar & Paul Ferrari tinyurl.com/bdhh28dn

White matter changes in Alzheimer's disease: contributor, consequence or co-pathology? New scientific commentary by Julia Neitzel tinyurl.com/3x5ezsrc

December's issue of Brain is now online! academic.oup.com/brain/issue/...

One third of stroke survivors experience vision loss. Raffin et al. present a non-invasive brain stimulation technique targeting visual pathways and show that it improves perception and expands visual fields. tinyurl.com/yhppvzkv

De Marchi et al. used FDG-PET and machine learning to examine neuropsychological and metabolic differences across the ALS-FTD spectrum, revealing distinct cognitive profiles and patterns of brain hypometabolism.

Koch et al. review motor skill learning and sensorimotor adaptation after stroke, highlighting ways in which lesion location, recovery stage, and individual differences affect learning, and offering recommendations for future research.

Weisman et al. critically examine the claim that pain can exist purely in the mind, without any physical trigger in the body, arguing instead that nociception is necessary – but not sufficient – for pain. tinyurl.com/yw88waba

To commemorate the bicentenary of Jean-Martin Charcot's life. Without him Neurology would be a different speciality. @uclqsion.bsky.social @brain1878.bsky.social @masudhusain.bsky.social academic.oup.com/brain/articl...

Cortical cerebral microinfarcts spark cognitive decline New scientific commentary by Gemma Solé-Guardia, Anil Tuladhar & Frank-Erik de Leeuw: tinyurl.com/nhrr7fek

Are you familiar with immunoglobulin G’s pathophysiological role in fibromyalgia? Check out Israel et al.’s article in @brain1878.bsky.social, and Allan Basbaum’s comment on his view of this paper to find out! bit.ly/47B1fii #PRF

Choo et al. show that damage to the medial temporal lobe – particularly the hippocampus – reduces the precision of memory for fine visual details, underscoring the role of this region in maintaining the fidelity of visual working memory representations. tinyurl.com/t2jxztz7

November's issue of Brain is now online! academic.oup.com/brain/issue/...

Mukherjee et al. review how ageing affects remyelination in MS. While most studies suggest remyelination capacity decreases with age, findings are sometimes inconsistent, and remyelination remains possible at any age. tinyurl.com/c2ynpfrj

Togo et al. show strong electrophysiological links between the hippocampus and both the anterior and posterior thalamus, along with robust connections between thalamic subregions. tinyurl.com/5c6n23xj

Kollenburg et al. review the molecular mechanisms and regional activity patterns underlying headache disorders including migraine, cluster headache, and paroxysmal hemicrania. tinyurl.com/46aafjxu

The current environment is making it near impossible to run clinical trials in the UK. One key issue discussed in @brain1878.bsky.social is the duplication - or worse - of regulatory oversight at NHS hospitals & universities. My views on how to change the system academic.oup.com/brain/articl...

Pruckner et al. show that the structural effects of neurosurgery extend beyond the resected tissue into connected networks through transneuronal degeneration. They were able to reliably predict these changes from preoperative MRI. tinyurl.com/a6rxvbey

New issue of Brain now online! tinyurl.com/mwxp6x24

Avalos-Alais et al. present a high-resolution probabilistic map of bidirectional effective connectivity between the human lateral PFC and widespread cortical and subcortical regions, based on analysis of intracranial evoked potentials. tinyurl.com/br7htec9

Mongay-Ochoa et al. review advanced methods for mapping brain connections and identify common topographical patterns of pathology spread across different neurological disorders, including MS, AD and PD. tinyurl.com/3sz8ayup

Research into mental imagery often relies on Hume’s view of visual imagination as weak perception. Arcangeli & Bartolomeo argue that Sartre’s alternative framework – supported by recent findings on aphantasia – offers a more conceptually robust approach. tinyurl.com/n2k3md9e

Pansieri et al. argue that bureaucracy is suffocating research, as an ever increasing admin burden consumes researchers’ time and diverts focus from discovery to compliance. tinyurl.com/ybv5e9ft

Using tau PET and post-mortem data from individuals with five clinical variants of AD, de Bruin et al. show that tau progression follows the brain’s intrinsic functional connectivity architecture, originating from local epicentres. tinyurl.com/bdfprjcn