The Neurology Minute® podcast delivers a brief daily summary of what you need to know in the field of neurology, the latest science focused on the brain, and timely topics explored by leading neurologists and neuroscientists. From the American Academy of Neurology and hosted by Stacey Clardy, MD, PhD, FAAN, with contributions by experts from the Neurology® journals, Neurology Today®, Continuum®, and more.

Persistent unilateral weakness, facial droop, speech disturbance or wake-up deficit needs a broad stroke alert process. The key clinical distinction is that activation screens for time-critical assessment; it is not a severity score or proof of acute ischaemic stroke.

Older adults with gait decline, cognitive change and urinary symptoms need more than a remembered triad. The shunting review explains how imaging, temporary CSF drainage response and objective gait measures help frame referral, consent and the real risks of haematoma or low-pressure headache.

Sudden painless monocular visual loss is treated here as acute retinal ischaemia, requiring stroke-style urgency rather than routine outpatient eye review. It is a focused update on eligibility, evidence uncertainty and time-critical assessment in central retinal artery occlusion.

First-in-human prion disease research needs clear separation between symptomatic stabilisation and prevention in genetic-risk carriers. PRISM targets RNA encoding prion protein; the clinical point is to distinguish mechanism, population and aspiration from proven benefit.

Recurrent headache reviews need a treatment history that names what worked, partly worked or failed. Triptan choice, preventive therapy and AI-supported recommendations should sit beside broad history, prior response and red or amber features rather than default prescribing habits.

Developmental regression with loss of language, purposeful hand use or stereotyped hand movements should move quickly to paediatric neurology. MECP2 testing, early developmental therapies and multisystem monitoring matter, including epilepsy, gastrointestinal dysfunction, breathing abnormalities and orthopaedic complications.

Older adults asking whether shingles or RSV vaccination prevents dementia need cautious counselling. The reported lower dementia signal is observational and hypothesis-generating, so vaccine discussions should stay anchored to licensed indications while research explores the AS01 adjuvant.

AI in headache care is framed as clinician-supervised support. Diagnostic algorithms may help non-specialists recognise migraine and prescribing checks can review interactions or history, but current tools cannot reliably predict acute or preventive treatment response.

Memory concerns in older former football players need exposure history alongside cognitive assessment. The research link is specific: inflammatory biomarkers, limbic white matter microstructure and memory performance are associated, but biomarkers do not diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy in an individual.

Developmental regression after near-normal early milestones deserves a Rett syndrome lens when hand function, language, gait or head size changes. The short neurology update also flags MECP2 testing and common comorbidities such as epilepsy, scoliosis and autonomic dysfunction.