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Current Practice and Future Perspectives of Neurological Conditions Caused by Neurodegeneration, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Neurology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 3005

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lilla Bonanno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo, 98124 Messina, Italy
Interests: neurodegenerative diseases; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; multiple sclerosis; Parkinson's disease; Alzheimer's disease; Huntington's disease; multiple system atrophy; prion diseases; stroke
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue entitled “Current Practice and Future Perspectives of Neurological Conditions Caused by Neurodegeneration, 2nd Edition”. In our previous Special Issue, entitled “Current Practice and Future Perspectives of Neurological Conditions Caused by Neurodegeneration”, we collected high-quality papers covering a wide range of topics. This is a continuation of the previous series.

In recent decades, researchers have been trying to enhance the development of reliable biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, while medical practice has been moving toward precision medicine. However, there is still an urgent need to identify disease-specific biomarkers to improve early diagnostic workups, favor clinical classification and prognostic models, and facilitate the development of effective disease-modifying therapies. Most neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, have a late onset, meaning that, for each of these diseases, there are some factors which change as a person ages. One constant factor is that, in each disease, neurons gradually lose function as the disease progresses with age. About 20–40% of healthy people between 60 and 78 years of age experience discernable decrements in cognitive performance in several domains, including working, spatial, and episodic memory and processing speed.

This Special Issue aims to highlight current knowledge regarding neurodegeneration’s pathogenic mechanisms and underline possible current practices and future perspectives in neurodegenerative diseases.

In this Special Issue, original articles and reviews are welcome. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Lilla Bonanno
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Huntington's disease
  • multiple-system atrophy
  • prion diseases
  • stroke

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2278 KiB  
Article
Applications of Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Mirror Therapy for Upper Limb Rehabilitation in Post-Stroke Patients: A Brain Plasticity Pilot Study
by Caterina Formica, Simona De Salvo, Nunzio Muscarà, Lilla Bonanno, Francesca Antonia Arcadi, Viviana Lo Buono, Giuseppe Acri, Angelo Quartarone and Silvia Marino
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(21), 6612; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13216612 - 4 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1593
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the neural pattern activation during mirror therapy (MT) and explore any cortical reorganization and reducing asymmetry of hemispheric activity for upper limb rehabilitation in post-stroke patients. Methods: A box containing a mirror was placed [...] Read more.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the neural pattern activation during mirror therapy (MT) and explore any cortical reorganization and reducing asymmetry of hemispheric activity for upper limb rehabilitation in post-stroke patients. Methods: A box containing a mirror was placed between the arms of the patients to create the illusion of normal motion in the affected limb by reflecting the image of the unaffected limb in motion. We measured the cerebral hemodynamic response using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We enrolled ten right-handed stroke patients. They observed healthy hand movements in the mirror (MT condition) while performing various tasks (MT condition), and then repeated the same tasks with the mirror covered (N-MT condition). Results: Significant activation of some brain areas was observed in the right and left hemiparesis groups for the MT condition, while lower levels of activation were observed for the N-MT condition. The results showed significant differences in hemodynamic response based on oxygenated (HbO) concentrations between MT and N-MT conditions across all tasks in sensorimotor areas. These neural circuits were activated despite the motor areas being affected by the brain injury, indicating that the reflection of movement in the mirror helped to activate them. Conclusions: These results suggest that MT promotes cortical activations of sensory motor areas in affected and non-affected brain sides in subacute post-stroke patients, and it encourages the use of these tools in clinical practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Practice and Future Perspectives of Neurological Conditions Caused by Neurodegeneration, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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53 pages, 1014 KiB  
Review
Neural Correlates of Huntington’s Disease Based on Electroencephalography (EEG): A Mechanistic Review and Discussion of Excitation and Inhibition (E/I) Imbalance
by James Chmiel, Jarosław Nadobnik, Szymon Smerdel and Mirela Niedzielska
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(14), 5010; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14145010 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2025
Abstract
Introduction: Huntington’s disease (HD) disrupts cortico-striato-thalamocortical circuits decades before clinical onset. Electroencephalography (EEG) offers millisecond temporal resolution, low cost, and broad accessibility, yet its mechanistic and biomarker potential in HD remains underexplored. We conducted a mechanistic review to synthesize half a century [...] Read more.
Introduction: Huntington’s disease (HD) disrupts cortico-striato-thalamocortical circuits decades before clinical onset. Electroencephalography (EEG) offers millisecond temporal resolution, low cost, and broad accessibility, yet its mechanistic and biomarker potential in HD remains underexplored. We conducted a mechanistic review to synthesize half a century of EEG findings, identify reproducible electrophysiological signatures, and outline translational next steps. Methods: Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and the Cochrane Library (January 1970–April 2025) using the terms “EEG” OR “electroencephalography” AND “Huntington’s disease”. Clinical trials published in English that reported raw EEG (not ERP-only) in human HD gene carriers were eligible. Abstract/title screening, full-text appraisal, and cross-reference mining yielded 22 studies (~700 HD recordings, ~600 controls). We extracted sample characteristics, acquisition protocols, spectral/connectivity metrics, and neuroclinical correlations. Results: Across diverse platforms, a consistent spectral trajectory emerged: (i) presymptomatic carriers show a focal 7–9 Hz (low-alpha) power loss that scales with CAG repeat length; (ii) early-manifest patients exhibit widespread alpha attenuation, delta–theta excess, and a flattened anterior-posterior gradient; (iii) advanced disease is characterized by global slow-wave dominance and low-voltage tracings. Source-resolved studies reveal early alpha hypocoherence and progressive delta/high-beta hypersynchrony, microstate shifts (A/B ↑, C/D ↓), and rising omega complexity. These electrophysiological changes correlate with motor burden, cognitive slowing, sleep fragmentation, and neurovascular uncoupling, and achieve 80–90% diagnostic accuracy in shallow machine-learning pipelines. Conclusions: EEG offers a coherent, stage-sensitive window on HD pathophysiology—from early thalamocortical disinhibition to late network fragmentation—and fulfills key biomarker criteria. Translation now depends on large, longitudinal, multi-center cohorts with harmonized high-density protocols, rigorous artifact control, and linkage to clinical milestones. Such infrastructure will enable the qualification of alpha-band restoration, delta-band hypersynchrony, and neurovascular coupling as pharmacodynamic readouts, fostering precision monitoring and network-targeted therapy in Huntington’s disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Practice and Future Perspectives of Neurological Conditions Caused by Neurodegeneration, 2nd Edition)

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

32 pages, 806 KiB  
Systematic Review
Safety and Efficacy of Different Therapeutic Interventions for Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Systematic Review
by Abdulrahim Saleh Alrasheed, Reem Ali Alshamrani, Abdullah Ali Al Ameer, Reham Mohammed Alkahtani, Noor Mohammad AlMohish, Mustafa Ahmed AlQarni and Majed Mohammad Alabdali
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(9), 3063; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14093063 - 29 Apr 2025
Viewed by 999
Abstract
Background: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder that worsens over time without appropriate treatment. Although referral to a speech and language pathologist is essential for diagnosing language deficits and developing effective treatment plans, there is no scientific consensus regarding the [...] Read more.
Background: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder that worsens over time without appropriate treatment. Although referral to a speech and language pathologist is essential for diagnosing language deficits and developing effective treatment plans, there is no scientific consensus regarding the most effective treatment. Thus, our study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of various therapeutic interventions for PPA. Methods: Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched to identify articles assessing different therapeutic interventions for PPA. To ensure comprehensive coverage, the search strategy employed specific medical subject headings. The primary outcome measure was language gain; the secondary outcome assessed overall therapeutic effects. Data on study characteristics, patient demographics, PPA subtypes, therapeutic modalities, and treatment patterns were collected. Results: Fifty-seven studies with 655 patients were included. For naming and word finding, errorless learning therapy, lexical retrieval cascade (LRC), semantic feature training, smartphone-based cognitive therapy, picture-naming therapy, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) maintained effects for up to six months. Repetitive rTMS, video-implemented script training for aphasia (VISTA), and structured oral reading therapy improved speech fluency. Sole transcranial treatments enhanced auditory verbal comprehension, whereas transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with language or cognitive therapy improved repetition abilities. Phonological and orthographic treatments improved reading accuracy across PPA subtypes. tDCS combined with speech therapy enhanced mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores and cognitive function. Several therapies, including smartphone-based cognitive therapy and VISTA therapy, demonstrated sustained language improvements over six months. Conclusions: Various therapeutic interventions offer potential benefits for individuals with PPA. However, due to the heterogeneity in study designs, administration methods, small sample sizes, and lack of standardized measurement methods, drawing a firm conclusion is difficult. Further studies are warranted to establish evidence-based treatment protocols. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Practice and Future Perspectives of Neurological Conditions Caused by Neurodegeneration, 2nd Edition)
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