Reference: January 2026 | Issue 1 | Vol 12 | Page 4
The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and the Korean Neurological Association hosted the XXVII World Congress of Neurology (WCN) in Seoul, South Korea, from October 12 to 15, 2025.
WCN is a major, biennial conference that brings together world-class neurologists, experts, researchers, and clinicians from across the globe to showcase the latest advances in brain science, neurology, and patient care. This year’s congress theme was ‘The soul of neurological innovation’.
“The world is paying attention to brain health and the field of neurology is positioned to make groundbreaking changes in the way we diagnose, treat, and care for brain disorders around the world,” said Prof Wolfgang Grisold, WFN President.
“Through this Congress, we have a unique opportunity to shift the global trajectory of brain health through education, research, and collaboration, which is the core of the mission of the World Federation of Neurology.”
WCN 2025 featured a diverse schedule of workshops, teaching courses, debate sessions, informal talks with WFN leadership, and plenary lectures delivered by leading neurology experts, discussing the latest developments in their fields.
Throughout the Congress, WFN hosted a series of interactive conversations about Brain Health, with participation from the World Health Organization (WHO), featuring the worldwide advocacy activities of WFN – from the IntersectoralGlobal Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders, to World Brain Day.
“WCN is committed to fostering a global perspective in the field of neurology, recognising that diverse health systems and neurological challenges around the world require collaborative efforts to advance better brain health for all,” said Prof Beomseok Jeon, President, XXVII World Congress of Neurology.
Gene therapies for inherited neuropathies
The therapeutic landscape for inherited neuropathies is rapidly evolving into one in which gene silencing, gene editing, and biomarker-driven innovation are reshaping what is possible for patients once considered untreatable.
Speaking at this year’s Congress, Prof Mary Reilly, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Consultant Neurologist, University College London’s Queen Square Institute of Neurology, said that science has finally caught up with the vision.
“After decades of mapping the genetic causes of neuropathy, we are finally treating them at their source,” said Prof Reilly. “What once felt theoretical is now entering the clinic.”
Prof Reilly traced the path from early genetic discoveries in transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis – once a uniformly fatal condition – to today’s RNA- and CRISPR-based therapies that silence or edit disease-causing genes directly. These breakthroughs have transformed outcomes and set a precedent for applying gene-based treatments to broader classes of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and related disorders.
Biomarkers such as neurofilament light chain and MRI fat fraction are emerging as critical tools to measure treatment response and accelerate regulatory approval.
“For slowly progressive neurogenetic diseases, we need surrogate endpoints that predict clinical change,” said Prof Reilly. “Without them, our trials will take too long, and progress will slow.”
As patients live longer, novel disease patterns, such as central nervous system involvement in TTR amyloidosis, are beginning to emerge, underscoring the need to study the natural history of treated diseases. This calls for collaboration across industry, regulators, and academia to ensure delivery challenges, safety standards, and long trial timelines do not stall innovation.
“We’re learning how to deliver therapies not just to the liver or muscle, but to the peripheral nerve itself,” she said. “Each barrier we overcome expands what’s possible for the next disease.
“The precision tools of modern genetics, once confined to theory, are now rewriting the future of neurology and neurodegenerative care. “We are at the cusp of a transformative moment,” Prof Reilly concluded.
“Inherited neuropathies are moving from gene discovery to gene therapy. The next challenge – and opportunity – is to make these treatments safe, scalable, and accessible to every patient who needs them.”
The next evolution in stroke care
At the WCN, Prof Charlotte Cordonnier, Professor of Neurology at Lille University Hospital, France, urged the global neurology community to carry forward the lessons of the ischaemic stroke revolution and apply them to one of medicine’s most urgent frontiers – intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH).
“Over the past 30 years, our understanding of time, teamwork, and imaging transformed ischaemic stroke from a fatal event to a treatable emergency,” she said. “Now it’s time to bring that same focus, innovation, and collaboration to haemorrhagic stroke – where mortality remains unacceptably high and progress has lagged behind.”
Prof Cordonnier outlined a three-step strategy for the future of ICH care: Prevent hematoma expansion, promote hematoma evacuation, and counter neuroinflammatory response. She emphasised that success will come, not from isolated interventions, but from integrated, time-sensitive care models that combine imaging, neuro-intensive medicine, pharmacologic innovation, and personalised targets for blood pressure and organ function.
Her vision calls for a new generation of data-driven stroke units, where imaging and biomarkers work in tandem to guide individualised treatment decisions. “We must look beyond the vessel and focus on the blood content and its toxicity,” she explained.
“Understanding how blood interacts with brain tissue – and how to reverse those effects – is the next great leap.”
Beyond acute care, Prof Cordonnier highlighted the importance of prevention and long-term brain health, noting that small vessel disease burden strongly predicts both functional and cognitive decline among stroke survivors.
“Prevention doesn’t end at the hospital,” she said. “It begins with promoting brain health across the lifespan and reducing small-vessel damage before the first event ever occurs.
“We’re in an evolution that connects everything we’ve learned from ischaemic stroke to a new era of care for haemorrhagic stroke. Together, through science, precision, and collaboration, we can change the story for these patients.”
Her remarks reflected a defining message of this year’s Congress – that neurology’s greatest breakthroughs arise not from isolated discoveries, but from collective evolution, translating decades of insight into new standards of care that extend and improve lives worldwide.
WHO roadmap for brain health
Neurological conditions now affect more than 40 per cent of the population – over three billion people, according to the WHO’s Global Status Report on Neurology, released at the WCN.
The first-of-its-kind report highlights that only 53 per cent of WHO Member States (102 countries out of 194) contributed to this report – an indicator of the limited attention given to neurology.
The report reveals that neurological conditions affect one in three people, and are responsible for more than 11 million deaths globally each year, with more than 80 per cent of the burden in low- and middle-income countries.
Despite its prevalence, too few countries have a standalone or integrated policy on neurology, only a minority include neurological services in universal health coverage benefit packages, and workforce shortages remain profound – necessitating task-sharing and primary-care strengthening to close treatment gaps.
Just 32 per cent of Member States (63 countries) have a national policy addressing neurological disorders, and only 18 per cent (34 countries) report having dedicated funding to address these conditions, the WHO found.
The report reveals a severe lack of qualified health professionals, with low-income countries facing up to 82 times fewer neurologists per 100,000 people compared to high-income nations. This shortage means that for many patients, timely diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care are simply out of reach.
Neurological conditions often require lifelong care. Yet only 46 Member States offer carer services and just 44 Member States have legal protections in place for carers. As a result, informal carers – most often women – are left without recognition or support, reinforcing social inequities and placing a significant financial strain on families.
Addressing delegates live at the WCN, Dr Tarun Dua, Head of the Brain Health Unit of the WHO, called for an accelerated, whole-of-society push to make brain health a policy priority in every country. “This is not a siloed agenda. It’s an integrated public-health imperative,” she said.
Framing brain health as an essential pillar of public health, Dr Dua urged neurologists, policymakers, and partners to align on integrated strategies that move care from fragmented to coordinated, from urban specialty settings to strong, community-based primary care.
“The science is clear and the path is practical,” said Dr Dua. “If countries embed brain health in universal coverage, strengthen primary care, ensure access to essential medicines, reduce stigma, and invest in data systems, we can measurably improve lives, especially in settings where the need is greatest.”
The report, strategically and symbolically announced at the Congress, outlines the urgency and opportunity for advancement in brain health on a global scale, and the key role WFN and its membership organisations play in brain health research and advocacy worldwide.
“The significance of the WHO announcement coming from the World Congress of Neurology underscores the importance of neurologists playing an active role in brain health advocacy worldwide,” said Prof Wolfgang Grisold, WFN President.
“With the rising prevalence of neurological conditions, we are committed to working with WHO on real solutions, including supporting neurologists in advocacy work, in addition to training programmes to help combat the severe lack of qualified health professionals, particularly in low-income countries.”