Neurology content commonly referenced by physicians includes major clinical practice guidelines, diagnostic frameworks, therapeutic advances, landmark clinical trials, and validated clinical assessment tools. The following 10-item framework reflects widely used resources that inform neurologic care.

1. American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA) Acute Ischemic Stroke Guidelines — The AHA/ASA guideline for acute ischemic stroke provides evidence-based recommendations for prehospital care, emergency evaluation, intravenous and intra-arterial treatment, in-hospital management, and early secondary prevention.

2. AHA/ASA Primary Prevention of Stroke Guideline — The AHA/ASA guideline provides recommendations for first-stroke prevention through risk factor management, cardiovascular and brain health optimization, and lifespan-based prevention strategies. The 2024 update includes revised recommendations and additional guidance on sex-specific stroke risk factors.

3. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale — The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale is a validated clinical tool used to assess stroke severity by measuring neurological deficits across multiple functional domains.

4. Dopaminergic Therapy for Early Parkinson Disease Guideline – The American Academy of Neurology guideline provides recommendations for initiating dopaminergic treatment for motor symptoms in early Parkinson disease. The guidance compares levodopa, dopamine agonists, and related formulations, supporting clinician-patient discussions about expected motor benefit, dyskinesia risk, impulse control disorders, prescribing decisions, and safety monitoring.

5. International League Against Epilepsy Classification of the Epilepsies — The International League Against Epilepsy classification system organizes epilepsy diagnosis by seizure type, epilepsy type, and epilepsy syndrome. It also incorporates etiology at each stage of evaluation, helping guide diagnosis, treatment decisions, and patient management.

6. Anti-Amyloid Monoclonal Antibodies for Alzheimer Disease — Lecanemab and donanemab are anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies approved for patients with early Alzheimer disease and confirmed amyloid pathology. These therapies target beta-amyloid in the brain and are administered to selected patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer disease.

7. McDonald Criteria for Multiple Sclerosis — The McDonald criteria provide a diagnostic framework for multiple sclerosis in patients with a typical clinically isolated syndrome. The criteria use clinical findings, magnetic resonance imaging, cerebrospinal fluid markers, and evidence of lesion dissemination in time and space to support diagnosis while highlighting exclusion of alternative explanations for a patient’s presentation.

8. Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide-Targeting Therapies for Migraine Prevention — The American Headache Society position statement recognizes calcitonin gene-related peptide-targeting therapies as first-line preventive treatment options for migraine. The guidance incorporates evidence on efficacy, safety, and tolerability for patients with episodic and chronic migraine.

9. DAWN and DEFUSE 3 Trials — The DAWN and DEFUSE 3 trials evaluated mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke who met specific clinical and imaging eligibility criteria. Both studies reported better 90-day functional outcomes among patients who underwent thrombectomy in addition to medical therapy compared with those who received medical therapy alone.

10. CLARITY AD Trial — The phase 3 CLARITY AD trial evaluated lecanemab in patients with early Alzheimer disease and evidence of amyloid pathology. Compared with placebo, lecanemab was associated with less decline on measures of cognition and function over 18 months.

Sources: Stroke, American Heart Association, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Neurology, American Headache Society, The New England Journal of Medicine, Alzheimer’s Association, The Lancet Neurology