Neurology

MS Australia’s 2025 Research and Advocacy Priorities Survey captures what matters most to Australians affected by multiple sclerosis. Drawing on insights from more than 2 000 participants, it highlights evolving research and advocacy priorities, and provides a community‑driven roadmap to guide research investment, policy reform and clinical practice nationwide.

Tennille Luker, Julia Morahan, Rohan Greenland, David Tscharke

A recent paper co-authored by 39 leading scientists names the Polyvagal Theory (PVT) ‘untenable.’ It’s the work of two decades, with agreement from experts in wide-ranging fields. But some in the psychological community are hesitant to let PVT go.

Becca Whitehead

Health care must be a priority for this federal election. And within health care, neurological conditions must be prioritised.

Rohan Greenland, Matthew Kiernan

A total of 80 consensus recommendations have been developed to guide best-practice management of multiple sclerosis in Australia and New Zealand.

Annika Howells

Researchers at Monash University have isolated the electrical activity of single neurons from recordings of human vagus nerves and identified a subset that have cardiovascular function.

David GS Farmer, Vaughan G Macefield

Parkinson’s disease neurologists and advocates are urging the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA) to ban the common herbicide paraquat, citing compelling evidence linking its use to the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Caitlin Wright

Three new incubator grants on the vanguard of medical research will search for its biological markers, improve social supports, and use AI to predict the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS)

Becca Whitehead

We must urgently allocate more resources to upskilling general practitioners to better diagnose and manage Parkinson disease, particularly in regional areas, writes Dr Shanna Fealy.

Shanna Fealy

Although doctors may be aware of their patients’ struggles with multiple sclerosis, it is rare that the social determinants of health are considered or comprehensively assessed in routine practice to identify areas of concern.

Claudia H Marck, Jodi Haartsen, Anne M Kavanagh, Tomas Kalincik, Yvonne C Learmonth