Key Highlights from the 2025 American Neurological Association Annual Meeting

The 150th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA), held September 13–16, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland celebrated the organization’s history and advances in neuroscience as well as highlighting emerging frontiers in neurology. The meeting brought together neurologists, researchers, and students, to explore how the integration of genomic data, computational tools, and biological validation may be enhancing the understanding of individual vulnerabilities to neurological diseases such as in late-onset Alzheimer disease. Keynote and cross-cutting sessions presented at ANA 2025 covered a wide range of advances in neurology and neuroscience.¹

At ANA 2025, the opening symposium marked the 75th anniversary of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s, highlighting its contributions to neurological disorders. One of the symposiums explored the applications of polygenic risk scores in precision medicine and their integration with AI to identify gene-disease interactions. Sessions on lifespan transitions in neurodevelopmental disorders examined strategies to improve care models and outcomes across the lifespan, whereas a session on undiagnosed diseases highlighted deep phenotyping and omics-based approaches to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, a plenary session on GLP-1 receptor agonists discussed their potential therapeutic role in inflammation-driven neurodegenerative disorders.

Following the meeting, NeurologyLive^® spoke with Allison W. Willis, MD, MS, chair of the ANA’s Annual Meeting Programming Committee, who highlighted several of the presentations that may have implications for clinical practice and research. Willis, who also serves as an associate professor of neurology and of epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, noted that ANA 2025 emphasized the growing role of genetics, AI, and data-driven approaches in understanding disease mechanisms. She also talked about the emerging therapies and interventions across multiple neurological conditions discussed at the meeting for their potential to improve outcomes.

NeurologyLive: Which clinical findings or trial results from ANA 2025 could impact patient care in the near term?

Allison W. Willis, MD, MS: Several clinical presentations at ANA 2025 stood out as highly relevant to near-term patient care. One of the most exciting takeaways for me from ANA 2025 was seeing how fast our field is moving toward personalized, data-driven neurology. The plenary on polygenic risk scores demonstrated how genetics and AI are converging in ways that could help us anticipate neurological disease risk and tailor prevention strategies for individual patients.

The emerging evidence on GLP-1 receptor agonists was equally compelling, highlighting their potential neuroprotective benefits in Alzheimer dementia and Parkinson disease (PD). Trials involving adaptive deep-brain stimulation and FcRn antagonist therapies for myasthenia gravis also gave me optimism that precision therapeutics will soon be the standard, not the exception. Across sessions, I left feeling that the bridge from bench to bedside is becoming a well-traveled path for neurology and neuroscience.

Were there any presentations that changed or reinforced your perspective on current treatment strategies?

ANA 2025 reinforced my belief that the most meaningful progress occurs when we integrate rigorous, evidence-based academic neurology and neuroscience with care models that acknowledge the complexity of our patients’ lives. The plenary on lifespan transitions in neurodevelopmental disorders was especially powerful as it challenged us to think about continuity of care and the social dimensions that influence neurological outcomes just as much as molecular mechanisms.

Similarly, the deep-phenotyping session on undiagnosed diseases showed how deep phenotyping and omics-based analysis can uncover diagnostic clarity where traditional methods fall short. Collectively, these sessions underscored that neurology must merge biological precision with contextual awareness of social determinants, environmental exposures, care transitions, and multidisciplinary collaboration to enable new discoveries and optimize long-term outcomes.

What emerging therapies or diagnostic tools discussed at ANA 2025 stood out as particularly promising for clinical use?

Several innovations discussed at ANA 2025 felt in reach of daily practice. I was impressed by the omics-based diagnostic platforms presented in the Undiagnosed Diseases plenary, which showed how deep phenotyping can turn diagnostic odysseys into solvable puzzles. Additionally, α-synuclein skin and CSF biomarkers and AI-driven ocular motor assessments stood out as tools that could reshape early detection and monitoring in PD and multiple sclerosis. The gene therapy updates in myotonic and X-linked disorders added to that sense of real momentum.

The presentations on GLP-1 receptor agonists were among the most promising, highlighting their dual role in metabolic and neuroprotective pathways, and potentially enhancing our understanding of both. What stood out most was how these innovations were framed not only as scientific milestones but as reflections of a shared commitment to transforming discovery into life transforming treatments for our patients. In summary, ANA 2025 stood as a testament to the collective intellectual ambition of academic neurology and its ability to adapt, regenerate, and translate discovery into measurable improvement in human health.

Transcript edited for clarity. Click here for more coverage of ANA 2025.

REFERENCES
1. American Neurological Association Announces Key Plenaries for the Celebratory 150th Annual Meeting September 13-16, 2025, in Baltimore. News release. June 4, 2025. Accessed October 10, 2025. https://www.newswise.com/articles/american-neurological-association-announces-key-plenaries-for-the-celebratory-150th-annual-meeting-september-13-16-2025-in-baltimore