Telemedicine in neurology: current evidence

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Digital Health
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Telemedicine initially supported acute stroke treatment in Neurology.
• Its application has expanded to various neurological conditions.
• COVID-19 accelerated telemedicine adoption in Brazil for neurological care, reducing SARS-CoV-2 exposure risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• Critically review current evidence on telemedicine in Neurology.
• Assess its use, efficacy, safety, and overall usefulness across different neurological subspecialties.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a PubMed literature review.
• Searched for "telemedicine AND" specific neurological conditions (headache, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia, etc.).
• Critically analyzed relevant studies in each neurological area.

Main Results:

• Identified numerous articles supporting telemedicine use in diverse neurological fields.
• Highlighted telemedicine's significant contributions to diagnosing and treating neurological conditions.
• Demonstrated broad potential for telemedicine across all analyzed neurological subspecialties.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence validates teleneurology as a valuable tool.
• Teleneurology effectively increases access to care for patients with neurological diseases.