Medication adherence is a key determinant of clinical outcomes in patients with noncommunicable chronic diseases, where long-term pharmacotherapy, continuous follow-up, and patient engagement are often required. This systematic review evaluated the use of the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) to assess medication adherence in adults with noncommunicable chronic diseases and summarized the adherence levels, associated factors, and methodological characteristics reported across clinical settings. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement. Searches were performed in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for studies published between January 2020 and September 2025. Eligible studies included primary research articles in English or Spanish that used the MMAS-8 as the main tool for assessing medication adherence in adults. A total of 989 records were identified. After removal of 71 duplicates, 918 records were screened by title and abstract, and 27 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Finally, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. The included studies evaluated conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, psoriasis, hypothyroidism, depression, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and multimorbidity. Overall, low or medium adherence was frequently reported, although adherence levels varied according to disease, care setting, population characteristics, and method of scale administration. Factors associated with adherence included sociodemographic characteristics, family support, health literacy, adverse effects, treatment satisfaction, quality of life, and pharmacist-led interventions. The MMAS-8 appears to be a practical tool for identifying potential medication adherence problems in chronic disease populations; however, its self-reported nature, methodological heterogeneity, and variability in administration limit direct comparability across studies. Future research should standardize the MMAS-8 application and combine it with objective adherence measures.

In the 21st century, neuroglial research has entered a period of Renaissance, extending the views of prominent neuroanatomists and neurologists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, who assigned to glial cells numerous physiological functions and highlighted their fundamental role in the pathophysiology of nervous system diseases. Astrocytes are highly diversified in structure and function; they control brain homeostasis, support synaptic connectivity, and enable information processing in neural networks. Evolutionary diversification of astrocytes, initially emerging as supportive cells of primitive sensory organs, drove a continuous expansion of astroglial complexity and functional versatility, ultimately making them indispensable neuroprotectors and homeostatic regulators. The large, morphologically elaborate astrocytes of the human brain arguably reflect an evolutionary response to increased neuronal homeostatic demands. Astrocytes are indispensable for synaptic function, serving as the principal regulators of neurotransmitter turnover and neuronal excitability. Astrocytes also govern brain energy metabolism, mitochondrial dynamics, and calcium signaling, thereby actively shaping cortical plasticity and circuits. Astrocytes are fundamental elements of the pathophysiology of neurological, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Rett syndrome, genetic astrocytopathies, and neurotrauma, where they demonstrate complex reactive changes directed at tissue preservation and regeneration, but which can also contribute to disease progression. Advances in single-cell transcriptomics, calcium imaging, chemogenetics, and iPSC-based models have transformed our understanding of astrocyte diversity and disease-specific dysfunction, opening new avenues of investigation. Given that no CNS disorder is known to occur without astrocyte involvement, multiple astrocyte-specific molecules represent compelling targets for cell-directed therapeutic strategies.

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma with heterogenous aetiology and presentation. In children, it often leads to short-term residual neurological deficits, however clinical predictors of adverse long-term outcome are not fully understood.

CNS inflammatory demyelinating diseases (CNS-IDDs), including multiple sclerosis and related conditions, have increasingly been associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). However, data on EBV genetic diversity, particularly regarding EBNA-1 gene variants, across different CNS-IDD subtypes in South Asian populations remain limited. This study examined EBV DNA prevalence and EBNA-1 sequence variation in 40 patients with CNS-IDD and 40 healthy controls from Pakistan. EBV DNA was found in 21 of 80 samples (26%), with a significantly higher occurrence in CNS-IDD patients (16/40, 40%) compared to healthy controls (5/40, 13%) (p = 0.005, OR = 4.667). All EBV-positive samples clustered within the P-thr EBNA-1 variant, carrying consistent amino acid substitutions P476Q, A487T, S492C, and T524I, suggesting these are conserved features of the regionally circulating strain. These findings provide a foundation for further studies to explore the pathogenic significance of EBNA-1 variation linked with CNS-IDDs in the region.

Evidence regarding neonatal immune outcomes following late-gestation exposure to ofatumumab remains limited. We report a 35-year-old woman with relapsing multiple sclerosis who continued ofatumumab until 28 weeks of gestation following individualized shared decision-making based on informed patient preference. The patient remained clinically and radiologically stable throughout pregnancy. Sustained maternal B-cell depletion enabled early postpartum resumption of maintenance therapy without re-induction. Although neonatal immune status at birth was unavailable, her infant showed normal B-cell counts during follow-up and completed routine vaccinations, including live vaccines, without complications. This case provides clinically relevant longitudinal neonatal immune and vaccination data following late-gestation ofatumumab exposure.