Millions of people worldwide are living with brain disorders right now. They are being diagnosed, treated, and managed based on research that — in too many cases — was built without them in mind. The science exists. But the gaps in who that science reflects are costing people their lives, their function, and their futures.
This is what we know. And this is why it has to change.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibers, disrupting communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Symptoms range from fatigue and vision problems to mobility loss and cognitive decline. MS affects nearly 3 million people globally — and its incidence is rising.
MS has long been characterized as a disease that primarily affects white women of Northern European descent. That framing has shaped decades of research — and it has come at a devastating cost for everyone left out of it.
In a large cohort study, Black women had a 59% higher risk of MS than White women. Source
In one recent study, Black patients with MS had fivefold higher odds of higher disability scores than White patients. Source
A 2015 review found that only 113 out of nearly 60,000 published MS articles focused on African American or Black people with MS. Source
Across phase 3 MS therapy trials reviewed, the median percentage of non-White participants was 6.2%. Source
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia — a progressive neurological disorder that destroys memory, thinking, and eventually the ability to carry out daily tasks. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the only one in the top ten without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression.
Older Black Americans are about twice as likely, and older Hispanic Americans about 1.5 times as likely, to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older White Americans. Yet these communities have remained underrepresented in Alzheimer’s treatment research and clinical trials. In a recent review of U.S.-based phase 3 Alzheimer disease trials, median White enrollment exceeded 90%, while Black and Hispanic participation was far lower — limiting how confidently researchers can assess risk, disease progression, safety, and treatment response across the populations most affected.
More than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
A new case of dementia arises somewhere in the world about every 3 seconds.
By 2050, the number of people living with dementia worldwide is projected to reach 139 million.
In the United States, health and long-term care costs for people living with dementia are projected to reach $409 billion in 2026.
Dementia research must reflect the communities most affected by it. When historically underrepresented populations are left out of research, future treatments are built on incomplete evidence about risk, disease progression, safety, and treatment response. That makes it harder to deliver care that is effective, equitable, and trustworthy for everyone.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, causing tremors, stiffness, and slowed motion. It is the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world, affecting 10 million people globally — and it remains incurable.Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibers, disrupting communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Symptoms range from fatigue and vision problems to mobility loss and cognitive decline. MS affects nearly 3 million people globally — and its incidence is rising.
Black individuals were twice as likely to have previously undiagnosed parkinsonism. Source
African American patients were four times less likely to receive Parkinson’s treatment in one Medicaid study. Source
Black patients with Parkinson’s are less likely to reach specialty care. Source
In one trial analysis, fewer than 1% of participants were Black or Latino.
Every community affected by Parkinson’s deserves timely diagnosis, quality care, and a place in research. Evidence suggests that some
communities still face barriers to specialty care, treatment, and participation in studies — but these gaps can be addressed through stronger outreach, more inclusive research, and better access to expert care. By centering communities in this work, we can help ensure that future progress in Parkinson’s benefits everyone
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures caused by sudden bursts of electrical activity in the brain. It affects 50 million people worldwide, making it one of the most common neurological disorders globally — and one of the least understood by the general public.
People with epilepsy living in low- and middle-income countries—where the burden is highest and the treatment gap remains severe. Source
Industry-funded epilepsy trial sites located in high-income countries, not where most people with epilepsy live. Source
Black children with drug-resistant epilepsy are less likely to receive surgical treatment. Source
U.S. epilepsy trials reporting race—leaving major gaps in who is counted in the evidence. Source
Reporting trials underrepresenting Black participants. Source
Stigma continues to drive delayed care, isolation, and discrimination. Source
Too many people living with epilepsy are still being left out of the care, research, and investment that shape outcomes. When the highest-burden communities have the least access to treatment, when Black children face barriers to specialty surgery care, when clinical trials fail to reflect the people most affected, and when stigma still delays help- seeking, inequity becomes part of the disease burden itself. Advocacy is how we change that—by pushing for inclusive research, earlier diagnosis, equitable specialty care, and policies that reach every community living with epilepsy.
A stroke occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off — either by a blockage or a bleed. Every minute without treatment, 1.9 million brain cells die. Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and a leading cause of long-term disability.
Stroke is one of the starkest examples of disparity in all of neurology:
Stroke is one of the most preventable neurological emergencies—and that is exactly why these disparities are so urgent. Up to 80% of strokes may be preventable with the right mix of risk-factor control, timely preventive care, and sustained community support. But the people facing the highest stroke burden are too often the ones with the least access to those protections—and too often the least represented in the research that shapes prevention, treatment, and recovery. When prevention does not reach the communities most at risk, inequity becomes part of the outcome.
Traumatic Brain Injury results from a sudden blow, bump, or penetrating injury to the head that disrupts normal brain function. TBIs range from mild concussions to severe injuries resulting in permanent disability or death. An estimated 69 million people suffer a TBI worldwide each year.
American Indian and Alaska Native communities face the highest rates of TBI-related hospitalization and death in the United States. Source
Black and Hispanic patients are less likely to receive follow-up care and rehabilitation after a traumatic brain injury. Source
Women remain markedly underrepresented in TBI clinical trials, even though sex- related biological factors may shape injury response and recovery. Source
Many influential studies on long-term brain injury outcomes have disproportionately focused on men and underrepresented racially marginalized communities
Everyone deserves the chance to benefit from prevention, treatment, and recovery shaped by research that reflects their reality. But when brain injury and stroke research leaves out the communities carrying the greatest burden, care becomes less effective, gaps in access grow wider, and preventable harm continues. Building
more inclusive science is not only better medicine—it is an urgent step toward fairness
Migraine is far more than a headache. It is a complex neurological disease characterized by recurring attacks of severe, debilitating head pain — often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Chronic migraine is defined as experiencing 15 or more headache days per month, with at least 8 of those meeting migraine criteria. It affects approximately 1 billion people worldwide, making it the second most disabling neurological disorder on the planet — and one of the most undertreated.
Migraine is the leading cause of years lived with disability among people 15–49 worldwide. Source
Women live with migraine three times more often than men. Source
Migraine’s direct and indirect costs were estimated at $36 billion in 2016. Source
Migraine is not just a bad headache.
Migraine sits at the intersection of two of the most persistent failures in brain health research: gender bias and racial bias.
Chronic migraine is more than pain — it is lost time, lost stability, and preventable suffering. It disrupts work, relationships, and mental health, and for patients whose symptoms are more likely to be dismissed or undertreated, the burden grows even heavier. A disease that affects roughly 1 in 7 people worldwide deserves research and care that reflect all who live with it. Until migraine science includes the full population, inequity will remain built into diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.
BrainWays Health Collaborative was built to confront this pattern head-on — through research that reflects real communities, education that reaches the people who need it most, and a global movement of patients, caregivers, providers, and advocates who refuse to accept a status quo that consistently leaves people behind.
The science of the brain is extraordinary. The gap between who benefits from it and who doesn’t is not.
We are closing that gap. One enrollment, one community, one breakthrough at a time.
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