Brain (journal)

Brain (journal)
Title	Brain
Discipline	Neurology
Abbreviation	Brain
Editor	Masud Husain
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Country	United Kingdom
History	1878–present
Frequency	Monthly
Impact	11.0
Impact-year	2023
Issn	0006-8950

Brain (journal) Brain is a peer-reviewed medical journal focusing on neurology, neuroscience, neuropathology, clinical neurology, neuroimaging, and neurophysiology. Founded in the late 19th century, it is published monthly by Oxford University Press and is widely regarded as one of the leading journals in clinical and translational neurology. The journal publishes original research, reviews, clinical case reports, and commentaries that bridge laboratory findings and patient care.

History

Established in 1878, the journal emerged during an era of expanding interest in neurological diseases, coinciding with figures such as Jean-Martin Charcot, Sigmund Freud, Camillo Golgi, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, and James Paget who shaped late 19th-century neuroscientific inquiry. Early editorial leadership and contributions connected the period’s hubs in London, Paris, Pavia, Madrid, and Edinburgh, fostering correspondence among investigators studying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and stroke. Over subsequent decades the journal documented advances associated with the development of electrophysiology by Emil du Bois-Reymond, neuroanatomical staining by Golgi and Cajal, and clinical classification systems influenced by clinicians in Vienna and Berlin. During the 20th century, pivotal expansions in content paralleled innovations at institutions such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and University College London. In the postwar era the journal reflected the rise of neuroimaging with reports influenced by work at Harvard University, University of California, San Francisco, Karolinska Institute, and Imperial College London. Recent editorial stewardship has emphasized translational research and global collaboration among centers including McGill University, University of Oxford, University of Toronto, and The Rockefeller University.

Scope and content

The journal encompasses clinical neurology, experimental neuroscience, neurogenetics, neuroimmunology, neuro-oncology, neurodegeneration, and neurorehabilitation. Manuscripts often address disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Lewy body dementia, Guillain–Barré syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and cerebral palsy. Methodological domains represented include neuroimaging modalities used at National Institutes of Health, electrophysiological techniques refined at University of Cambridge, neuropathological analyses associated with Mayo Clinic, and genetic sequencing approaches developed at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Reviews synthesize findings from consortia such as the Human Genome Project, ENCODE Project, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and multicenter trials coordinated through organizations like European Medicines Agency and Food and Drug Administration. The journal also publishes clinical case series linking bedside observations from hospitals in Tokyo, Beijing, São Paulo, and Johannesburg with laboratory discoveries from centers such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Karolinska Institute.

Publication and editorial information

Published monthly by Oxford University Press, the journal employs external peer review with editorial oversight provided by an editor-in-chief and an international editorial board including representatives from Stanford University, Yale University, University College London, University of Melbourne, and Peking University. Submission categories include original research articles, review articles, short reports, clinical notes, and consensus statements. The journal follows ethical policies consistent with guidance from bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics and adopts reporting standards promoted by initiatives like CONSORT and STROBE. Open access options and hybrid publishing models align with mandates from funders including the Wellcome Trust and the European Research Council.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is indexed in major bibliographic databases and abstracting services including Index Medicus, PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and databases maintained by Clarivate Analytics. Citation tracking and impact metrics are reported through products such as the Journal Citation Reports and bibliometric analyses performed by institutions including Leiden University research groups. Inclusion in these services facilitates discoverability across library systems at institutions like Columbia University, University of Chicago, National University of Singapore, and University of Cape Town.

Impact and reception

Over its history the journal has influenced clinical practice guidelines issued by organizations such as the World Health Organization, American Academy of Neurology, and European Academy of Neurology. High-impact articles have informed regulatory decisions by the European Medicines Agency and Food and Drug Administration, and shaped research priorities at funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health, Medical Research Council (UK), and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The journal’s impact factor and citation metrics place it among leading neurology titles alongside publications from Nature Portfolio, The Lancet, and Cell Press journals. Commentaries and editorials frequently stimulate debate within academic centers such as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and policy fora hosted by institutions like The Lancet commissions.

Notable articles and contributions

Seminal contributions published include early clinicopathological correlations that advanced understanding of Parkinsonism and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with investigators at King's College London and University of Edinburgh. Landmark reports introduced concepts in neurodegeneration linked to work at Massachusetts General Hospital and University of California, San Diego, while pivotal neuroimaging studies emerging from University of California, Los Angeles and McGill University refined diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Genetic discoveries reported in the journal have intersected with projects at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Broad Institute, advancing knowledge of monogenic disorders such as familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and hereditary spastic paraplegia. Multicenter clinical trial analyses published in the journal have impacted therapeutic strategies evaluated at Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. The journal has also hosted influential methodological papers on electrophysiology from researchers associated with ETH Zurich and neuroanatomy syntheses by teams at University of Oxford.

Category:Neurology journals Category:Oxford University Press academic journals