Brazil has notable idiosyncrasies. In one sense it is a typical third world country (dear reader, please feel free to call it a developing country). Our neurology wards and outpatient clinics are still filled with disorders found among the underprivileged due to poor hygiene, inadequate housing and difficult access to clean water. Limited access to technology during high risk prenatal care and labour, and the lack of even basic screening for prevalent diseases is a constant obstacle in the prevention of neurodevelopmental disorders. Cerebral palsy, Chagas disease and sometimes neuroschistosomiasis are all still prevalent disorders arising from such an environment. Even neurosyphylis should not be forgotten as an emerging problem among the current sexually transmissible disorders, together with the most recent group of younger patients with cognitive impairment due to HIV infection.

On the other hand, there has been …