On 24 March 2024, The Lancet journal published the results of a landmark global study, a systematic analysis of people with disorders affecting the nervous system from 204 countries and spanning 31 years. The focus of this study was to assess the global, national and regional burden of nervous system disorders. Of the 37 nervous system disorders studied, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias was second on the list of disorders in terms of DALYS (disability-adjusted life-years) for people over 60 years, second only to stroke. When looking at the age-standardised DALY rates, AD and dementia were fourth overall in terms of impact. The global burden of disorders affecting the nervous system has increased during the study period and now represents the greatest overall disease burden in the world. The authors call for effective prevention, treatment and rehabilitation strategies for these disorders, stating that “Resources for nervous system conditions should therefore span the entire care continuum, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, long-term care, and palliation.”