• J M Trejo-Gabriel-Galán.
• Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario de Burgos, Burgos, España. Electronic address: jtrejogyg@gmail.com.
• Neurologia (Engl Ed). 2021 Jun 2.

ObjectiveTo identify the neurological diseases for which euthanasia and assisted suicide are most frequently requested in the countries where these medical procedures are legal and the specific characteristics of euthanasia in some of these diseases, and to show the evolution of euthanasia figures.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature review.ResultsDementia, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease are the neurological diseases that most frequently motivate requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide. Claims related to dementia constitute the largest group, are growing, and raise additional ethical and legal issues due to these patients' diminished decision-making capacity. In some countries, the ratios of euthanasia requests to all cases of multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, or Huntington disease are higher than for any other disease.ConclusionsAfter cancer, neurological diseases are the most frequent reason for requesting euthanasia or assisted suicide.Copyright © 2021 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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