Welcome to the 23nd episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode, we bring on authors Dr Helen Devine and Professor Simon Mead to discuss their opinion article entitled: Academic neurology in the UK: a plea to turn away from the precipice. The discussions covers the growing concerns regarding the future of academic neurology in the UK and potential solutions. They discuss the parallels seen around the world as this is a growing global problem. They end with their thoughts on why academic neurology is still extremely rewarding and exactly what they would do if they started again. Check out the full article on the Brain website as part of the July 2024 issue: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae151 This episode was co-hosted by Andreas Thermistocleous and Adam Handel, edited and produced by Andreas Thermistocleous and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 22nd episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. This episode features a discussion with senior author Dr Torsten Baldeweg of the Brain article entitled: Long-term neuropsychological trajectories in children with epilepsy: does surgery halt decline? Dr Baldeweg discusses fascinating insight into the long term cognitive outcomes from an impressively large cohort of 500 children who had undergone epilepsy surgery and neuropsychological assessment at Great Ormond Street Hospital (1990–2018). Their findings suggest that there are long term cognitive benefits from epilepsy surgery by preventing firther seizures. This has important clinical implications on the importance of achieving seizure freedom for our patients and the role of surgery in this regard. The Brain podcast team is very happy to introduce a new co-host Dr Roberto Bellanti in this episode and to the team! Check out the full article on the Brain website as part of the August 2024 issue: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae121 This episode was co-hosted by Michael David and Roberto Bellanti, edited and produced by Chaitra and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 21th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. This episode features a discussion with the first author Dr Selina Yogeshwar of the Brain article entitled: HLA-DQB1*05 subtypes and not DRB1*10:01 mediates risk in anti-IgLON5 disease Dr Yogeshwar offers exciting insight into the genetic mechanisms of a relatively recently discovered disease anti-IgLON5. She also discusses foundational information into how neuroimmunology, neurogenetics and neurodegeneration intersect in this fascinating condition. This exciting episode is not to be missed! Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae048 This episode was co-hosted by Adam Handel and Chaitra Sathyaprakash, edited and produced by Chaitra and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 20th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. This episode features a discussion with the final author Dr Jun Li of the Brain article entitled: PAK2 is necessary for myelination in the peripheral nervous system How are peripheral nerve cells myelinated and what proteins are invoved? Is there a difference between PAK1 and PAK2? Listen for this and more in this exciting episode. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad413 This episode was co-hosted by Andreas Thermistocleous and David Michael, edited and produced by David and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 18th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. This episode features a discussion with first author author Dr Stefanie Grabrucker of the Brain article entitled: Microbiota from Alzheimer’s patients induce deficits in cognition and hippocampal neurogenesis How does lifestyle and the environment affect cognition in Alzheimer's disease via the gut and what can we do about it? Listen for this and more in this exciting episode. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad303 This episode was co-hosted by Chaitra Sathyaprakash and Adam Handel, edited and produced by Chaitra and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 17th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. This episode features a discussion with senior author Dr Bénédicte Ballanger of the Brain article entitled: Noradrenergic alterations in Parkinson’s disease: a combined 11C-yohimbine PET/neuromelanin MRI study Can this multi-modal study examining the role of Noradrenaline in Parkinson's disease offer insight into important neurotrasmitter pathophysiology and provide the basis for a non-dopamine therapeutic strategy? Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad338 This episode was co-hosted by Andreas Themistocleous and Michael David, edited and produced by Michael David and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 16th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. We are very excited to feature a January issue Brain article, where we speak with senior author Dr Lasse M Giil entitled: Impaired glucose utilization in the brain of patients with delirium following hip fracture Delirium is a common condition with significant impact on patient outcome. This episode discussed potential intrinsic brain mechanisms that may underly delirium. The team explores the evidence that delirium is more than just a systemic process that extends into the brain but may involve pathophysiological alterations of brain function. Listen to how this may change clinical practice. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad296 This episode was co-hosted by Andreas Themistocleous and Michael David, edited and produced by Michael David and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 15th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. We are very excited to feature our first article from Brain Communications, where we speak with first author Dr Kiel Telesford of the article entitled: Neuron-binding antibody responses are associated with Black ethnicity in multiple sclerosis during natalizumab treatment This episode discussed racial differences in antibody response to natalizumab treatment for individuals of black ethnicity with multiple sclerosis. Further, they consider potential mechanisms which may underly differences and the implications on treatment. Check out the full article on the Brain Communications website: https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcad218 This episode was co-hosted by Andreas Themistocleous and Debra Ehrlich, edited and produced by Michael David and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 14th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode we speak with Fu-Chin Liu, senior author of the article entitled: Speech- and language-linked FOXP2 mutation targets protein motors in striatal neurons. This article explores a potential genetic basis for disordered speech by a mutation in the transcription factor FOXP2. This was discovered in KE family members with speech disturbances was a landmark example of the genetic control of vocal communication in humans. The author and colleagues examine an animal model of the KE family FOXP2R553H mutation to explore cellular pathomechanisms involving intracellular dynein-dynactin ‘protein motors’ in the striatum. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad090 We also hear from our new podcast host, Dr Chaitra Sathyaprakash, who is a post-doctoral fellow at National Institute of Neuroscience, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan- welcome to the team! This episode was co-hosted by Adam Handel and Chaitra Sathyaprakash, edited and produced by Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 13th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode we speak with Josef Parvizi, senior author of the article entitled: Multisite thalamic recordings to characterize seizure propagation in the human brain This article explores the role of the thalamus in seizure propagation and how multi-site intracranial electrode recordings identify new and unexpected findings regarding which thalamic nuclei may have the earliest involvement in seizure propagation. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad121 This episode was co-hosted by Debra Ehrlich and Andreas Thermistocleous, edited and produced by Xin You Tai and David Michael, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 12th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode we speak with Nico Melzer, senior author of the article entitled: A genome-wide association study in autoimmune neurological syndromes with anti-GAD65 autoantibodies This article explores expanding entity of GAD-65 associated neurological syndromes, the exciting role of T-cells and potential therapeutic avenues that these findings may bring. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac119 This episode was co-hosted by Adam Handel and Darshan Pandya , edited and produced by Adam Handel and Xin You Tai; co-produced by Antonia Johnston; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 11th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode we speak with Ted Price, senior author of the article entitled: RNA profiling of human dorsal root ganglia (DRG) reveals sex differences in mechanisms promoting neuropathic pain This article explores exciting findings around differences in the DRG transcriptome which were only apparent when stratifying participants by sex and how these differences may inform mechanistic targets for neuropathic pain. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac266 This episode was co-hosted by Andreas Thermistocleous and Debra Ehrlich, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-produced by Antonia Johnston and David Michael; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 11th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode we speak with Philip Insel, lead author of the article entitled: Tau positron emission tomography in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease The article explores the utility of tau PET imaging in three independent, large cohorts of cognitively normal individuals with high levels of amyloid (on PET imaging). We discuss specific areas of the brain with high tau concentration and how this differs from the traditional Braak model from neuropathology data. Philip also details how tau PET imaging can play a role in clinical trials. Additionally, we welcome Dr Adam Handel onto the team as a new podcast co-host for this episode and many more to come! Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac299 This episode was co-hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Adam Handel; co-produced by Joanne Bell and Sarosh Irani; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 10th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode we speak with Hideaki Nishihara and Britta Engelhardt, lead authors of the article entitled: Intrinsic blood–brain barrier dysfunction contributes to multiple sclerosis pathogenesis This was a transcontinental recording with our guests dialing in from Japan and Europe. The article explores blood-brain barrier dysfunction as a pathogenic process of multiple sclerosis. The authors discuss the use of a novel in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier which was designed to capture the activity of adhesion molecules involved in leukocyte trafficking. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac019 This episode was co-hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the 9th episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode we chat with Professor Robyn S. Klein, senior author of the article entitled: COVID-19 induces CNS cytokine expression and loss of hippocampal neurogenesis This article explores the ongoing challenge to better understand the mechanisms underlying the cognitive and neuropsychiatric sequlae of the Sars-CoV2 infection. We discuss the use of both animal model experiments and human post-mortem tissue investigation to gain insight on this topical condition. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac270 This episode was hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to another episode of The Brain Podcast (first for 2023!) - the official podcast for the journal Brain and sister journal Brain Communications. In this episode, three guests joined us to discuss the article entitled: Gene variant effects across sodium channelopathies predict function and guide precision therapy. Professor Andreas Brunklaus (first author) and Professor Stephanie Schorge (senior author) discuss their fascinating data-driven approach to better understand how mutations in sodium channels affect function with potential for precision therapy. We were fortunate to also e joined by Professor Massimo Mantegazza, who provided additional expert opinion. Enjoy this rich, in-depth discussion! Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac006 This episode was hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Professor Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to the seventh episode of The Brain Podcast - the official podcast of the journals Brain and Brain Communications. In this episode we chat with Dr Nina M Rzechorzek, lead author of the article entitled: A daily temperature rhythm in the human brain predicts survival after brain injury We discuss how brain temperature was measured using invasive and non-invasive methods to identify a physiological daily rhythmicity. The loss of this brain rhythm was strongly predictive of survival in patients with traumatic brain injury. Our longest episode to date but packed with fascinating science! Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awab466 This episode was hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Andreas Thermistecleous; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to The Brain Podcast - the official podcast for the journal Brain and sister journal Brain Communications. In this episode we are joined by Professor Soon-Tae Lee to discuss his review article entitled Seronegative autoimmune encephalitis: clinical characteristics and factors associated with outcomes. Read the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac166 Maarten Titulaer and Robin van Steenhoven wrote an excellent commentary on the article https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac338 We were lucky to have Maarten join us in this podcast discussion. This episode was hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to The Brain Podcast - the official podcast for the journal Brain and sister journal Brain Communications. In this episode we are joined by Associate Professor Pavan Bhargava to discuss his review article entitled The contribution of B cells to the cortical damage in multiple sclerosis. Read the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac233 This episode was hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.
Welcome to The Brain Podcast - the official podcast for the journal Brain and sister journal Brain Communications. In this episode we chat with Dr Georgia Melli, senior author of the article entitled: Tau protein quantification in skin biopsies differentiates tauopathies from alpha-synucleinopathies She discusses the use of skin biopsy to quantify pathological tau protein as an accessible and useful clinical tool in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Check out the full article on the Brain website: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac161 This episode was hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.