The BRAIN Podcast

This episode features a discussion with senior author Dr Tanya Stojkovic of the Brain article entitled: Congenital myasthenic syndromes in adults: clinical features, diagnosis and long-term prognosis

Dr Stojkovic discusses findings from an impressive longitudinal adult cohort of congenital myasthenia syndrome and important issues around accurate diagnosis of congenital myasthenic syndromes and use of electromyography and muscle biopsy.

Read the full article as part of the November 2024 issue: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae124

This episode was co-hosted by David Michael and Roberto Bellanti, edited and produced by Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.

This episode features a discussion with senior author Dr Frank Porreca of the Brain article entitled: Nociceptors are functionally male or female: from mouse to monkey to man?

Dr Porreca discusses important findings into the  sexual dimorphic nature of nociception and how it could and indeed should affect clinical trial participant design, precision medicine and need for more sex specific studies to unravel the regulation of pain nociception in male and female individuals.

Check out the full article on the Brain website as part of the December 2024 issue: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae179

This episode was co-hosted by Chaitra Sathyaprakash and Andreas Thermistocleous,  edited and produced by Chaitra and Xin You Tai, co-produced by Antonia Johnston, original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 FOXP2^R553H 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 be joined by Professor Massimo Mantegazza, who provided additional expert opinion.

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.

In this episode we chat with Dr Nina Rzechorzek, an MRC clinician scientist, who is an author on the Editor's Choice article "A daily temperature rhythm in the human brain predicts survival after brain injury". 

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.

In this episode we chat with Soon-Tae Lee, author of the review article entitled: Seronegative autoimmune encephalitis: clinical characteristics and factors associated with outcomes. 

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.

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". 

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.

Dr Georgia Melli discusses the use of skin biopsy to quantify pathological tau protein as an accessible and useful clinical tool in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.
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.

Dr Kristiana Xhima and Professor Isabelle Aubert discuss the exciting use of MRI-guided focussed ultrasound to improve blood-brain barrier penetration of a novel Alzheimer's disease therapeutic TrkA agonist. 
The episode is hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.

Professor Marsel Mesulam gives a masterclass in the clinico-pathological-neuroimaging analysis of primary progressive aphasias.
The episode is hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.

Professor Roland Liblau tells us about his group's mouse model of narcolepsy in which autoimmune inflammation of orexinergic neurons is induced by influenza vaccination.
The episode is hosted, edited and produced by Xin You Tai; co-hosted by Sarosh Irani; co-produced by Joanne Bell; original music by Ammar Al-Chalabi.