Practical Neurology Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How do new cancer drugs affect our brains? A practical guide to immune checkpoint inhibitors Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

Immune checkpoint inhibitors can significantly improve cancer survival rates. But resulting immune-related toxicities are common, requiring multidisciplinary cooperation between oncology and neurology.

This episode, PN's podcast editor Dr. Amy Ross Russell speaks with a panel of experts on the balancing act required when treating cancer patients with these new drugs. Oncologist Dr. Heather Shaw¹ is alongside neurologists Dr. Aisling Carr² and Dr. Mark Willis³, and they are amongst the authors of the editors' choice paper for the latest issue of Practical Neurology.

Read the paper: Neurological complications of immune checkpoint inhibitors: a practical guide

(1) Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, London, UK
(2) Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
(3) Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK

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Production by Letícia Amorim, Brian Kennedy, Amy Ross Russell and Brian O'Toole. Editing by Brian O'Toole. Thank you for listening.

Guidelines on disease-modifying treatment in MS: a decade-long update Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

The latest guidelines on disease-modifying treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) from the Association of British Neurologists is discussed in this intercontinental podcast with perspectives from the UK, the USA, and Australia. Participants:

Professor Alasdair Coles is Head of Department for Clinical Neuroscience and also Co-Director of the Cambridge Centre for Myelin Repair, UK.
Dr. Tamara Kaplan is Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, and is also affiliated with the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA.
Professor Michael Barnett is a consultant neurologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, Central Clinical School, and Director of the RPAH MS Clinic and the MS Clinical Trials Unit at the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia.

Read the paper (https://pn.bmj.com/content/25/1/18) which is part of the February issue of the Practical Neurology journal.

Production and editing by Letícia Amorim. Thank you for listening.

Localisation myths, brain fog, and small fibre neuropathies - Editors' Highlights April 2025 Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

It's a podcast of pairs this time, for the latest issue of the journal. There's two hosts, two halves of the brain, two sides to a clinical debate, and two themes to the episode itself. Leading off is a discussion on peripheral neurology, taking a look at the editors' choice paper on immune checkpoint inhibitors. That's followed by a paper on secondary hypertension, and another on small fibre neuropathies. The second half covers elements of cognitive neurology, including a topic with increasing awareness - that of brain fog. There's the dramatically named STOP-BANG questionnaire, a notable appearance from a monkey, and a reflection on modern practices for cognitive assessment.

Read the issue: https://pn.bmj.com/content/25/2/101

Listen to Dr. Laura McWhirter on the JNNP podcast: Brain fog demystified

Production by Letícia Amorim and Brian O'Toole. Editing by Brian O'Toole. Thank you for listening.

Intestinal obstruction, and new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) - Case Reports February 2025 Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

A puzzling pair of Case Reports from the most recent issue of the journal. First up (1:35) is a man in his mid-fifties, presenting with lumbar spine fractures, which then developed into confusion, vomiting, and abdominal pain. An x-ray showed dilated intestinal loops and his blood sodium levels were low. https://pn.bmj.com/content/25/1/87

The second case (23:06) involves a 21-yo woman, who presented at 18 weeks pregnant with multiple episodes of right upper limb tonic extension, and subsequently developed new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE). https://pn.bmj.com/content/25/1/56

The case reports discussion is hosted by Prof. Martin Turner¹, who is joined by Dr. Ruth Wood² and Dr. Xin You Tai³ for a group examination of the features of each presentation, followed by a step-by-step walkthrough of how the diagnosis was made. These case reports and many others can be found in the February 2025 issue of the journal.

(1) Professor of Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, and Consultant Neurologist at John Radcliffe Hospital.
(2) Neurology Registrar, University Hospitals Sussex.
(3) Clinical Academic Fellow, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, and Neurology Specialty registrar, Oxford University Hospital.

Production and editing by Letícia Amorim and Brian O'Toole. Thank you for listening.

Stiff-person syndrome Feb 22, 2025

Show notes

Intermittent painful spasms, stiffness and rigidity of the proximal and truncal muscles are only a few symptoms of the relatively uncommon Stiff-person syndrome (SPS). In this podcast, we delve into the characteristics and diagnosis of this complex autoimmune condition.

PN's podcast editor Dr. Amy Ross Russell interviews Professor Saiju Jacob (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK). The paper is the Editor's Choice paper of the February issue of Practical Neurology.

The episode is released to coincide with world Encephalitis day. For more information about World encephalitis day, or encephalitis international please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/world-encephalitis-day/

Production by Letícia Amorim and Brian O'Toole. Editing by Brian O'Toole. Thank you for listening.

Posterior cortical atrophy, mascara staining, and careers in stroke - Editors' Highlights February 2025 Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

The practice of neurology is constantly changing, and the papers in this issue exemplify that trend. On this episode, journal editors Dr. Geraint Fuller and Prof. Philip Smith discuss their highlights from the latest issue of Practical Neurology, for February 2025. They begin with the editors' choice paper on stiff person syndrome, then speak about new guidance from the ABN on disease-modifying treatments for MS. There's also life-improving interventions for posterior cortical atrophy, changing attitudes towards stroke as a career option for neurologists, and management techniques for cryptococcal meningitis - including a resourceful substitute for India ink.

Read the issue: https://pn.bmj.com/content/25/1/1

Production by Letícia Amorim and Brian O'Toole. Editing by Brian O'Toole. Thank you for listening.

Episodic headaches after travel, and declining cognition with treated HIV - Case Reports Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

Two more fascinating Case Reports from the latest issue of the journal. The first case (1:15) is of a 57-yo woman, with an intermittent posterior headache, which had an associated bilateral pressure-like sensation. Her symptoms had begun on a recent trip to Sri Lanka. https://pn.bmj.com/content/24/6/526

Following on is the second case (22:18), which features a 54-yo man experiencing deterioration in his speech and mobility. He had a background of chronic HIV infection with ongoing treatment. https://pn.bmj.com/content/24/6/507

Production and editing by Letícia Amorim and Brian O'Toole. Thank you for listening.

Championing general neurology Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

It’s the Christmas Special for 2024! Joining Amy in the studio is Dr. Steven Lewis. Current secretary general of the World Federation of Neurology, Steven is based in the United States, where he works as a general neurologist. Their conversation builds on a recent article by Dr. Bas Bloem, "Islands and bridges in healthcare: the importance of general neurology”. Listen in for insights on the differences in training and practice in the US and UK, the value of developing a network as a neurologist, and the enduring need for general neurology’s broad diagnostic approach.

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