The Neurology Lounge

In this episode, I am joined by Franziska Thomas to explore her almost life-long history of experiencing epilepsy. She traces the onset of her epilepsy and the daily seizures she experiences since her first seizure in 1992, when she said her whole world literally turned upside down. Franziska describes 'Fits and Starts' as a story, not just of her fits, but also of injuries and of memory loss. She...

In this short episode, I count down 10 neurological occupational risks. The podcast explores how the activities involved, and the exposures associated with the jobs, can threaten the nervous system.

In this episode I discuss the history of epilepsy and of its treatments with neurologist Ian Bone, Consultant Neurologist at the Institute of Neurological Sciences Glasgow between 1978 and 2006, and Honorary Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Glasgow. Since retiring, Ian has worked on behalf of the Medical Research Council, and held lecturing posts overseas in India, Nepal and th...

In this episode, I use illustrative patient memoirs to discuss its diverse and deceptive causes and manifestations. I also use historical stories, such as that of composer George Gershwin, to illustrate the challenge of making a diagnosis of seizures. I also explore the manifold mimics of epilepsy, particularly exploring how fainting can easily be mistaken for an epileptic event. The podcast also...

In this podcast, I am joined by Matthew Cobb, author of the fascinating book The idea of the Brain, to discuss the different concepts of the brain that have emerged over the centuries. Matthew Cobb is Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester where he studies the neurobiology of the sense of smell. Matthew Cobb explores current and historical metaphors of the brain, from the machine and...

In this episode, I talk to Susan Mattern, expert in ancient Mediterranean history at the University of Georgia, and author of the authoritative biography of Galen titled Prince of Medicine. We explore the life, ideas and legacy of Galen, perhaps the most influential physician in the history of medicine, and how his teachings dominated the profession for centuries. The discussion also touched on hi...

In this second episode on the history of neurology, I go back in time to explore how the founders of medicine, from Herophilus and Aristotle to Hippocrates and Galen, laid the foundations of neurology. The journey takes us from ancient Egypt to Greece, back to Egypt, and then to Belgium. And the running theme is how the understanding of the brain and its diseases evolved in unexpected ways as the...

In this podcast I count down 10 vague symptoms that are easily overlooked, but are really seizures

In this episode, I am joined by Antoinette Stubbs to discuss her memoir Braveheart. The release of this podcast today celebrates Antoinette starting a new role n the British national Health Service today! In Braveheart, Annie narrated the experience of her son, Calum, who suffered with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Our discussion highlights the early symptoms of the disease, the delay in diagnosis,...

In this podcast, I explore the history of our understanding of the different disorders that constitute muscular dystrophy. I also use patient memoirs to illustrate the different types of muscular dystrophy, from Duchenne and Becker to limb girdle and myotonic dystrophy. I trace the history of the understanding of the disorder with reference to such physicians as Sir Charles Bell, Duchenne de Boulo...

In this episode I am joined by Harvard-trained neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor, author of the best-selling illness memoir titled My Stroke of Insight. This now classical book spent 63 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list, and is still routinely the #1 book in the category Stroke in the Amazon marketplace. We discuss her experience of suffering from a stroke in which she bled int...

In this podcast, I explore the phenomenon of haemorrhagic stroke. I start with the anecdote of Oscar award winning actress Patricia Neal, then the wife of writer Roald Dahl, as narrated by neurologist Tom Solomon in his book 'Roald Dahl's Marvellous Medicine'. Neal's case symbolised the onset and course of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm which presented with the classical thunderclap headache. The po...

In this podcast, I count down 10 measures people can take to protect their nerves. These are usually the avoidance of habitual deeds people engage in, mindless of their detrimental effect on the nervous system.

In this episode, Sebastian Groes joins me to discuss his experience of stroke as narrated in his memoir titled Right in the Head. He explores the physical deficits, the emotional turmoil that accompanied his stroke, and the impact it had on his family, and on return to work. Bas is Professor of English Literature at the University of Wolverhampton, where he leads a Computational Literary Studies p...

In probably his last recorded interview held in May 2024, science journalist Steve Silberman discusses everything autism, from its history to savant syndrome. And he does so with the refreshing clarity, knowledge, and insight that made him one the best informed people about the condition. I regret that Steve did not have a chance to see the podcast before its release as he sadly passed away on 28...

In this podcast, I discuss the enigmatic subject of autism. I use such patient memoirs as that of Valarie Gilpeer, titled I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust, to explore the diverse facets of this intriguing phenomenon. I cover such autistic traits as poor eye contact, limited verbal output, focussed attention and self-stimulating behaviour. I also explore the manifestations of autism in adults...

In this podcast I discuss the clinical manifestations and management of ischaemic stroke. I also use insightful patient memoirs, such as that of Diane Ackerman titled One Hundred Names for Love, to illustrate the suddenness of stroke, its diverse and occasionally vague manifestations, and it lived experience. The podcast reviews the mimics of stroke and the investigations of its causes and risk fa...

In this episode, I discuss motor neuron disease with neurologist Kevin Talbot. We explore his dual clinical and research perspectives of the disease as portrayed in his co-authored book. Kevin Talbot is Professor of Motor Neuron Biology, and Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford He is a clinician scientist with 25 years of experience of diagnosing and mana...

In this short podcast, I count down the top 10 characteristics that suggest to neurologists that there may be a sinister cause behind any headache

In this podcast episode, I explore the management of motor neurone disease. I deploy touching memoirs to show how some patients have ameliorated the devastation of MND on their lives and the lives of their families. I also discuss the variants and mimics of MND, the hazards of breaking the bad news of the diagnosis, and the recommendations for doing this satisfactorily. I review the conventional t...

In this edition I discuss a variety of neurological themes with leading neurologist Allan H. Ropper. The conversation is around his co-authored bestseller, Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole, and it focuses on the two chapters of the book which address motor neurone disease. But we also discussed other subjects such as functional neurological disorders and neurosyphilis which are covered in the book, a...

In this podcast I use touching patient anecdotes to explore the characteristic and devastating manifestations of motor neurone disease, such as fasciculations and spasticity. I also explore the relentless progression of the disease. I also discuss the current understanding of the risk factors and mimics of the disease, and the challenges of making the diagnosis. I also covered the palliative treat...

In this episode I explore the patient perspective of multiple sclerosis with Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, a Professor of English Literature and a Fellow of Maudlyn College, Oxford. He narrated his experience of the symptoms of MS in his memoir titled Metamorphosis: A Life in Pieces. We also reviewed the investigations and treatments he underwent, including the cutting-edge stem cell transplantation....

This podcast counts down the top ten subtle neurological symptoms that may be caused by serious neurological disorders

In this episode, I discuss multiple sclerosis with leading neurologist Stephen Hauser. We explore his recent autobiography in which he narrates his long career in medicine and his breakthroughs in the field of multiple sclerosis. Stephen also explains how his life experiences determined his career choices. Stephen Hauser is director the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, linking the clinical...