MDS Podcast

Functional movement disorders (FMDs) are the most common subgroup of functional neurological disorders. Prof. Selma Aybek breaks down current trends for FMDs, controversies, and treatment preferences, including implementing an interdisciplinary team.

Dr. Yaroslau Compta discusses how the view of co-pathologies has changed the view of many disorders, including tauopathies. He dives into the current state of clinical trials for PSP and what those results may mean for the future of biomarkers.

Rehabilitation for movement disorders, like PD, has become increasingly prevalent for patient care. Prof. Alice Nieuwboer discusses how technology has shaped the field, how neurologists can support patient exercise, and what future updates she looks forward to.

There have been nearly 30 years of disease modifying trials for PD, but little success. Prof. Tanya Simuni breaks down clinical trial design for a heterogenous disease like PD and discusses the future goals and importance of a biological definition.

Due to genetic advancements, the pediatric movement disorder field is ever growing. Dr. Shekeeb Mohammad breaks down the current landscape of the field and how adult neurologists can advance their learning.

The field of genetics often moves quickly, making it a challenge to stay informed. Dr. Gerard Saranza breaks down the current landscape, new discoveries and technologies, and what changes we can expect in the upcoming years.

Dr. Victor Fung reflects on his term as MDS President and his appreciation for the accomplishments that were achieved. He further discusses his future hopes and goals of the Society and the #mdscongress.

The last full day of the #mdscongress was full of exciting sessions and events. Dr. Laura Silveira-Moriyama shares her excitement about the keynote speaker, updates on disease modifying clinical trials, and of course, the crowd pleasing MDS Video Challenge.

Dr. Huw Morris discusses the session highlights from #mdscongress day three, which included a plenary session on protein aggregation clearance, movement disorder grand rounds, and several exciting oral platforms.

Prof. Francesca Morgante breaks down the second day of the #mdscongress which included the presidential lectures, junior awardees, and several enlightening teaching sessions.

An eventful first day of the 2025 #mdscongress has come to a close. Listen here as Dr. Davide Martino reviews the events and interesting scientific sessions for those near and far. Don’t miss out!

Dr. Eduardo de Pablo-Fernández interviews one of the 2025 Junior Awardees, Dr. Lydia Chougar about her work combining neuroimaging with transcriptomics and PET maps to elucidate the biological underpinnings of structural abnormalities in multiple system atrophy.

Dr. Mitra Afshari chats with Dr. Jung Hawn Shin, one of this year’s MDS Congress Junior Awardees. Together they discuss his career path and what lead him to studying, and ultimately deciphering specific neuronal cell-types within the subthalamic nucleus (STN) that could be responsible for anti-parkinsonian motor benefits, and potentially non-motor side effects, of stimulation using optogenetic tec...

There is an important role for cost-effective clinical biomarkers in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Eduardo de Pablo-Fernández and Dr. Cecilia Tremblay discuss how accurate hyposmia and REM sleep behavior disorder can predict Lewy pathology in a non-selected population using data from the Arizona clinicopathological study on Aging and Neurodegeneration. Read the article.

This year’s MDCP Review Article of the Year covers the spectrum of movement disorders associated with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). Dr. Sarah Camargos interviews Dr. Charulata Sankhla on her team’s findings and why she believes movement disorder specialists should be aware of this measle-associated complication. Read the article.

Prof. Mark Edwards, the awardee for the 2025 Stanley Fahn Lecture Award, discusses his work and interest in the neurology-psychiatry continuum as it relates to the care of patients with chronic neurological diseases, including functional neurological disorders.

Dr. Jon Stoessl looks back on his distinguished career in neuroimaging, highlighting the discoveries that have advanced our understanding of Parkinson’s disease and related conditions. In this conversation, he reflects on the evolution of imaging technologies, the challenges of interpreting complex data, and the lessons learned throughout his journey. His recognition with the David Marsden Lecture...

In this episode, we dive into the world of epilepsy dyskinesia syndrome (EDS) with our guest, Dr. Darius Ebrahimi-Fakhari. Listen as he unpacks the findings from one of the largest multinational studies to date, involving over 600 patients across 25 countries. Read the article.

In the third and final episode of the normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) Hot Topic series, Dr. Sara Schaefer speaks with Dr. Joachim Krauss about the assessment of patients with NPH for neurosurgical intervention, outcomes data, and his vision for the future of NPH research and clinical care.

In this second episode of the Hot Topic series on normal pressure hydrocephalus, Dr. Sara Schaefer discusses with Dr. Alfonso Fasano the pathophysiological theories behind NPH, co-pathology in this population, and controversies surrounding the disease.

In this first episode of the Hot Topic series on normal pressure hydrocephalus, Dr. Sara Schaefer discusses with Dr. Mats Tullberg the symptoms of NPH, examination techniques and pearls, imaging findings, and the differential diagnosis.

In this episode, host Dr. Michele Matarazzo interviews Dr. Nicolaas Bohnen about his team’s recent study using FEOBV PET to investigate cholinergic deficits in Parkinson’s disease patients with dopa-unresponsive freezing of gait (FOG). The results reveal a distinct pattern of cortical cholinergic denervation that may underlie this challenging and poorly treatable symptom. Dr. Bohnen discusses the...

Dr. Mitra Afshari interviews Drs. Patricia Krause and Andrea Kühn on the results of a 10-year prospective follow-up study of a multicenter trial of GPI-DBS in isolated generalized and segmental dystonia. Together they discuss motor, non-motor, and safety outcomes, as well as the strong and stable long-term improvements in dystonia from pallidal DBS. Further, they provide their expert insights on t...

Could gene therapy with neurotrophic factors help restore dopaminergic terminals in Parkinson’s disease? Dr. Michele Matarazzo speaks with Dr. Amber Van Laar about her team’s Phase 1b trial of AAV2–GDNF gene therapy delivered directly to the putamen. They discuss the preclinical evidence for GDNF, how advanced delivery techniques and higher putamen coverage may overcome past challenges, and the en...

Ms. Nicole Duff and Dr. Amanda Currie discuss the potential role of the social worker in deep brain stimulation (DBS) and the work of Dr. Currie’s team in creating a simple pneumonic that could be used to determine whether a social worker's involvement would be beneficial to DBS patients. They also discuss the clinical implications of this study as well as possible future directions to further out...