The Brain Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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 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.

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.