JNNP Podcast

Vitamin D, sunlight, and MS

October's JNNP takes another step towards demystifying the relationship between sunlight, vitamin D, and MS, featuring a paper which reveals sun exposure may have direct effects on neurodegeneration independently of the vitamin.Murali Ramanathan, co-author of the study and professor of pharmaceutical sciences and neurology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, talks us through the research.Read the full paper, for free, here: bit.ly/171jo6N

Education special: Neurogenetics update

Ralph Gregory, secretary for the Association of British Neurologists and consultant neurologist in Dorset, gets an update on neurogenetics research and implications for practice from Nick Wood, professor of clinical neurogenetics, Institute of Neurology.This podcast is one of a series produced in collaboration with the Association of British Neurologists, of which there will be more to come over the next few months. You can find all the podcasts in the series here: soundcloud.com/tags/abn%202013

Diagnosing and treating neuromyelitis optica

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder with predilection for the optic nerves and spinal cord. Many recent advances, in particular, the discovery of NMO-IgG, an NMO-specific autoantibody, have furthered our understanding of the condition. Anu Jacob, consultant neurologist, The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Liverpool, summarises what clinicians need to know in terms of diagnosing and treating NMO and its spectrum disorders.Read the full review, for free, here: http://goo.gl/fidlGL

Diagnosing the dementias

This month, we get an update on the latest in clinically diagnosing the dementias, with a roundtable of experts convened by the Association of British Neurologists. Taking part are John Greene, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, Chris Butler, Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, Nick Fox, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, and Huw Morris, Cardiff University School of Medicine.And using theory of mind deficits as an early marker of frontotemproal dementia. Matteo Pardini, Department of Neurosciences, University of Genoa, talks us through his research.See also:Isolated theory of mind deficits and risk for frontotemporal dementia: a longitudinal pilot study http://bit.ly/19figvN

Anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome, and ALS and language deficits

We know that ALS is associated with executive dysfunction, but what about language deficits? Steven Wing, specialist neurology registrar at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, talks to Laura Goldstein, professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, about her recent paper investigating this.And anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome, or Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis and Fisher syndrome. Editor Matthew Kiernan talks to Nobuhiro Yuki, Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, about how the syndrome was first identified, and what we currently understand about it.See also:Is language impairment more common than executive dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? http://bit.ly/1a6cRIzBickerstaff brainstem encephalitis and Fisher syndrome: anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome http://bit.ly/1aJrTmK

Striatal cell transplants for Huntington’s disease: where are we now?

In Huntington’s disease the striatum takes a big hit early. This has prompted trials of foetal stratal transplantation, in the hope that this may provide some relief to patients.Stevan Wing, specialist neurology registrar at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and researcher, University of Cambridge, speaks to Professor Roger Barker, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, about his experience of leading a transplant trial with the NEST-UK consortium.See also:The long-term safety and efficacy of bilateral transplantation of human fetal striatal tissue in patients with mild to moderate Huntington’s disease http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/84/6/657.long

Education special: MS update

Ralph Gregory, secretary for the Association of British Neurologists and consultant neurologist in Dorset, gets an update on multiple sclerosis research and implications for practice from Neil Robertson, professor of neurology, Cardiff University.They discuss new therapeutics BG-12 and alemtuzumab, the understanding of treatment risks, prognosis, prevalence and incidence, and MS and pregnancy.This podcast is one of a series produced in collaboration with the Association of British Neurologists, of which there will be more to come over the next few months. You can find all the podcasts in the series here soundcloud.com/tags/abn%202013.

Education special: Peripheral nerve disease update

Ralph Gregory, secretary for the Association of British Neurologists and consultant neurologist in Dorset, gets an update on peripheral nerve disease research and practice from James Overell, consultant neurologist, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Glasgow.They discuss treatment for CIDP, differences in neuropathy prevention and management in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammatory neuropathies, and hereditary motor sensory neuropathies.This podcast is one of a series produced in collaboration with the Association of British Neurologists, of which there will be more to come over the next few months. You can find all the podcasts in the series here https://soundcloud.com/tags/abn%202013.

Stem cells in neurology, and enlarged perivascular spaces and intracerebral haemorrhage

Where are we with stem cell treatments for stroke and Parkinson’s disease? At the Association of British Neurologists’ recent annual meeting in Glasgow, Neil Scolding, director of the Bristol Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, spoke to Keith Muir, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, Univeristy of Glasgow, and Roger Barker, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, about current research, and the expensive, unproven treatments already on the market.And using enlarged perivascular spaces to identify arteriopathy in intracerabral haemorrhage. Nick Ward, JNNP associate editor, asks David Werring, reader in neurology, UCL Institute of Neurology, what his MRI study reveals.See also:Enlarged perivascular spaces as a marker of underlying arteriopathy in intracerebral haemorrhage: a multicentre MRI cohort study http://bit.ly/12iZWieStriatal cell transplants for Huntington’s disease: where are we now? http://bit.ly/18InWwa

Parkinson’s disease subtypes: lost in translation?

This month Connie Marras, assistant professor of neurology, University of Toronto, talks us through her review of Parkinson’s disease subtypes.What definitions do we have so far, what could they tell us about the condition, and how can we get them incorporated into research more?See also:Parkinson’s disease subtypes: lost in translation? http://bit.ly/12mKxYL