Podcast appearances and mentions of adam zeman

Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind's eye. And its discovery has made scientists ask a surprising question: What is the mind's eye even for? (First published in 2022.) Guests: Alice Coles, artist; Adam Zeman, cognitive neurologist at the University of Exeter Medical School; Joel Pearson, professor of neuroscience at the University of New South Wales; Emily Holmes, professor of psychology at Uppsala University For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts⁠⁠⁠ For more, go to ⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unexplainable⁠⁠⁠ And please email us! ⁠⁠unexplainable@vox.com⁠⁠ We read every email. Support Unexplainable (and get ad-free episodes) by becoming a Vox Member today: ⁠⁠⁠vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I explore the fascinating phenomenon of aphantasia, the inability to imagine. I discuss the manifestations of the condition which primarily affects visual imagination, but which also affects the ability to imagine sounds, smells, tastes, touch, and even feelings. The podcast also illustrates how aphantasia influences recollection of memories, and how it impacts of education and career.I illustrate aphantasia with such fascinating memoirs as that of Charlotte Langlais, titled 'Aphantasia Club', and of Alan Kendle titled 'Discover the Fascinating World of Aphantasia'. These show the different ways by which people with aphantasia discover that they have the condition, and the emotions that accompany this knowledge.Importantly, the podcast also highlights how people with the condition adapt by using alternative strategies, and how they have found such advantages of aphantasia, from the better ability to remember facts and meditate to the lesser risk of reliving painful memories.The podcast also traces the history of our understanding of aphantasia, starting with Francis Galton who first described, to Adam Zeman who resuscitated its study. This theme also narrated how Zeman came to coin the name aphantasia. Also covered in the podcast is the epidemiology of the condition, its familial and acquired causes, and its associated features, from impaired facial recognition to difficulty recollecting dreams.

The focus of this podcast is the enigmatic theme of prion disorders. I trace the history of our understanding of this neurodegenerative disorder with how Nobel laureate D. Carleton Gajdusek, described the transmission of kuru - the first pathologically defined human prion disease. I also narrate how the similarities in the clinical and pathological features of kuru and scrapie, the disease of sheep, opened the way to this breakthrough. I also chronicled how the efforts of another Nobel laureate, Stanley Prusiner, characterised the pathology, genetics and transmission of scrapie, and how he succeeded in a bitter scientific race that transformed the field of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies which he named prion diseases. I also explored the pathology of prions, their normal functions, and how they cause disease when they become misfolded. In this theme, I discussed Creutzfeldt Jakob disease extensively, with reference to the roles played by Alfons Jakob and Hans Gerherdt Creutzfeldt, and depicting its classical manifestations and investigations. I illustrated the lived experience of CJD with such memoirs as Howie V CJD, by Sandy Bosman. I also exhaustively covered the clinical and management aspects of new variant CJD, and I illustrated this with the memoir Who Killed My Son, by Christine Lord. The podcast also reviewed the other established human prion diseases such as fatal familial insomnia, and it explored the similarities between prion diseases and other neurodegenerative diseases that are also related to misfolded proteins, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and motor neurone diseases. I also covered mad cow and other prion disorders of animals. I cited other helpful books such as Collectors of Lost Souls by Warwick Anderson, Fatal Flaws by Jay Ingram, Madness and Memory by Stanley Prusiner, and Consciousness: A User's Guide by Adam Zeman.

We live in the here and now much less than we tend to think. Imagination isn't the exception in our daily lives; it's our default setting. Far from being a faculty used only in creative endeavours, the imagination is used constantly when we reminisce, anticipate, plan, daydream and read. Yet only now are we beginning to understand exactly how it works. From hallucination to sleepwalking, REM to delusions and the curious case of the mind's eye, neuroscientist Professor Adam Zeman guides us through the latest science of imagination. Drawing on research in neuroscience, the study of human origins and child development, he shares how the human brain is above all else a creative, imaginative organ – and why we have evolved to share what we imagine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I explore the curious sleep disorder narcolepsy. With apt patient memoirs, I describe its clinical manifestations, from sleep attacks and cataplexy, to sleep paralysis and sleep-related hallucinations. I also review its association with other sleep disorders, and its non-sleep related manifestations. The podcast also discusses the genetic and acquired causes of narcolepsy, its association with hypocretin deficiency, and its risk factors. I also explore the investigations of narcolepsy, such as multiple sleep latency test, and its treatments, such as modafinil and sodium oxybate. I also discussed the history of narcolepsy, such as anecdotes its discovery by Jean-Baptiste Édouard Gélineau. I also narrate the history of how sleep researcher Eugene Aserinsky discovered the two sleep phases, REM and non-REM. To illustrate the lived experience of narcolepsy, I cite such insightful patient memoirs as that of Corrina Wetzel titled The Journey Beneath Her Heavy Feet, by Henry Nicholls titled Sleepyhead, and of Claire Crisp titled Waking Mathilda. To support the historical themes, I cite such works as When Brains Dream, by Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold, and A Portrait of the Brain by Adam Zeman.

Tom Sutcliffe and guests discuss how we solve problems and imagine the future. While many people now point to the potential of AI, the prize winning writer Naomi Alderman is interested in the messy magic of human thinking. In the forthcoming BBC Radio 4 series, Human Intelligence she tells the stories of the people – with all their ingenuity and foibles – who built the modern world.Across history human cultures have devised a wide range of practices to understand, and discover, the mysteries of the past, present and future. The exhibition Oracles, Omens and Answers (at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, until April 2025), co-curated by Dr Michelle Aroney showcases the art of divination. From the use of cards, beads and spiders, to studying the stars, weather and palm lines people have sought ways to clarify and predict the world around them. Human imagination is not just the tool of fiction writers, but something that's vital to navigate the world; to reminisce, anticipate and plan for the future. But how does it work? The neurologist Adam Zeman explores the very latest scientific studies in the world of the imagination, in his new book, The Shape of Things Unseen.Producer: Katy Hickman

This week's episode comes to us from our friends at Radiolab! Close your eyes and imagine a red apple. What do you see? Turns out there's a whole spectrum of answers to that question, and producer Sindhu Gnanasambandan is on one far end. In this episode, she explores what it means to see — and not see — in your mind. This episode was reported and produced by Sindhu Gnanasambandan with help from Annie McEwen. Original music and sound design contributed by Dylan Keefe. Mixing help from Jeremy Bloom and Arianne Wack. Mixing for Science Vs by Sam Bair. Fact-checking by Natalie Middleton. Edited by Pat Walters.  Special thanks to Kim Nederveen Pieterse, Nathan Peereboom, Lizzie Peabody, Kristin Lin, Jo Eidman, Mark Nakhla, Andrew Leland, Brian Radcliffe, Adam Zeman, John Green, Craig Venter, Dustin Grinnell, and Soraya Shockley. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 25 titled "What Is Aphantasia?", has the Co-Founder of the Aphantasia Network, Tom Ebeyer, explain how people are unable to form mental images. Episode Summary: This episode features a discussion with Tom Ebeyer, one of the original 21 cases identified by Neurologist Dr. Adam Zeman as having aphantasia. Tom's experiences led him to co-found the Aphantasia Network, which has a mission to improve the lives of people with aphantasia through advocacy, research, and support to unleash the power of image-free thinking. Listen as Tom explains what we know about aphantasia, the spectrum of visual imagination, and what hyperphantasia means. In this episode we discuss: 00:00 - Face the Beast by The Whatnots 01:04 - Introducing Tom Ebeyer 03:22 - Pronunciation 04:44 - What is It? 06:49 - Thought Process 08:32 - Lack of Conversation 10:51 - Discovery 14:21 - Common or Uncommon? 16:12 - Hyperphantasia 18:53 - Lifelong Aphantasia 22:36 - Finding Out 29:17 - Impacts on Communication 35:45 - Cognitive Strategies to Remember 41:12 - Visual Imagination Spectrum 44:31 - Dreaming 47:14 - Research 49:55 - Aphantasia Network 51:05 - Closing Remarks 51:52 - Conclusion and Information Resources: Aphantasia Network

Są ludzie, którzy nie potrafią wolicjonalnie kreować (albo robią to rzadko) obrazów w swojej wyobraźni. Takie zjawisko nazywa się afantazją wizualną. To pojęcie wprowadził w 2015 r. do dyskursu naukowego prof. Adam Zeman z University of Exeter Medical School. Więcej o afantazji wizualnej, metodach badania działania naszej wyobraźni oraz jak zróżnicowane może być postrzeganie świata i wspomnień w rozmowie z Jerzym Jeziorskim, absolwentem kierunku kognitywistyka na Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim. Zaprasza Paweł Chlastacz

Close your eyes and visualize a horse. Most people can picture the outline of the body, the color of the horse and the unique features of the animal. But some people simply don't see any image at all. This lack of a mind's eye is known as aphantasia.    To help explain exactly what aphantasia is, and how it can affect behavior, we talk with Professor Adam Zeman who actually helped identify and name the neurological condition. Adam has a medical degree and a PhD in philosophy from Oxford University. He's been a lecturer and professor of cognitive and behavioral neurology and has published extensively on visual imagery and forms of amnesia occurring in epilepsy. Adam has also published an introduction to neurology for the general audiences called, A Portrait of the Brain. But the reason we are talking to Adam on this episode is about his research on our “minds eye”. He discusses how a lack of visual imagery (aphantasia) or overly vivid imagery (hyperphantasia) can be identified and what effects it has on our behavior.    We often ask guests on the show about whether their work is influenced by “me-search”; something of particular interest to them personally. Well, this episode is a little bit of me-search for our own Kurt Nelson who himself has aphantasia. Join both Kurt and Tim as they both find out more about the recent research into the condition and how we should all be aware of how it affects people.   Thank you to all our listeners of Behavioral Grooves, we enjoy sharing unique insights with you. If you have enjoyed this episode, please consider writing a review on your podcast player. Or you can contribute financially to our work through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.  Topics (3:36) Welcome and speed round questions. (5:15) How Adam discovered the condition aphantasia. (10:30) How aphantasia can affect all the senses. (12:45) The prevalence of aphantasia. (15:38) The behavioral differences that are present with aphantasia. (19:42) What careers suit people with a lack of mind's eye? (23:39) What causes aphantasia?  (25:51) The differences between voluntary and involuntary visualization.  (30:41) Visualization is an echo of vision.  (35:21) What music Adam will take to a desert island. (37:51) About The Mind's Eye Project. (42:49) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim.   © 2022 Behavioral Grooves   Links Aphantasia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia  Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ): https://aphantasia.com/vviq/  Professor Adam Zeman: https://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/staff/profile/index.php?web_id=adam_zeman  The Mind's Eye Project: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cspe/projects/the-eyes-mind/  “Picture This? Some Just Can't” by Carl Zimmer, 2015: https://carlzimmer.com/picture-this-some-just-cant-101/  Prosopagnosia: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/prosopagnosia#:~:text=Prosopagnosia%20is%20a%20neurological%20disorder,face%20blindness%20or%20facial%20agnosia.   Hyperphantasia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperphantasia#:~:text=Hyperphantasia%20is%20the%20condition%20of,as%20vivid%20as%20real%20seeing%22.  Ed Catmull: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Catmull  Craig Venter: https://www.jcvi.org/about/j-craig-venter  Blake Ross: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Ross  Think of a horse: https://aphantasia.com/think-of-a-horse/  Musical Links David Gray “Sail Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oyBnvibWEY  Bach “Cello Suite No.1 in G Major”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0  Mendelssohn “Overture: The Hebrides”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdQyN7MYSN8   

Dva roky pandemie se podepsaly i na psychice studentů. „Každý se soustředil hlavně sám na sebe, aby se udržel v chodu. Nebyl čas starat se o ostatní. Tím myslím psát si, nebo se scházet,“ popisuje čerstvý maturant Adam Zeman dvouletou dobu distanční výuky a lockdownů. Na maturitu se samozřejmě těšil, respektive to, že to „bude mít za sebou“.

Dva roky pandemie se podepsaly i na psychice studentů. „Každý se soustředil hlavně sám na sebe, aby se udržel v chodu. Nebyl čas starat se o ostatní. Tím myslím psát si, nebo se scházet,“ popisuje čerstvý maturant Adam Zeman dvouletou dobu distanční výuky a lockdownů. Na maturitu se samozřejmě těšil, respektive to, že to „bude mít za sebou“.Všechny díly podcastu Hovory můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

This episode features Dr. Adam Zeman who's an expert in cognitive and behavioral neurology. He first coined the term Aphantasia to describe the inability to visualize back in 2015 and is considered one of the world's foremost experts on imagery extremes. In this episode, he lays out to David– who has Aphantasia– what he's learned and what he still doesn't know about how human create images in their minds.Dr. Adam Zeman Recommends Resources:Adam's Article in American ScientistsEye's Mind Website

Deze aflevering staat in het teken van denken in beelden, oftewel mental imagery. Dat is het zien (of horen/ruiken/proeven/voelen) van iets dat je niet direct waarneemt. Wat is de functie van denken in beelden? Hoe kun je jouw vermogen om in beelden te denken meten? En wat nu als je niet in beelden kunt denken? Aan de hand van psychologisch onderzoek bespreken Rolf en Anita antwoorden op deze vragen. Meer over mental imagery vind je in Hoofdstuk 9 van het boek Drang naar Samenhang: De Psychologie van het Begrijpen. Bronnen:Artikel over eerste patiënt van Dr. Adam Zeman met aphantasiaDi Corrado D, Guarnera M, & Quartiroli A. (2014). Vividness and transformation of mental images in karate and dance. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 119, 764–773. DOI: 10.2466/22.24.PMS.119c30z6.Di Nuovo, S., Castellano S., & Guarnera M.A. (2014). Mental Imagery Test. Florence: HogrefeFilmpje Mart Smeets en Erben Wennemars (vanaf 0m37s)Interview met Dr. Adam Zeman over aphantasiaNanay, B. (2018). The importance of amodal completion in everyday perception. i-Perception. DOI: 10.1177/204166951878887.Pearson, J., & Kosslyn, S.M. (2015). The heterogeneity of mental representation: Ending the imagery debate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112, 10089-92. PMID 26175024 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1504933112 Pearson, J., Naselaris, T., Holmes, E.A., & Kosslyn, S.M. (2015). Mental imagery: Functional mechanisms and clinical applications. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(10), 590–602. DOI:10.1016/j.tics.2015.08.003VVIQ (vragenlijst voor mental imagery) Zeman, A., Dewar, M., & Della Sala, S. (2015). Lives without imagery—Congenital aphantasia. Cortex: A Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior, 73, 378–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.019 Zwaan, R.A. (2014). Embodiment and language comprehension: Reframing the discussion. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18(5), 229-234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2014.02.008 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have Alonso from Casa Nueva Contracting Inc and Kase from Alchemist Carpentry discussing framing, union, non union and all kinds of framing. Alonso is a George Brown graduate, would he do it the same way? He says no, he says he would have gone the appprentice route and jumped into framing. He's been framing for 8 years now. Then with Kase he is no longer a part of the union and working the custom homes. With a background in hospitality then school for animation then fell into carpentry and joined the union, didn't like the apprenticeship route, stopped paying his dues and went solo. It's an interesting dynamic between these two. The conversation of who's better? Union or non union? Alonso discusses a workplace injury during framing a roof, he was fine from it, or he thought he was, a car collision soon after really caused the damage. We discuss the workforce and the truth is still there, the younger trades are asking for far more then they are worth and once the assessment is done and the employer sets the rate below their expectations, they leave. The conversation of 4 day weeks comes up again and the guys share a few thoughts on that, in the end every tradesperson has to find the work life balance and find the time to work and spend with your family. Establish your business, understand you need to hire others to help you run and prepare your business for the future, that requires accountants, bookeepers, lawyers and more, just understand all of this prep will pay off so much in the end. Shared and Discussed LinksAphantasia is the inability to voluntarily create a mental picture in your head. People with aphantasia are unable to picture a scene, person, or object, even if it's very familiar. ... The phenomenon didn't receive a name until cognitive neurologist Adam Zeman coined the term aphantasia in 2015. https://www.arielna.com/arielatom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4YNkurhLk What an amazing show guys, thank you so much for spending the time to share your experiences, stories and valuable information, looking forward to seeing you again on future shows, possibly with Jesse from Barbosa Carpentry discussing more details about this trade and part of the construction industry and talking more construction. Find them @cluelessframer cluelessframer@gmail.com and @alchemist_carpentry alchemist.carpentry@gmail.comFind Carlito @theconstructionliferenos and reach out to him at theconstructionliferenos@gmail.comWant to reach out to Manny, text him on his mobile, 416 433-5737 and or email him at manny@hardcorerenos.com or manny@theconstructionlife.com Please let him know who you are and then ask away. TCL has and always will be about giving back to the construction industry.

Hosty živého streamu byli tentokrát hráči z týmů, které vypadly v semifinále, plus jeden rest z minula. Martin Procházka prozradil, kolik vypije piv a kdo dluží do kabiny Litoměřic párky v rohlíku, Frederik Foltán se svěřil s tím, co si zpívá ve sprše a jak požádal partnerku o ruku a Adam Zeman si zase během streamu musel dojít pro pizzu a odhalil kouzlo svých samostatných nájezdů.

Imagine a friend’s face. How much detail do you see? Do you see the color of their hair? What about the curve of their smile? For many people, this mental image will be relatively vivid. A somewhat watered down picture, sure, but still a picture—still something similar to what they would see if that friend were sitting across from them. For other folks, though, there’s no image there at all. There's just no way to will it into being. Such people have what is now known as “aphantasia”—the inability to generate visual imagery. Today I talk with Dr. Rebecca Keogh, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Dr. Keogh is one of the leading researchers in the new, fast-evolving study of aphantasia. We talk about the work she and her colleagues are doing to explore the full spectrum of individual differences in visual imagery ability, how these differences arise in the brain, and how they impact different aspects of everyday life, from how we dream, to how we envision the future, to how we respond to trauma. We also talk about folks on the other end of the spectrum—those with so-called “hyperphantasia,” who experience visual images in extraordinary detail. And we get a sneak preview of some of the questions that Rebecca and her colleagues are taking on next. This episode takes us, for the first time on Many Minds, into the fascinating terrain of individual differences—into questions about how other human minds may differ from our own, often in ways that invisible and unexpected. This is terrain we definitely plan to revisit in future episodes. Had a blast with this one folks—hope you enjoy it, too!   A transcript of this episode is available here.   Notes and links  3:16 – The 2015 paper in Cortex that introduced the term “aphantasia,” but the spectrum of visual imagery ability has been studied since the 1800s. 5:08 – In the 1980s Martha Farah and colleagues studied a case of acquired “aphantasia,” though they didn’t use the term at the time. 8:30 – The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) was first introduced in 1973 by David Mark. 12:15 – The 2018 paper in Cortex by Dr. Keogh and Dr. Joel Pearson. 15:15 – A 2008 paper by Dr. Pearson introducing the binocular rival method of measuring mental imagery. 23:15 – An overview of the idea of separate “what” and “where” pathways in the brain. 27:23 – The 2020 paper—'A cognitive profile of multi-sensory imagery, memory and dreaming in aphantasia’—by Alexei Dawes, Dr. Keogh, and colleagues. 41:30 – The 2020 paper by Dr. Keogh and colleagues about the role of cortical excitability in visual imagery. 44:30 – Phosphenes are a kind of visual experience that is not induced by light entering the retina. 48:15 – A primer on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). 51:45 – A pre-print by Marcus Wicken, Dr. Keogh, and Dr. Pearson using skin conductance to examine the level of fear experienced by aphantasic and control participants. 1:01:45 – A paper by Dr. Adam Zeman and colleagues titled ‘Phantasia–The psychological significance of lifelong visual imagery vividness extremes,’ which discusses vocational choices in people with extreme imagery.   Rebecca Keogh’s end-of-show recommendations: Aphantasia: Experiences, Perceptions, and Insights by Alan Kendle The Cambridge Handbook of the Imagination by Anna Abraham   The best way to keep up with Dr. Keogh’s work is to follow her on Twitter (@Becca_Keogh_PhD). To keep tabs on aphantasia research more broadly, you can follow other prominent aphantasia researchers such as Dr. Joel Pearson (@ProfJoelPearson) and Dr. Adam Zeman (@ZemanLab). You can also check out the Future Minds Lab and sign up for their mailing list: https://www.futuremindslab.com/.   Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI) (https://www.diverseintelligencessummer.com/), which is made possible by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation to UCLA. It is hosted by Kensy Cooperrider, with creative support from DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster, and Associate Director Hilda Loury. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd (https://www.mayhilldesigns.co.uk/). Our transcripts are created by Sarah Dopierala (https://sarahdopierala.wordpress.com/).   You can subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com. For updates about the show, follow us on Twitter: @ManyMindsPod.

Adam researches disorders of visual imagery, such as that exhibited by one of your hosts. We talked to him about understanding ourselves better, a form of epilepsy that makes you forget, and what his research field actually is (it's not cognitive and neural biology…)

Adam researches disorders of visual imagery, such as that exhibited by one of your hosts. We talked to him about understanding ourselves better, a form of epilepsy that makes you forget, and what his research field actually is (it’s not cognitive and neural biology…)

Picture an apple. Now picture your favourite character from a novel. And now a loved one's face. Can you see those images in your mind's eye? Some people can't because they have a condition called aphantasia which disrupts their ability to create a mental image.

Claudia Hammond's guest today is Tim Dalgleish a clinical psychologist at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. Transient global amnesia is a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that can't be attributed to a more common neurological condition, such as epilepsy or a stroke. Following a letter from a listener who suffered an episode of this curious condition we were intrigued to find out how it is triggered and what's really occurring in the brain. Claudia Hammond spoke with Adam Zeman, Professor of Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology at Exeter University. Is the enthusiasm for mindfulness in schools running ahead of the evidence? The skill of learning to become aware of what's going on around you and in your body and mind at a given moment has been shown to benefit people who've had recurrent episodes of depression. An increasing number of schools are holding mindfulness classes. But when it comes to the research on its benefits in school, the results are mixed. Andre Tomlin started the blog Mental Elf which examines the evidence when it comes to mental health so we got him into the All in the Mind studio to help us examine what difference mindfulness does and doesn't make in school. The latest Insiders Guide to getting the best out of mental health services asks: how do you tell your friends and family that you are having difficulties with your mental health if this is something you've never broached with them before? We hear from Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind, Lisa Rodriguez who has had mental health issues herself and has long experience of managing mental health services, psychiatrist Sri Kalidindi and GP Daniel Dietch. Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong condition which can affect how a child or adult communicates with and relates to other people. Scientists are still trying to understand the causes and why symptoms can range from the mild to the severe. The Somali language doesn't have a word for autism, so when Nura Aabe's son Zak was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and a half she was at a loss to explain the diagnosis to others in the Somali community in the UK. As she explains to Claudia Hammond she was inspired by her experience to write a play called Yusuf Can't Talk Producer: Adrian Washbourne.

Chris Butler speaks to Adam Zeman about new theories of memory systems and networks. This podcast was recorded at the 2015 BNPA AGM.

Angela Vincent, emeritus professor of neuroimmunology at the University of Oxford, gives Adam Zeman, professor of cognitive and behavioural neurology, University of Exeter, an overview of autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system.This podcast is one of several recorded with the British Neuropsychiatry Association, more of which will be published over the next few months. For all the podcasts in this series, see: soundcloud.com/tags/bnpa%202014

Adam Zeman, professor of cognitive and behavioural neurology, University of Exeter, asks James Nicoll, professor of neuropathology, University of Southampton, about the progress being made in preventative treatments for Alzheimer's.For more on early treatment for Alzheimer's, watch Nick Fox's talk on presymptomatic treatment for the dementias on JNNP's YouTube channel: http://goo.gl/95sVXBBoth this podcast and the Professor Fox's talk were recorded with with the British Neuropsychiatry Association. More BNPA podcasts will be published over the next few months, for all those in the series see: soundcloud.com/tags/bnpa%202014

This week we look at herpes simplex encephalitis, an easily missed central nervous system infection which can have serious consequences. Our practice editor Mabel Chew discusses the features of the illness with Tom Solomon, professor of neurological science at Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool. And podcast producer Duncan Jarvies gets advice on diagnosis from Adam Zeman, professor of cognitive and behavioural neurology at Peninsular Medical School.

There is a complex relationship between epilepsy, depression, and anxiety disorders. Adam Zeman, professor of cognitive and behavioural neurology, University of Exeter, discusses the associations and what they mean for practice with Andres Kanner, director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, University of Miami.This podcast was recorded at the British NeuroPsychiatry Association’s 2013 AGM. For more information on the association and next year’s meeting, see bnpa.org.uk.

Cognitive impairment in those with epilepsy is common. Adam Zeman, professor of cognitive and behavioural neurology, University of Exeter, ask Christoph Helmstaedter, associate professor for clinical neuropsychology, the University Clinic of Epileptology in Bonn, about the association, including the effects antiepileptic drugs can have on cognition.Further resources:Helmstaedter C, Witt JA. Clinical neuropsychology in epilepsy: theoretical and practical issues. Handb Clin Neurol. 2012;107:437-59.Neuropsychology in the Care of People with Epilepsy, in the Progress in Epileptic Disorders Series. John Libbey, 2011.Christoph Helmstaedter spoke on this topic at the British NeuroPsychiatry Association’s 2013 AGM. For more information on the association and next year’s meeting, see bnpa.org.uk.