Podcasts about Neurosurgery

Leave an Amazon Rating or Review for my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Check out the full episode: https://greatness.lnk.to/1953DM A young boy comes into the ER with a brain tumor. The surgery is perfect. The outcome is not. Dr. Mark McLaughlin carried that one for sixteen years. He quit pediatric neurosurgery. Moved to a new town just to outrun the guilt. Then he started writing a book, looked at an old photo on his wall, and went looking for the boy's family. Still together. Still running their pizza parlor. Still calling him part of the family. Turns out the story he had been telling himself for sixteen years was wrong. This one will make you rethink what it means to hold yourself to an impossible standard. Sign up for the Greatness newsletter: http://www.greatness.com/newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yaara Zisman-Ilani is an associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Barnett College of Public Health and in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, both at Temple University. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. Y. Zisman-Ilani and Others. Pharmacotherapeutic Decisions in Autism. N Engl J Med 2026;395:214-217.

The best in the world don't have high self-esteem. They have none at all. That single idea changes how you think about confidence, pressure, and every story you tell yourself before something hard begins. This conversation features Dr. Mark McLaughlin, a neurosurgeon who has performed over 1,000 brain surgeries and 8,000 spine surgeries and is the author of Cognitive Dominance: A Brain Surgeon's Quest to Outthink Fear. He built a protocol for dismantling fear in the exact moment it shows up, tested across two and a half decades of operating on the human brain. He walks through the four quadrants every hard moment falls into, from flow to what he calls the all is lost quadrant, and why naming which one you're in changes what happens next. You'll hear the real difference between self-esteem and self-identity, why judging other people always turns inward, and the line it took him sixteen years to actually believe: the outcome doesn't define you. By the end you'll have a new way to sit with worry before it turns into paralysis, and a reason to stop treating fear as something to defeat and start treating it as something to understand. Dr. McLaughlin's Instagram Dr. McLaughlin's Website Princeton Brain and Spine Care Cognitive Dominance: A Brain Surgeon's Quest to Out-Think Fear Amazon Audiobook In this episode you will: Learn the IRIS protocol Dr. McLaughlin uses in the operating room to dismantle fear in real time Discover the four quadrants of the F.E.A.R. framework and how to recognize which one you're standing in Recognize the difference between self-esteem and self-identity, and why elite performers have none of the former Overcome the sixteen year lesson it took a brain surgeon to unlearn about outcomes and self-worth Build a personal practice for facing fear before high pressure moments, from the operating room to everyday life For more information go to https://lewishowes.com/1953 More SOG episodes we think you'll love: Lewis Howes Solo [Life Comes When You Let Go] Meg Josephson Emily McDonald Get More From Lewis! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You're listening to Bardtenders! In this episode of "The Mixing Glass", Gayle Taylor joins us to talk about building local communities, conventions, inclusivity in gaming, and cosplay! ------------Gayle Taylor is a Jacksonville-based community builder, event producer, cosplayer, and creative strategist with a deep love for nerd culture and the people who make it thrive. Gayle serves as an Event Coordinator for WasabiCon, where she designs and executes large-scale pop-culture programming including cosplay contests, themed nightlife events, interactive fandom experiences, and community-driven activations. Gayle is also an Anime Coordinator for FanExpo for their conventions across the country including Canada.Beyond conventions, Gayle is the founder of Babes, Games & Geeks est. 2018. Babes, Games, & Geeks is a women-forward nerd collective that brings people together through book clubs, tabletop gaming, cosplay, fitness, and social events across Jacksonville including clubs Duval Dice and Dungeons, Book Babes of Jax, The Inkwell and their cosplay club . Gayle's work sits at the intersection of fandom, creativity, and real-world connection,  building spaces that are inclusive, hype, and genuinely welcoming.By day, Gayle is a Neurosurgery nurse and Nurse Practitioner student, which gives her a unique perspective on balance, burnout, leadership, and building community while navigating high-intensity careers. Everything she does centers around creating experiences that make people feel seen, excited, and part of something bigger. ----------Don't miss out on any of the action!  Head to www.bardtender.com to stay up to date with all of the Bardtender content, find resources for mental and physical well-being, get access to education materials, and check out what all of our bards are up to!Support the show

A conversation with Dr. Antonio "Nino" Chiocca Find the video of this conversation at https://youtu.be/Lm8TEcEAAK0

Another conversation with Dr. Alex Khalessi Find the video of this conversation at https://youtu.be/alfpNjdrXkw

In this episode, Dr. Samuel Browd, pediatric neurosurgeon and Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington, Co-CEO & Chief Medical Officer at NeuFluent and co-Founder of the Foundation for Digital Neurosurgery, discusses how AI, data analytics, robotics, and brain-computer interfaces are reshaping neurosurgery. He shares insights on addressing workforce shortages, scaling specialized expertise, and why the next generation of surgeons will play a critical role in driving innovation across healthcare.

A conversation with Dr. John Wong Find the video of this conversation at https://youtu.be/52HSuhvggRA

Send us Fan MailWhen Dr. Maheen Musoof Adamson watched her father lose his ability to speak after a stroke, her life's work became deeply personal. In this episode, she shares how that experience led her to build Soof Solutions, an AI-enabled communication platform helping stroke, ALS, and non-speaking patients express their needs through eye movement, while challenging what healthcare innovation can look like when science, empathy, and access lead the way.Show NotesThis conversation is about building technology that serves real human need, not just market excitement. Dr. Adamson shares how she moved from neuroscience, Stanford, and government research into entrepreneurship, and why responsible healthcare innovation requires clinical rigor, emotional conviction, global access, and the courage to lead without abandoning your values.How her father's stroke became the catalyst for building Soof Solutions.Why eye-tracking technology can help patients communicate needs like water, comfort, pain, or connection.What it takes to raise capital and build trust as a Pakistani American Muslim woman in healthcare innovation.Why mentorship, women's networks, and support systems matter when founders can no longer “white knuckle” their way through leadership.Guest Contact & ConnectDr. Maheen Musoof Adamson is a Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford School of Medicine, Research Director for a national women Veterans center, Senior Scientist at VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, and CEO and Founder of Soof Solutions.Website: https://soofsolutions.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maheenmadamson/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soofsolutions_/X: https://x.com/soofsupportJoin the proveHER community and read the companion blogcast for more insight into the founder story, leadership lessons, and human-centered innovation behind this episode.---Subscribe and ReviewIf you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  Instagram: @badass_women_in_businessLinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in BusinessWebsite: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.comAthena: athenaac.com

Episode 26: Neurosurgery Update: Plagiocephaly vs. Craniosynostosis - When to Refer https://cmetracker.net/UTHSCSA/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/getCertificate/10102806   FACULTY: Izabela Tarasiewicz, MD, is a professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at UT Health San Antonio.   OVERVIEW: Host Holly Wayment talks with pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Izabela Tarasiewicz as she explains the difference between positional plagiocephaly (flat head) and craniosynostosis (premature suture fusion), and why early detection matters.   The episode covers the critical early treatment window (ideally by 3–4 months) to allow minimally invasive surgery, when helmet therapy is helpful, and why pediatricians should refer rather than order X-rays.   Practical takeaways: trust parental concern, refer early to a head-shape or craniofacial clinic, and know that prompt evaluation can prevent larger surgeries and improve developmental outcomes.   University Health Craniofacial Program Claudia Galaviz, Cleft & Craniofacial Coordinator (210)-743-1402 Referral Fax: (210)-358-8576   UT Health Cranial Remolding Program Referrals can be sent to evaluate all head shape abnormalities Phone:  (210) 450-9064 Fax: (210) 450-2150   OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers   DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS: Speaker: Izabela Tarasiewicz, MD has disclosed she is a consultant for Aesculap, and Alafair. The relevant financial relationships noted for Dr. Tarasiewicz have been mitigated.        The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members:Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.   The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.   CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS: The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.   CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE: Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance. Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity's evaluation. RELEASE DATE: 7/2/2026   EXPIRATION DATE: 8/31/2028      

THIS EPISODE IS AN EXCERPT -- Welcome to the La French Tech Switzerland Podcast, where we shine a light on entrepreneurs and investors from Switzerland, France, and beyond.In each episode, we dive into the stories, breakthroughs, and bold visions shaping the next wave of innovation, from AI and Robotics to Deep Tech, Crypto, the Agent Economy, and Clean Tech.This is your dose of inspiration from the people building and funding tomorrow's game changers, right here at the heart of European innovation.--- Today, we are joined by ⁠Matthew Lapinski⁠, co-founder and CEO of ⁠CLEE MEDICAL⁠, who is working at the cutting edge of neurosurgical innovation, based in Geneva, Switzerland.In this episode, we explore how Clee Medical is developing the future of brain surgery by integrating ultra-high-resolution, real-time imaging and navigation directly into the surgical process. Matthew explains the limitations of current "standard of care" navigation, which often relies on pre-operative MRIs that do not account for brain shift or real-time tissue changes, and how their novel use of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is bridging that gap.In this conversation, we cover: Real-time O C T imaging versus traditional pre-operative planning, Addressing "brain shift" and the lack of real-time information in the OR (operating room), Closing the performance gap between junior and elite surgeons, Doubling surgical throughput for procedures like Deep Brain Stimulation, Clee Medical's transition from a hardware provider to a data-driven company, And so much more. Now let's get into the episode.--- The French Tech Switzerland podcasts are imagined, edited, hosted, and produced by ⁠⁠⁠Raphael Grieco⁠⁠⁠ (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠raphael-grieco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Welcome to the La French Tech Switzerland Podcast, where we shine a light on entrepreneurs and investors from Switzerland, France, and beyond.In each episode, we dive into the stories, breakthroughs, and bold visions shaping the next wave of innovation, from AI and Robotics to Deep Tech, Crypto, the Agent Economy, and Clean Tech.This is your dose of inspiration from the people building and funding tomorrow's game changers, right here at the heart of European innovation.--- Today, we are joined by Matthew Lapinski, co-founder and CEO of CLEE MEDICAL, who is working at the cutting edge of neurosurgical innovation, based in Geneva, Switzerland.In this episode, we explore how Clee Medical is developing the future of brain surgery by integrating ultra-high-resolution, real-time imaging and navigation directly into the surgical process. Matthew explains the limitations of current "standard of care" navigation, which often relies on pre-operative MRIs that do not account for brain shift or real-time tissue changes, and how their novel use of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is bridging that gap.In this conversation, we cover: Real-time OCT imaging versus traditional pre-operative planning, Addressing "brain shift" and the lack of real-time information in the OR (operating room), Closing the performance gap between junior and elite surgeons, Doubling surgical throughput for procedures like Deep Brain Stimulation, Clee Medical's transition from a hardware provider to a data-driven company, And so much more. Now let's get into the episode.--- The French Tech Switzerland podcasts are imagined, edited, hosted, and produced by ⁠⁠Raphael Grieco⁠⁠ (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠raphael-grieco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Focused ultrasound is rapidly expanding the boundaries of what is possible in functional neurosurgery. From movement disorders to epilepsy, researchers are exploring how this noninvasive technology can precisely target and treat an expanding range of neurological conditions. In this episode of Curing with Sound, Vibhor Krishna, MD, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Inpatient Operations in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of North Carolina, discusses the latest advances in focused ultrasound for neurological disorders. Dr. Krishna shares moving patient stories, reviews newly approved bilateral treatment for Parkinson's disease, and shares encouraging early findings from a Phase I clinical trial for treatment-resistant epilepsy. The conversation also explores the broader therapeutic landscape for epilepsy and the opportunities ahead as focused ultrasound research continues to advance. Discussion highlights: Incisionless Tremor Relief: Discover how focused ultrasound offers a life-changing, noninvasive option for patients with essential tremor who wish to avoid invasive surgery and implanted hardware. Bilateral Parkinson's Treatment: Learn about the recent FDA approval for ablating the palatothalamic tract (PTT) bilaterally, a staged approach that addresses fluctuating symptoms like stiffness and slowness while potentially reducing medication dependence. Pioneering Epilepsy Trials: Hear promising early results of a Phase I clinical trial using focused ultrasound to reduce seizure frequency in patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ---------------------------- QUESTIONS? Email podcast@fusfoundation.org if you have a question or comment about the show, or if you would you like to connect about future guest appearances.  Email info@fusfoundation.org if you have questions about focused ultrasound or the Foundation.  FUSF SOCIAL MEDIA LinkedIn X Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube FUSF WEBSITE https://www.fusfoundation.org FOCUSED ULTRASOUND TREATMENT SITES https://www.fusfoundation.org/the-technology/treatment-sites/ SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.fusfoundation.org/newsletter-signup/ READ THE LATEST NEWSLETTER https://www.fusfoundation.org/the-foundation/news-media/newsletter/ DOWNLOAD "THE TUMOR" BY JOHN GRISHAM (FREE E-BOOK) https://www.fusfoundation.org/read-the-tumor-by-john-grisham/

A conversation with Dr. Michael Yang Find the video of this conversation at https://youtu.be/Qw15PrtlQX0

How are independent physician practices adapting as employers take a more active role in shaping healthcare decisions and costs? Hosts Heather and Matthew welcome AnnMargaret McCraw, CEO of Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery, to discuss her insights into the challenges facing independent practices, including declining reimbursement, rising costs, and increased organizational consolidation. We also explore how employer-driven programs like surgical carve-outs and centers of excellence are reshaping patient choice and provider dynamics. Tune in for a look at how private practices are navigating change and positioning themselves to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care.

Dr. Ashok K. Shetty is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics and Associate Director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Texas A&M University, Naresh Vashisht College of Medicine. He is developing treatments for neurological and neurodegenerative disorders using stem cells and stem cell-derived products, such as extracellular vesicles. These are tiny vesicles secreted by stem cells that carry microRNAs and proteins. Once they make their way into the brain, they can induce beneficial changes in neural cells to improve brain function. Science takes up a lot of Ash's time, but when he's able to get a moment to himself, he enjoys spending time with family, cycling on a stationary bicycle, playing brain games like Sudoku, and going out to see movies at the theater. Ash earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and he completed postdoctoral research at Montana State University and Duke University. Afterward, he joined the faculty at Duke University in the Division of Neurosurgery. He joined the faculty at Texas A&M University College of Medicine in 2011. In 2024, he was honored with the University Distinguished Professor Award from Texas A&M University, and he has also received the College of Medicine's Senior Research Excellence Award. In addition, Ash is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society for Neural Transplantation and Repair. He has received the Research Career Scientist Award from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, has been recognized among the "World's Top 1% of Scientists" across all scientific fields, and he was the 2025 honoree of Fast Company's World Changing Ideas. In this interview, Ash shares details about his life and his work in science.

Dr. Michael Park shares stories from a Proof-of-Concept study that combined lumbar or lumbosacral decompression and fusion surgery and neuromodulation. Dr. Park is a former principal investigator of the SynerFuse® proof-of-concept clinical trial and primary inventor of SynerFuse® technology. Dr. Park is a board-certified neurosurgeon, an associate professor, MnDRIVE neuromodulation scholar, William P. Van Wagenen Fellow, and director of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery in the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology at the University of Minnesota. He has extensive experience with neuromodulation – deep brain stimulation. This surgical therapy for brain conditions such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia modulates brain activity to treat symptoms. He also uses neuromodulation such as spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal drug delivery to treat cancer pain and chronic pain. In addition, working with epilepsy specialists, Dr. Park performs procedures such as surgical placement of depth and grid electrodes in the brain to identify abnormal epileptic brain areas and offer treatments which include resection, response neural stimulator (NeuroPace) placement, laser ablation, and vagal nerve stimulation. If patients are unable to have surgery, Dr. Park is able to treat some of the conditions using Gamma Knife radiosurgery as well. Dr. Park received his dual Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in economics and electrical engineering from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of Kansas. He holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from the School of Medicine and Graduate Studies, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, at the University of Kansas. He completed his neurosurgery residency at the Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University. He was awarded the prestigious William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and completed his fellowship with Dr. Jean Régis at the Université de la Méditerranée Aix-Marseille II, Assistance Publique L'Hôpital d'Adulte de la Timone in Marseille, France, in 2010. He was an Assistant Professor and the Director of Functional Neurosurgery and Pain in the Department of Neurosurgery at University of Louisville until 2014. Resources: Integrating Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation with Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Proof of Concept Study SynerFuse University of Minnesota Sponsor The Cox 8 Table by Haven Medical

Evaluating the 90-day safety and technical feasibility of a percutaneous transvenous approach represents a critical milestone for routing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) – the clear liquid that cushions the brain and spine – directly into the venous system. In this episode, JNIS Editor, Dr. Michael Chen, talks with corresponding author Professor Adel Malek (Tufts Medical Center, Boston) (1) to discuss his high-impact paper, "Safety of endovascular shunting for normal pressure hydrocephalus from a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study”. They discuss the results of this 66-patient, prospective trial, exploring how the novel eShunt system accesses the cerebellopontine angle cistern to drain CSF and relieve pressure.  Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ. (1) Neurosurgeon Adel Malek, MD, PhD. Chief of the Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Division in the Department of Neurosurgery, Tufts Medical Center; Professor of Neurosurgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA. The JNIS Podcast is produced by Letícia Amorim, and is edited by Pritesh Kapadia.  

Series Title: Conversations in Neurosurgery Ep. 3: Women in Neurosurgery—Navigating Common Challenges in the Workplace In this episode, we sit down with endovascular-trained neurosurgeon Dr. Nnenna Mbabuike to discuss some of the nuances and challenges of being a woman in the field of neurosurgery. A few of the topics discussed include access to complex cases early in your career, what she learned in those first 2 to 3 years in practice, where neurosurgery gets it wrong, how we can keep improving and adding diversity to the field and more. 

In this episode, Daniel M. Sciubba, MD, MBA, Lucille & Milton Cohn Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Senior Vice President of the Neurosurgery Service Line at Northwell Health, joins the podcast to discuss the growing importance of personalized, tailor-made approaches to healthcare. He also shares his perspective on the future of AI in healthcare and how emerging technologies may enhance clinical decision-making, efficiency, and patient outcomes.

In this episode, Namath Hussain, MD, MBA, Neurosurgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center, discusses the future of endoscopic spine surgery, the growing role of AI in healthcare, the importance of surgeon leadership, and how mindfulness, mentorship, and continuous learning can help physicians build exceptional careers.

In this episode, Elad I. Levy, MD, MBA, FCNS is a Neurosurgeon at Atlas Surgical Center and Chair of Neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo and Director of Neurosciences at Kaleida Health, discusses the creation of the nation's first Ambulatory Neurosurgery Center and the opportunities it creates for patient access, cost reduction, and clinician well-being.

In this episode, Namath Hussain, MD, MBA, Neurosurgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center, discusses the future of endoscopic spine surgery, the growing role of AI in healthcare, the importance of surgeon leadership, and how mindfulness, mentorship, and continuous learning can help physicians build exceptional careers.

In this episode, Namath Hussain, MD, MBA, Neurosurgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center, discusses the future of endoscopic spine surgery, the growing role of AI in healthcare, the importance of surgeon leadership, and how mindfulness, mentorship, and continuous learning can help physicians build exceptional careers.

In this episode, Elad I. Levy, MD, MBA, FCNS is a Neurosurgeon at Atlas Surgical Center and Chair of Neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo and Director of Neurosciences at Kaleida Health, discusses the creation of the nation's first Ambulatory Neurosurgery Center and the opportunities it creates for patient access, cost reduction, and clinician well-being.

In this episode, Daniel M. Sciubba, MD, MBA, Lucille & Milton Cohn Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Senior Vice President of the Neurosurgery Service Line at Northwell Health, joins the podcast to discuss the growing importance of personalized, tailor-made approaches to healthcare. He also shares his perspective on the future of AI in healthcare and how emerging technologies may enhance clinical decision-making, efficiency, and patient outcomes.

Michael chats with Dr. Steven Falowski, Board-Certified Functional Neurosurgeon, President of Pennsylvania's Pain Society, and Strategic Advisor for SynerFuse. Together, they discuss options for patient pain management, the prevalence of chronic back pain, Steven's decision to get involved with SynerFuse, the e-TLIF double infusion procedure, how SynerFuse is pairing neuromodulation with the e-TLIF procedure, the opioid epidemic and the push to reduce reliance on opioid prescriptions, where AI could be headed in healthcare, and much more. Learn more about SynerFuse at www.SynerFuse.com.  

In this episode, Rory K.J. Murphy, MD, Board Certified Neurosurgeon, Barrow Brain and Spine, Associate Professor Barrow Neurological Institute, discusses how AI is improving clinical workflows, patient engagement, and surgical planning in neurosurgery.

In this episode, Rory K.J. Murphy, MD, Board Certified Neurosurgeon, Barrow Brain and Spine, Associate Professor Barrow Neurological Institute, discusses how AI is improving clinical workflows, patient engagement, and surgical planning in neurosurgery.

In this episode, Rory K.J. Murphy, MD, Board Certified Neurosurgeon, Barrow Brain and Spine, Associate Professor Barrow Neurological Institute, discusses how AI is improving clinical workflows, patient engagement, and surgical planning in neurosurgery.

Title: Thalamic Monitoring and Stimulation for Epilepsy Guest Faculty: Mark Richardson, MD Hosts: Chris Newman, MD and Seth Oliveria, MD In this episode of the Controversies in Neurosurgery podcast, we welcome Dr. Mark Richardson to discuss the growing use of thalamic monitoring and thalamic stimulation to understand and treat epilepsy. We review current clinical applications including patient selection during stereoEEG monitoring procedures and indications for thalamic deep brain stimulation and/or responsive neurostimulation for epilepsy. We also consider future applications of these techniques.

Podcast Host and Interviewee: Rachna Malani, Sarah Menacho, Ben Shofty Rachna Malani interviews Drs. Menacho and Shofty, two Neurosurgeons who share their experiences in interfacing with Neurosurgery as well as their experiences as Neurosurgeons.

A conversation with Dr. Philipp Aldana, recipient of the 2026 AANS Humanitarian Award Find the video of this conversation at https://youtu.be/jmTc49d3i1c Find more at https://neurosurgeryoutreach.org/

There's a man who never had a near-death experience. He had something more honest. He had a slow death he could watch coming. And he wrote it all down before the cancer took him at 37.His name was Paul Kalanithi. Neurosurgery resident at Stanford. Eight months from finishing the longest training in medicine. Diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer he'd never earned. He went back to the operating room until his hands shook. He and his wife had a daughter anyway. He wrote a book about what dying does to a life. He died before he could finish it.Tonight we start there — with the man who told the truth on his way out — and then I'm going to tell you what I've actually seen as a funeral director, from this side of the door. People floating above their bodies. Lights at the end of tunnels. Loved ones who've already passed showing up at the foot of the bed. Stories I don't have a framework for. Stories that don't fit anywhere except in the room I stand in.This is The Mortals — Episode #231. Near-Death Experiences From A Funeral Director's Perspective.— NathanCHAPTERS0:00 Cold open — happy belated Mother's Day & tonight's setup2:30 Meet Paul Kalanithi — the writer who became a neurosurgeon5:25 Stage 4 at 36 — eight months from finishing residency8:20 22 months — what Paul did with the time he had left13:35 When Breath Becomes Air — Lucy finishes the book15:40 The funeral director's version of the same question20:00 Joe Rogan said funerals are a scam — here's my answer31:30 Socials, AI, and the song I'm finally releasing37:00 Don't wait — go do the thingWatch live every Tuesday at 7 PM ET. Subscribe so you don't miss next week.

Dr. Alison Hermann, MD is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Weill CornellMedicine and an Assistant Attending Psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. She currently oversees the Payne Whitney Women's Program and maintains a clinical practice in General Adult Psychiatry and Reproductive Psychiatry. She is open for consultations, psychotherapy, and medication management.Dr. Hermann began her training in the basic neurosciences, earning a bachelor'sdegree in Psychobiology at The Ohio State University and subsequently working as a full-time research assistant in translational neurotrauma at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati Department of Neurosurgery. She went on to receive her medical degree at the State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, where she graduated with Distinction in Neuroscience and was recognized with the American Psychiatric Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Psychiatry. Dr. Hermann completed her internship and residency training at Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute.  There she pursued additional intensive psychotherapy training in multiple modalities including interpersonal psychotherapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, brief dynamic psychotherapy, and group psychotherapy. Dr. Hermann served as Chief Resident in her final year of residency. Following residency, Dr. Hermann completed fellowship training in Reproductive Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center where she developed expertise in treating psychiatric conditions during periods of reproductive transition in a variety of clinical settings.Currently, Dr. Hermann is involved in national efforts to increase reproductivepsychiatry education and training for mental health practitioners, primary medicalpractitioners, obstetrician-gynecologists, and the general public, as well as local efforts to improve screening and access to psychiatric care for pregnant and postpartum women of all backgrounds.Dr. Hermann believes in an integrative, collaborative approach to treating psychiatric illness and prefers to view psychopathology through a developmental perspective. She appreciates the integral connections between mind and body as well as between individuals and the social network within which they live. For these reasons, her evaluations include a thorough assessment of biological, psychological, and social contributors to active symptomatology and, when appropriate, include collaboration with other healthcare providers. When making treatment recommendations, she takes a great deal of care to consider the personal preferences of her clients and is sensitive to cultural factors that may influence these preferences. She believes in a comprehensive approach to psychiatric treatment, including complementary and alternative medicine approaches as well as more traditional psychotherapy, medication, and behavioral wellness strathttps://www.instagram.com/drjudithjosephegies. How to diagnosis postpartum depression. How treat postpartum depression. What causes postpartum depression? Can I take antidepressants during pregnancy? How to diagnosis OCD in pregnancy? How to cope with burnout as a Physician. How to Cope with High Functioning Depression.Follow Dr. Alison HermannDr.Alison Hermann's WebsiteFollow Dr. Judith Joseph: Instagram High Functioning Book TikTok Facebook Website Newslette

It's the return of Merlin. Not the birdsong identification app this time, but the Rolls-Royce Merlin - engine of the historic Supermarine Spitfire warplane. The Case Reports trio are faced with another set of patient puzzles to work through in this latest episode. In the first case (1:25), a 68-yo man, retired from farming, presents with a 6-year history of behavioural changes. Most notably, he had developed a sense of great pleasure in listening to engine sounds, like those of the historic aircraft flying over his house. He had become increasingly emotionally detached and ritualistic, and gained a sweet tooth. MR scans of the brain revealed an uncommon syndrome. https://pn.bmj.com/content/26/2/169 The second case (21:15) relates to a 47-yo woman who developed abnormal movements in all of her limbs. She had undergone a complex cardiac surgery 12 years before, and another prolonged cardiac surgery within recent weeks. The case discusses the longterm follow-up of her treatment for these involuntary movements. https://pn.bmj.com/content/26/2/157    The case reports discussion is hosted by Prof. Martin Turner¹, who is joined by Dr. Ruth Wood² and Dr. Babak Soleimani³ for a group examination of the features of each presentation, followed by a step-by-step walkthrough of how the diagnosis was made. These case reports and many others can be found in the October 2025 issue of the journal. (1) Professor of Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, and Consultant Neurologist at John Radcliffe Hospital. (2) Clinical Lecturer in Neurology at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, and an Honorary Neurology SpR at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. (3) Clinical Research Fellow, Oxford Laboratory for Neuroimmunology and Immunopsychiatry, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Please subscribe to the Practical Neurology podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/3vVPClm) or Spotify (https://bit.ly/4aXF46i). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @PracticalNeurol. Production and editing by Brian O'Toole. Thank you for listening.

Another conversation with Prof. Kate Drummond Find the video of this conversation at https://youtu.be/GIbnmxruXao

Show notes: (0:00) Intro (1:18) Dr. Sheri's background and how books sparked her love for neuroscience (2:30) Writing Cutting a Path while training and raising kids (5:04) Meditation, yoga, stress, and staying calm under pressure (10:27) Gratitude, perspective, and finding meaning in hard moments (14:17) Taking risks and avoiding regret later in life (17:54) Simple brain health habits that matter (22:16) Why being sedentary can hurt brain health (23:31) Supplements, turmeric, resveratrol, and longevity (24:49) Food choices, protein, Mediterranean eating, and green tea (25:54) Yoga for spine health and safe movement after surgery (30:42) Dr. Dewan's children's book and tiger conservation (32:54) Charity surgery, global medicine, and giving back (35:46) AI, robotics, and the future of surgery (38:08) Full body scans, risks, benefits, and patient stress (42:08) Where to follow Dr. Sheri Dewan (42:37) Outro Who is Dr. Sheri Dewan?   Dr. Sheri Dewan is a board-certified neurosurgeon, bestselling author, and Chair of Neurosurgery at Ascension Health, as well as a Clinical Professor at The Chicago Medical School. One of the relatively few board-certified women neurosurgeons in the United States, she was inspired in part by her mother's ruptured brain aneurysm and the life-saving care she received. Dr. Dewan is the author of Cutting a Path: The Power of Purpose, Discipline, and Determination, where she shares lessons on purpose, discipline, motherhood, and perseverance in medicine. Beyond surgery, she is involved in global health work, charity surgeries in Southern India, women's leadership in neurosurgery, and tiger conservation through her children's book project. Connect with Dr. Sheri Website: https://www.drsheridewan.com/ IG: http://instagram.com/drsheridewan   Grab a copy: https://www.drsheridewan.com/order-books Links and Resources: Peak Performance Life  Peak Performance on Facebook Peak Performance on Instagram  

Dr. Jon Lebovitz, chief of Neuro-interventional surgery at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, joins us to discuss treatment of cerebrovascular conditions such as brain aneurysms and strokes. Ray Graf hosts.

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. Casey Halpern, MD, a professor of neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. We discuss how deep brain stimulation and other neuromodulation approaches are being used to treat Parkinson's disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), binge eating disorder and depression-related symptoms. We also explore the brain circuits that drive compulsions, cravings and impulsivity, as well as emerging non-invasive tools for predicting and treating harmful behaviors. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Rorra: https://rorra.com.huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Casey Halpern (00:00:20) Neurosurgery, Deep Brain Stimulation (00:04:19) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) & Treatments (00:10:11) Sponsor: Function (00:11:49) OCD Brain Areas, Addiction (00:14:12) Nucleus Accumbens, Risk & Rewards; Binge Eating Disorder (00:18:28) Sponsor: AG1 (00:19:46) Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (00:27:31) Sponsor: Rorra (00:28:46) Awareness of Cravings, Severe Binge Eating Disorder (00:32:51) Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning & Predicting Impulsive Behavior (00:36:57) Acknowledgements Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another conversation with Dr. Ricardo Komotar. Find the video of this conversation at: https://youtu.be/k8KHUTrxhRQ

Podcast Miniseries: Cultivating a Culture – Growing a Healthy Neurosurgical Workplace Ep. 4: Begin Again Guest: Nicholas Theodore Hosts: Brian Gantwerker & Chris Newman Join hosts Brian Gantwerker and Chris Newman with Dr. Nicholas Theodore—friend, inventor, mentor, and now Chairman of Neurosurgery at Banner Health. He shares the story behind his return to Arizona, reflecting on the pivotal roles of timing, opportunity, and intentional decision-making in shaping his career.

Dr. Nikunja Yogi is a Consultant Neurosurgeon and Head of Department of Neurosurgery at Upendra Devkota Memorial Neuro Hospital.

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Robert Spetzler, M.D., a world-renown neurosurgeon specializing in cerebrovascular disease and skull base tumors. He served as the J.N. Harber Chairman Emeritus of Neurological Surgery, and Director Emeritus, as well as President and CEO Emeritus, of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Under Dr. Spetzler's leadership, the Institute grew from a regional center to a global destination for the treatment, education, and research of neurological conditions. He is also emeritus chair of neurosurgery at the Phoenix campus of the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Dr. Spetzler was involved in pioneering the technique of hypothermia and cardiac arrest (‘cardiac standstill’) for the treatment of difficult brain lesions, which, as he explains, “has allowed us to treat patients who otherwise had absolutely no other option.” He performed more than 6,000 aneurysm surgeries during his career, treating some of the most complex cases in the world. Just over 100 of those patients underwent cardiac standstill. Dr. Spetzler’s desire to pursue a medical career, and to treat all—especially patients—with dignity, took root when he was age 5, when he had contracted tetanus from a rusty nail. Tetanus at the time was usually fatal. In the middle of the night his parents rushed him to the hospital, doing what they could to make sure he stayed awake on the way (to avoid falling into a tetany attack). At the hospital, he became one of the first people to receive a new drug, penicillin, which saved his life. Later, during a medical teaching presentation of his case, with the young Spetzler included in the presentation, the doctor failed to treat his young patient with even the slightest degree of dignity. Dr. Spetzler never forgot what that felt like and treating others, especially his patients, with dignity remained first and foremost the rest of his life, including in his practice and in his leadership. Honored many times by professional societies, including the American College of Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, in 1994, Dr. Spetzler was chosen to be the Honored Guest of Congress of Neurological Surgeons. At age 49, he was the youngest recipient of this prestigious honor. Five years later, he received the Herbert Olivcrona Award (the “Nobel Prize of Neurosurgery”), among many other awards listed in his biography. Born in Stierhoefstetten, Germany, Dr. Spetzler moved with his family to the United States at the age of 11. He received his B.S. from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, and his doctorate of medicine from Northwestern Medical School in Chicago. His postgraduate training was completed at Wesley Memorial Hospital, Northwestern in Chicago. He completed a residency in neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco. He received board certification in September 1979 from the American Board of Neurological Surgery. In 1983 Dr. Spetzler left his position as associate professor of neurosurgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland to assume a position as chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute at Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. He served as president and CEO of Barrow from 1986 to 2017. Also a prolific writer, Dr. Spetzler has published more than 300 articles and 180 book chapters and has co-edited multiple neurosurgical textbooks, including The Color Atlas of Microneurosurgery (2000).   LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don't miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: ROBERT F. SPETZLER, M.D. BIO: https://www.barrowneuro.org/person/robert-spetzler-md/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Spetzler https://alchetron.com/Robert-F-Spetzler NEWS / ARTICLES : Dr. Robert F. Spetzler Makes Neurosurgery History as Two-Time CNS Honored Guest — 2014 Top Doctor: Robert F. Spetzler, MD — Phoenix Magazine It’s Personal: Dr. Robert F. Spetzler

In this episode, Niall speaks with Dr. Michael Egnor, a professor of neurosurgery at Stony Brook University who has performed over 7,000 brain operations. He is also director of the neurosurgery residency program and has published extensively on the relationship between mind and brain. In this conversation, they explore: — Why decades of brain mapping research suggest that reason and free will cannot be produced by neural activity — Cases of patients missing large portions of their brain who function normally — What paradoxical lucidity in dementia patients reveals about consciousness — How research on patients in persistent vegetative states challenges materialist assumptions — Why evidence from neuroscience points to the existence of an immaterial mind And more. You can learn more about Dr. Egnor's work through his book, “The Immortal Mind". — Michael Egnor's practice includes patients diagnosed with Arnold Chiari deformity, hydrocephalus, cranio-synostosis, brain tumors, and spina bifida, as well as children with severe head trauma. He has an international reputation for research on hydrocephalus, and he is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Hydrocephalus Association in the United States. --- Interview Link: — Dr. Egnor's Book: https://amzn.to/4bIAiv3

Adult‑onset leukodystrophies, though rare, can closely mimic MS on both clinical presentation and neuroimaging, posing a significant diagnostic challenge. This episode highlights key clinical and radiologic red flags that can help distinguish these disorders from MS, preventing misdiagnosis and avoiding inappropriate treatment while enabling timely genetic counseling and targeted therapies. In this episode, Teshamae Monteith, MD, FAAN, speaks with Roberta La Piana, MD, PhD, coauthor of the article "Adult-Onset Leukodystrophies Mimicking Multiple Sclerosis" in the Continuum® April 2026 Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders issue. Dr. Monteith is the associate editor of Continuum® Audio and an associate professor of clinical neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. Dr. La Piana is an associate professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, and an associate member of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Additional Resources Read the article: Adult-Onset Leukodystrophies Mimicking Multiple Sclerosis Subscribe to Continuum®: shop.lww.com/Continuum Earn CME (available only to AAN members): continpub.com/AudioCME Continuum® Aloud (verbatim audio-book style recordings of articles available only to Continuum® subscribers): continpub.com/Aloud More about the American Academy of Neurology: aan.com Social Media facebook.com/continuumcme @ContinuumAAN Host: @headacheMD Full episode transcript available here Dr Monteith: You just saw a patient in clinic. And you're clear, the diagnosis is multiple sclerosis. Not everything fits, but it kind of looks like multiple sclerosis. You see the patient back years later. There're some treatment issues, the patient's not responding to treatment, and things look different. Have you thought about a genetic inherited problem like leukodystrophy or a genetic white matter disorder? Listen to this podcast. We're going to help you figure it out. Dr Jones: This is Dr Lyell Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Continuum. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio. Be sure to visit the links in the episode notes for information about earning CME, subscribing to the journal, and exclusive access to interviews not featured on the podcast. Dr Monteith: This is Dr Teshamae Monteith. Today I'm interviewing Dr Roberta La Piana about her article on adult-onset leukodystrophies mimicking multiple sclerosis, which she wrote with Dr Gabrielle Macaron. This article appears in the April 2026 Continuum issue on multiple sclerosis. Welcome to our podcast.  Dr La Piana: Thank you. Thank you for having me.  Dr Monteith: Absolutely. Why don't we start off with you introducing yourself? Dr La Piana: So, my name is Roberta La Piana. I'm a pediatric neurologist. I trained in Italy, I did my medical school, I did my residency in pediatric neurology there. And then I moved here to Montreal, to the Montreal Neurological Institute, to do a PhD in neuroscience. And that's where I specialized in adult-onset genetic white matter diseases. And after my PhD, I was recruited as an assistant professor here. So, that's where I got into this field.  Dr Monteith: This big field, highly specialized; lots of disorders, but highly specialized. And what got you into this? Neuroscience is huge. So, was it a mentor, or…?  Dr La Piana: No, actually, it was because of my background, because I trained as a pediatric neurologist and I loved the genetic white matter disorders in the pediatric population. So, when I came to the Montreal Neurological Institute, initially it was mainly to have a better expertise in imaging. And being at an adult neurology institute, I started seeing patients with adult genetic white matter diseases, and I was immediately fascinated by how different they were from their pediatric counterparts. Because in pediatric genetic white matter diseases, pediatric leukodystrophies look very diffuse, look very confluentous, so it's difficult to mistake them. But in adults, in the adult forms, I was initially driven by how often they can be misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis or as other acquired white matter disorders. So that's why I got really interested in in this field.  Dr Monteith: You're, like, literally the perfect person for this discussion.  Dr La Piana: I'm not sure- *laughs* Dr Monteith: Why don't we start off with what your objectives were when writing this article? Dr La Piana: With writing this article, the goal is what I have been, actually, doing for the past ten years or so. So, really try to get more attention into the field because of the high rate of potential misdiagnosis of patients. So, that's exactly the reason why I really would like to raise the interest of neurologists for these disorders, because they are not considered enough in the differential diagnosis of patients, of adult patients presenting with white matter disorders. They are considered rare---which are, they are rare, definitely. But collectively, while each single form is rare, collectively they are not as rare. So- and thus, the risk of misdiagnosis and the potential impact of misdiagnosis on them with, you know, you can imagine giving patients inappropriate treatment or missing the possibility of a prenatal genetic diagnosis is so high that I really would like people to keep these disorders in the differential.  Dr Monteith: And it sounds like more than ever, this is really important because some of the newer developments in the field. Dr La Piana: Yes. Specifically, we have now tools that will allow to diagnose these patients quite quickly. All the genetic techniques that are available nowadays can really, with one single shot, we can now sequence hundreds of genes so we can have a quicker diagnosis. And this thing was impossible up until ten years ago. So that's definitely the first huge improvement that makes these disorders now easily diagnosed. Dr Monteith: Yeah. So why don't we talk a little bit about how common is this misdiagnosis for these rare subtypes? Dr La Piana: Yeah, the misdiagnosis, it depends on the cohorts. Generally speaking, I would say that the rate of that misdiagnosis for these forms is up to 25% or even more in some other cohorts. And it really depends on the forms. Like, there are clearly some forms, especially those that present with multifocal white matter diseases, that present with nonspecific clinical presentations like migraines, image---and especially for female patients, and for which migraine is so common, having multifocal with other abnormalities is so common, the rate of diagnosis increases even further. So, these are all things that we need to keep in mind. I know these are rare, but still, we need to always have them on the back of our minds.  Dr Monteith: Are there any particular disorders that are more often misdiagnosed? And you spoke about progressive forms of multiple sclerosis being a common kind of misdiagnosis.  Dr La Piana: Yeah. So, there are definitely forms that are more commonly misdiagnosed. And these are those that, as I probably repeated already too many times, is the word multifocal, which is key. So, all those genetic white matter disorders that present with multifocal white matter abnormalities are not initially considered as genetic. So, I'm thinking about all of the leukovasculopathies, so, the small vessel diseases which are genetic in origin. For example, CADASIL; for example, the disorders related to collagen-4; so, the COL4 A1 or A2-related disorders. Those are clearly more commonly misdiagnosed initially. Another big group, unfortunately, is the CSF1R-related disorders. I know I'm saying a lot of gene names, but due to the fact that they start with multifocal abnormalities and they start with quite nonspecific, slowly progressive symptoms, the rate of misdiagnosis is definitely higher. Dr Monteith: And can you discuss some of the clinical challenges when seeing patients that might lead to this misdiagnosis?  Dr La Piana: There are multiple clinical challenges. One is definitely the presence of nonspecific or initially mild clinical symptoms that sometimes don't raise initially the red flag of something, degenerative or progressive or genetic. One category that I would mention are psychiatric disturbances, especially in the form of depression, anxiety, or apathy. This is quite common in patients with some forms of genetic white matter disorders, and they are initially misdirected to psychiatrists and taken care in that domain. But it's only when some even mild neurological symptoms like a gait disturbance or hyperreflexia, or we had patients with, like, a urinary incontinence. It's only at that time, but maybe years have passed meanwhile, that these patients are finally referred to the neurologist Dr Monteith: You spoke about some of these clinical symptoms. Can you give us some other clinical red flags?  Dr La Piana: Well, some other clinical red flags can be, for example, the extraneurological involvement. So, we have patients where- and there's a reason immediately to some specific disorders. For example, infertility. The presence of infertility in a female patient with white matter disorders should immediately form the consideration of the specific genetic white matter diseases that are associated with these forms. And this is not something that neurologists tend to ask about in the collection of the clinical history. And this is something that can make the difference and can accelerate the diagnosis.  Dr Monteith: What are some other things? I mean, I know we can think about treatment, lack of a common treatment response, maybe, to steroids. You gave a great example of optic neuritis, for example. Give us some other things that we should say, hey, this doesn't fit the picture. Red flag.  Dr La Piana: In this case, I think we want to talk more about the specific misdiagnosis of MS. Because these patients are often misdiagnosed with MS, but they might sometimes be misdiagnosed with other forms of acquired white matter diseases. When we consider MS, definitely the presence of being treatment resistant: so, patients that are not responsive to the common MS-targeting treatment should be always a red flag. The evolution as well. So, for example, the presence of a more slowly progressive course is another red flag. The presence of optic neuritis. Sometimes it's tricky because it's not common in the genetic white matter disorders, it's used as a criterion to orient correctly towards a multiple sclerosis. But we need to keep in mind that there are forms, genetic forms, especially the mitochondrial forms, that can present with optic neuritis and are really at the overlap with the multiple sclerosis spectrum. Then, if we want to move forward beyond the clinical side and go into the laboratory, of course a negative lumbar puncture with no oligoclonal bands should be a major red flag. Dr Monteith: What about some of the radiographic features?  Dr La Piana: So, the radiographic features is something we are really working on in the field, especially with the new criteria used in MS. So, for example the paramagnetic rim lesions or the central vein sign, they are considered the specific forms. But it's true- and don't have an answer for that. I want to be clear, but it's true that they haven't been assessed yet extensively in patients with genetic white matter disorders. Anecdotally, I can say, because I have already reported this at conferences, that we have seen patients with genetic white matter conditions reaching a threshold for a central vein sign that can be considered diagnostic for MS. And we have seen that in some patients. Again, no study has been carried out extensively to date, but I think we should consider that with a grain of salt. But yeah, the paramagnetic rim in lesions is probably more accurate to distinguish between genetic and acquired white matter disorders.  Dr Monteith: And what about some of the genetic white matter disorders that mimic MS? You spoke about things like CADASIL; what are other things that we should keep in the back of our mind? And you have great charts, to our listeners, and they're going to have to review those charts, because they're excellent. I think maybe they need to find a way to make that a little bookmark you walk around with on the ward. But what are some other conditions that kind of commonly mischaracterized?  Dr La Piana: Two of the main groups are the one that you mentioned. So, leukovasculopathy is- so, CADASIL, is definitely one of the most common misdiagnoses of MS. And the presence, as we said, of some clinical features like migraine, especially when it's complicated migraine with visual aura, we all know that. But especially in the context of a positive family history for either a psychiatry condition or migraine as well, or strokes, these are all factors that should prompt the consideration of these disorders in the differential of a patient with white matter disorders. Another category are definitely mitochondrial disorders, which I think are more neglected than others because we don't think about mitochondrial disorders when we see white matter disease; we tend to consider that mitochondrial disorders are a problem of the gray matter, but they are not. There are white matter diseases that have definitely mitochondrial. And the third category are probably microgliocytes, which are represented by the CSF1R-related disorder. And this is also something that is clearly quite prevalent, relatively prevalent, in the field of genetic white matter disorders misdiagnosed as MS.  Dr Monteith: Yeah. Why don't we go through some of the, kind of, key history, you know, some of the key questions you would ask in the history to try and differentiate? You mentioned kind of subtle symptoms, longstanding progressive symptoms. I know things that we look at like relapsing/remitting and some trigger factors can actually be associated with some of these genetic disorders. So how do you approach a patient? What are some of the key questions? You talked about family history and you talked about medical history, but why don't you kind of give us a nice way to kind of hone in on to the patient? Dr La Piana: There are a couple of questions that we usually ask. I should make a disclaimer, though, that I work very closely with the MS clinics, so we are ready to receive patients that are prescreened. So, these are already patients that people working on acquired white matter disorders feel like they are atypical, so they want our opinion. But usually, there are two groups of questions that we always ask. One is about the family history. And by saying family history, I really dig into the family history. I don't just want to know whether there are family members with neurological disorders. I ask specifically about migraine. I ask specifically about infertility issues. I ask specifically about psychiatric issues. These three things are always on the top of my mind when asking about family history. The other thing is a family history for neurodevelopmental disorder, because you know that some people might not remember that some genetic white matter diseases can present at different ages. So, in the same family, there might be cases with a pediatric-onset leukodystrophy, and that can manifest at a later age in other family members. So, this is something that we always explore. In terms of the clinical history, one question that I recommend always to ask is really about more subtle symptoms. So, for example, many of our patients present with progressive balance problems or progressive mobility issues that have been going on for a while. So, we always ask how they were when they were in their teenage years, for instance. And it's frequent that they say, actually, I was a bit clumsy. Actually, I was not the first being picked in school at phys-ed sports. And these are all interesting aspects. Maybe they are totally incidental, and sometimes they suggest that there was probably something going on for a long time. The other thing is the presence, for example, of learning difficulties. Again, these are things that are subtle but testify that there was probably a process that was more longstanding. Dr Monteith:  You talked about things like rim lesions. Are there other types of sequences that might be useful to better characterize demyelinating diseases that are genetic in origin? I assume higher levels of MRI might be better at differentiating.  Dr La Piana: Yeah. So, in the clinical setting, there are a couple of sequences that are very useful. One is the diffusion, because as opposed to multiple sclerosis, the presence of persistently restricted areas of diffusion can point immediately towards some genetic white matter diseases. One is CSF1R-related disorders. But there are also some other, more rare tremor and ataxia syndrome that present with persistent areas of restricted diffusion as well as others. The presence of calcification. So, adding an SWI, susceptibility weighted imaging, to check not just for calcifications that can immediately orient towards some disorders, but can also identify areas of microhemorrhages that, if we are going back to the leukovasculopathies, to the genetic leukovasculopathies, can tell us that we are on the right track for excluding those type of diseases. Basically, these are the two that are available in every scanner without even going into fancy, more advanced techniques. Dr Monteith: I was going to ask you that question, how often should we think about this next-generation sequencing when you're kind of on the fence, allowing for some negative results to come back in the abundance of caution?  Dr La Piana: The problem with the panel, of course, is that you run a panel and you don't know what's coming back. So, then having to deal with variants of unknown significance in genes, then you have to deal with them, and then you have to deal with results that maybe are not as black or white as you would expect initially. So, I'll answer to your question when to do that, our recommendation would be to do that every time you are presented with a patient that presents those atypical features that we summarized in the paper, and that basically raise multiple red flags for an atypical white matter disease that is not multiple sclerosis. And then what to do when you have results? I still believe that having access, of course, to genetic counselors, to neurogeneticists, is critical, but also having access and being in contact with the network of people working on this. Because we are a network; we put the website address on the paper of the white matter rounds because this is an international network that we built over the years, and we connect monthly, on a monthly basis, with meetings to discuss exactly this type of patient. So, we are all learning together, and it's very frequent that people ask us to present cases at the white matter rounds because they have a presented with unusual or atypical genetic findings and they want the opinion of experts.  Dr Monteith: Great. Well, I'm really glad that resource is available. And I'm also really glad that you wrote that article with your colleague. Thank you so much. Dr La Piana: Thank you so much, Tesha.   Dr Monteith: Today I have been interviewing Dr Roberta La Piana about her article on adult-onset leukodystrophies mimicking multiple sclerosis, which she wrote with Dr Gabrielle Macaron. This article appears in the April 2026 Continuum issue on multiple sclerosis. Be sure to check out Continuum Audio episodes from this and other issues, and thank you to our listeners for joining today.  Dr Monteith: This is Dr Teshamae Monteith, Associate Editor of Continuum Audio. If you've enjoyed this episode, you'll love the journal, which is full of in-depth and clinically relevant information important for neurology practitioners. Use the link in the episode notes to learn more and subscribe. AAN members, you can get CME for listening to this interview by completing the evaluation at continpub.com/audioCME. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio.

Clean lumen club! This week, BackTable meets you at the carotid bifurcation to discuss all things carotid angioplasty and stenting. Interventional neuroradiologist and cerebrovascular surgeon Dr. Adnan Siddiqui, Vice Chairman of the University of Buffalo's Department of Neurosurgery, joins host Dr. Sameh Sayfo to discuss the evolution and current state of carotid disease treatment. --- Get the BackTable app https://www.backtable.com/app --- This podcast is supported by Terumohttps://www.terumois.com/ --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction02:48 - From Aspirin to Endarterectomy03:47 - Rise of Carotid Stenting06:46 - CREST-2 and CMS Coverage09:57 - Management of Severe Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis 15:35 - New Stent Designs Explained17:56 - Five Tips for New Operators20:08 - Case Selection Algorithm22:04 - Learning Curve and Mentorship28:27 - What's Next: IVL and Outpatient31:24 - Managing Complications Safely35:05 - Closing and Credits --- More about this episode Dr. Siddiqui details the history of carotid stenosis treatment, charting its path and progression from medical therapy to endarterectomy and modern stenting approaches. He includes how recent trial data and updated CMS reimbursements have influenced practice and generated recent developments such as second generation stent technology. Dr. Siddiqui shares perspectives on patient selection, operator learning curve, complication preparedness, and the importance of structured training and proctoring as technology and techniques continue to improve. The physicians close by overviewing future directions for the carotid space such as IVL and how to approach management of procedural complications. --- Resources Dr. Adnan Siddiqui provider profilehttps://www.ubns.com/physicians/dr-adnan-h-siddiqui/ Carotid Endarterectomy for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis: Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial (ACAS)https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.str.0000141706.50170.a7 Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial (ACST-2)https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/clinical-trials/2021/08/25/23/24/acst2 Protected Carotid-Artery Stenting versus Endarterectomy in High-Risk Patients (SAPPHIRE trial)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa040127 Medical Management and Revascularization for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis (CREST-2 trial) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2508800 The North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET trial)https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.str.30.9.1751

Headache affects up to 90% of patients following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), often requiring high-dose opioids that can complicate neurological monitoring.  In this episode, JNIS Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Michael Chen, is joined by Professor Peter Kan¹ to discuss a prospective pilot study investigating a novel dural therapy: the infusion of lidocaine (with or without dexamethasone) via the middle meningeal artery (MMA) during aneurysm embolisation.  They explore the safety of this targeted approach, its impact on Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores, and its potential as an opioid-sparing strategy in the neuro-ICU. Link to the discussed paper: "Middle meningeal artery infusion for headaches after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a pilot study". Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ. (1) Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, USA

Send us Fan MailDr. Anthony Chaffee is a returning guest on our show! Be sure to check out his first four appearances on Boundless Body Radio on episodes 261, 332, and 534, and 641, all of which were some of our most popular episodes ever recorded!Dr. Anthony Chaffee is an American medical doctor specializing in Neurosurgery who over a span of 20 years has researched the optimal nutritional habits for athletic performance and health.He is an All-American rugby player and a former professional athlete in England and America. Dr. Chaffee has dedicated many years and a large part of his professional practice to the study and education of diet and nutrition, and personally practices a fully carnivorous diet to this day, with amazing results.He began his university education studying Molecular & Cellular Biology with a Minor in Chemistry at the University of Washington-Seattle at the age of 15, which culminated in attaining his MD from the Royal College of Surgeons.He currently resides in Perth, Australia where he specializes in Neurosurgery and does private consultations and clinics in functional medicine and nutrition.He is the host of the incredibly popular podcast The Plant Free MD Podcast! He is also the host of an amazing book club, along with Olivia Kwaja, who we have hosted several times on our show as well!Dr. Anthony Chaffee's fantastic book club on Patreon (It's $5 a month)!Find Dr. Chaffee at-https://dranthonychaffee.com/YT- Anthony Chaffee MDPodcast- The Plant Free MD PodcastIG- anthonychaffeemdTW- @anthony_chaffeePatreon- Dr Anthony Chaffee, MDFind Boundless Body at-myboundlessbody.comBook a session with us here! 

Another conversation with Dr. Enrico Tessitore. Find the video of this conversation at https://youtu.be/ZSi0wZA-S_4