The Neurology Lounge

Category: Podcast

  • Episode 37. Chaos – The Erratic Choreography of Huntington’s Disease

    In this episode, I explore one of the most visually dramatic neurological disorders, along with its diverse and debilitating symptoms. I explored the history of the disease, describing how George Huntington came to know about it, and how his paper documenting the involvement of a Long Island pedigree in New…

  • Episode 36. Transcultural Epilepsy with Anne Fadiman – Author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

    I am joined in this podcast by Anne Fadiman to discuss her classical book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, her account of the cross-cultural conflicts between a Hmong family and the American medical system. The book won a National Book Critics Circle Award, a Los Angeles Times…

  • Episode 35. Tranquillity – Pacifying the Epileptic Brain

    In this episode, I trace the history of the development of EEG and MRI, the two key investigation tools of epilepsy. This explores the roles played by neuroscientists Hans Berger and Edgar Adrian, and physicists Paul Lauterbur, Peter Mansfield, and Raymond Damadian. I also use the fascinating memoir, The Letter…

  • Episode 34. Epilepsy with Franziska Thomas- Author of Fits and Starts

    In this episode, I am joined by Franziska Thomas to explore her almost life-long history of experiencing epilepsy. She traces the onset of her epilepsy and the daily seizures she experiences since her first seizure in 1992, when she said her whole world literally turned upside down. Franziska describes ‘Fits…

  • Episode 33. 10 Occupations that are Distinctly Hazardous to Your Nervous System

    In this short episode, I count down 10 neurological occupational risks. The podcast explores how the activities involved, and the exposures associated with the jobs, can threaten the nervous system. Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/kLN0zQYsi2A Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/mrx6dttm Listen on RSS feed https://tinyurl.com/477vsxu8 Listen on Apple podcasts tinyurl.com/3d85hzk2 *** And…

  • Episode 32. Epilepsy with Ian Bone – Author of Sacred Lives

    In this episode I discuss the history of epilepsy and of its treatments with neurologist Ian Bone, Consultant Neurologist at the Institute of Neurological Sciences Glasgow between 1978 and 2006, and Honorary Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Glasgow. Since retiring, Ian has worked on behalf of the…

  • Episode 31. Tempest – In the Midst of the Epilepsy Storm

    In this episode, I use illustrative patient memoirs to discuss its diverse and deceptive causes and manifestations. I also use historical stories, such as that of composer George Gershwin, to illustrate the challenge of making a diagnosis of seizures. I also explore the manifold mimics of epilepsy, particularly exploring how…

  • Episode 30. A History of How the Brain Doesn’t Work with Matthew Cobb – Author of The idea of the Brain.

    In this podcast, I am joined by Matthew Cobb, author of the fascinating book The Idea of the Brain, to discuss the different concepts of the brain that have emerged over the centuries. Matthew Cobb is Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester where he studies the neurobiology of…

  • Episode 29. Galen with Susan Mattern – Author of The Prince of Medicine

    In this episode, I talk to Susan Mattern, expert in ancient Mediterranean history at the University of Georgia, and author of the authoritative biography of Galen titled Prince of Medicine. We explore the life, ideas and legacy of Galen, perhaps the most influential physician in the history of medicine, and…

  • Episode 28. Inception – Laying the Medical Foundations of Neurology

    In this second episode on the history of neurology, I go back in time to explore how the founders of medicine, from Herophilus and Aristotle to Hippocrates and Galen, laid the foundations of neurology. The journey takes us from ancient Egypt to Greece, back to Egypt, and then to Belgium.…