Just last week, we wrapped up another exciting annual meeting of the American Neurological Association, ANA2024. Right before we packed up to head home, the President of the American Neurological Association, Dr. Betsy Ross, sat down with Dr. Allison Willis, the 2024 chair of the ANA’s Annual Meeting Programming Committee, to reflect on some of the highlights of this year's meeting. Series 5, Episode 12

Featuring:

• Guest: Dr. Allison Willis, the 2024 chair of the ANA’s Annual Meeting Programming Committee
• Interviewer: Dr. Betsy Ross, President of the American Neurological Association -
• Producer: Dr. Michelle Johansen, chair of the ANA's Education Innovation Committee
• Disclosures: None

Listen as Dr. Adeline Goss, Associate Chief of Neurology at Highland Hospital, discusses the groundbreaking potential of psychedelics in neurology with Dr. Steve Zeiler, a Vascular Neurologist and Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins, and Dr. Ghul Dölen, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at UC Berkeley. The conversation explores the newfound excitement surrounding psychedelics like MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin for treating mood disorders like depression and neurologic conditions such as stroke recovery. The experts also delve into research showing psychedelics' ability to reopen critical periods in the brain, potentially revolutionizing therapeutic approaches for a range of neurologic and psychiatric conditions. Series 5, Episode 11

Featuring:

• Guests: Dr. Steve Zeiler, a Vascular Neurologist and Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins, and Dr. Ghul Dölen, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at UC Berkeley
• Interviewer: Dr. Adeline Goss, host & executive producer of ANA Investigates and Associate Chief of Neurology at Highland Hospital
• Disclosures: Dr. Dolen & Zeiler share a patent on their work in psychdelics and rehab. Dr. Zeiler also reports research funding from Harmon and EVER Pharma.

AI is everywhere, whether you are a fan of it or not. This month, join us for a deep dive into the AI revolution with our guest Dr. Ethan Mollick, professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the New York Times bestseller, "Co-Intelligence." Discover how this AI revolution stands apart from past technological advancements and how it is transforming academic research. Ethan was interviewed for this episode by Dr. Zach London, an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan Medical School.

There has been tremendous progress in recent decades in the management of ischemic strokes. Meanwhile, hemorrhagic strokes have stubbornly resisted this progress. Interventions for these types of strokes have failed again and again to show a benefit over standard medical management, until this year. The recently published ENRICH trial is the first to show that minimally invasive neurosurgery may improve functional outcomes for patients with hemorrhagic stroke. Study lead author, Dr. Gustavo Pradilla joins us today to talk about the differences between ENRICH and previous negative trials, and future neurosurgical approaches for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. Dr. Pradilla is a Professor of Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology, and Head and Neck Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and Chief of Neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital. He spoke to Dr. Masoom J. Desai, neurointensivist and Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of New Mexico. Series 5, Episode 9

Featuring:

• Guest: Dr. Gustavo Pradilla, Emory University School of Medicine & Grady Memorial Hospital
• Interviewer: Dr. Masoom Desai, University of New Mexico

2024 has been a year of exciting trials on minimally invasive techniques in intracranial hemorrhage. This month we're focusing on Chronic Subdural Hematoma, where a minimally invasive strategy called Middle Meningeal Artery (MMA) Embolization is offering expanded treatment options for select patients. Dr. Chris Kellner is a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon and associate professor of neurosurgery at Mount Sinai. He'll talk about the promise of MMA embolization with Dr. Sarah Nelson, neurointensivist and neurohospitalist at Tufts Medical Center. We'll have more on these trials on the podcast in our June episode as well, with a focus next month on Minimally Invasive Techniques in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage. Series 5, Episode 8

Featuring:

• Guest: Dr. Chris Kellner, a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon from Mount Sinai
• Interviewer: Dr. Sarah Nelson, a neurointensivist and neurohospitalist at Tufts Medical Center
• Disclosures: Dr. Kellner is the PI for two studies discussed during the podcast funding was received from Medtronic and Cerenovus.

Football fans may remember in January 2023 when Damar Hamlin, a player for the Buffalo Bills, suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during a game on live television. He had a remarkable neurologic recovery, prompting us to focus our podcast that month on the need to avoid nihilism when we prognosticate after cardiac arrest. But what is the right balance between pessimism and optimism? Today, we'll hear from Dr. Karen Hirsch, neuro intensivist and associate professor of neurology at Stanford, about finding the Goldilocks zone in neuro prognostication after cardiac arrest. Dr. Hirsch was interviewed by Dr. Sarah Stern-Nezer, vascular neurologist and neuro intensivist at UC Irvine. Series 5, Episode 7

Featuring:

• Guest: Dr. Karen Hirsch, Stanford Health Care
• Interviewer: Dr. Sara Stern-Nezer, University of California, Irvine
• Disclosures: None

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor and one of the most aggressive solid tumors. Much progress has been made in the understanding and classification of gliomas, but progress in terms of prolonging survival has been limited. Several recent investigational therapies are bringing new hope. Our guest today is Dr. Eric Wong from Brown University. He is an international expert on advanced treatments for glioblastoma and a Professor of Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Neurosurgery, and Neurology at Brown University. He was interviewed by Dr. Christoph Stretz, a Vascular and Critical Care neurologist at Brown. Series 5, Episode 6

Featuring:

• Guest: Dr. Eric Wong, Brown University
• Interviewer: Dr. Christoph Stretz, Brown University

Brain death is one of the most controversial and ethically complex topics in neurology, but it's a regular part of our clinical practice. Late last year, a new set of guidelines was published that address some of the thorniest technical and ethical issues in the clinical determination of brain death. For this discussion, we are joined by Dr. Ariane Lewis, a professor in the departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, as well as the director of the Division of Neurocritical Care at NYU Langone Medical Center, and Dr. Matthew Kirschen, an assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. They were interviewed by Dr. Masoom Desai of the University of New Mexico. Series 5, Episode 5

Featuring:

• Guests: Dr. Ariane Lewis & Dr. Matthew Kirschen
• Interviewer: Dr. Masoom Desai
• Disclosures: None

Small fiber neuropathy is one of those conditions in neurology that can feel frustratingly intangible. Even for patients with severe neuropathic pain and autonomic symptoms, in about half of cases, the usual lab testing doesn't reveal a cause. There's increasing evidence that autoimmunity may be a factor in some of these cases of idiopathic small fiber neuropathy, but how to test and who to treat with immunosuppression is less clear. Our guest today, Anne Louise Oaklander, is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant in Neuropathology. She's known for her work on small fiber neuropathies and in this episode we'll talk about new autoantibodies associated with small fiber neuropathy and where we are in treating this challenging condition. Series 5, Episode 4

Featuring:

• Guest: Dr. Anne Louise Oaklander
• Interviewer: Dr. Adeline Goss
• Disclosures: None

The recent FDA approval of lecanemab, an amyloid-sequestering agent, has been hailed as a breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimer disease. Critics of the drug have pointed to its cost, risks, and treatment burden. Now that lecanemab is being administered in clinics across the country - how is it changing the lives of people with Alzheimers and their families? Dr. Megan Richie, neurohospitalist at UCSF, spoke to Dr. Seth A. Gale, Co-Director of the Brain Health Program and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Gale has been involved in creating the clinical program that is delivering lecanemab to patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, with the first patients receiving the drug this month. Series 5, Episode 3

Featuring:

• Guest: Seth A. Gale, MD - Co-Director of the Brain Health Program, and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School
• Interviewer: Megan Richie, MD - Neurohospitalist at UCSF and Chair of the ANA Education Innovation Committee
• Disclosures: Dr. Gale disclosed that he is a site Principal Investigator or Sub-Investigator (at Brigham and Women's Hospital) for several clinical trials in Alzheimer disease. Sponsors for those studies include Biogen, Eisai, Roche, Genentech, and Eli Lilly. I am on a scientific advisory board for MindAhead DE, with the opportunity for honoraria.