eanCast: Weekly Neurology

Ep. 203: Diagnostic challenges in ALS and frontotemporal dementia 31.05.2026 27min

Moderator: Valentina Iuzzolino (Naples, Italy) Guest: Elka Stefanova (Belgrade, Serbia) and Mamede de Carvalho (Lisbon, Porugal) In this episode, Valentina Iuzzolino speaks with Elka Stefanova and Mamede de Carvalho about diagnostic challenges in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. They discuss clinical heterogeneity, key differential diagnoses and red flags, the role of Gold Coast criteria and neurophysiology in ALS, and the importance of longitudinal clinical assessment and neuroimaging in distinguishing frontotemporal dementia from primary psychiatric disorders.

Ep. 202: Clinical neurology Meets AI: Are we prepared? 24.05.2026 26min

Moderator: Raphael Wurm (Vienna, Austria) Guest: Roland Wiest (Bern, Switzerland) In this episode, Raphael Wurm speaks with Roland Wiest about how the AI revolution is set to reshape the clinical environment in neurology. They discuss the areas where augmentation and automation are likely to have the greatest impact, including neuroimaging, clinical workflows, and decision support, while exploring how neurologists can prepare themselves and their institutions to translate emerging AI technologies into meaningful improvements for both clinicians and patients.

Ep. 201: Inside the Black Box: Can Neurologists Trust AI? 17.05.2026 21min

Moderator: Georg Starke (Munich, Germany) Guest: Giulia Di Rauso (New York, USA) In this episode, Georg Starke speaks with Giulia Di Rauso about trustworthiness and the use of artificial intelligence in neurological research and clinical practice. They discuss explainability, data quality, interpretability, and human oversight in AI systems, highlighting key considerations for responsible integration of AI tools into neurology and the importance of maintaining clinical judgement.

Ep. 200: Human versus artificial intelligence: the contest 10.05.2026 33min

Moderator: Maria Chiara Malaguti (Rovereto, Italy) Guest: Gary Leeming (Liverpool, UK) In this episode, Maria Chiara Malaguti and Gary Leeming discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence in neurology. Aimed at clinical neurologists, the conversation explores how AI may support clinical practice, while also addressing its limitations, ethical implications, and the need for human oversight. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in healthcare, neurologists will need to develop a solid understanding of these tools in order to use them critically, guide their implementation, and remain in control of clinical decision-making.

Ep. 199: AI Demystified: What It Is - and Isn’t 03.05.2026 27min

Moderator: Raphael Bernard-Valnet (Lausanne, Switzerland) Guest: Roland Wiest (Bern, Switzerland) and Monica Moroni (Trento, Italy) In this episode, Raphael Bernard-Valnet speaks with Roland Wiest and Monica Moroni about the fundamentals of artificial intelligence in clinical neurology and its practical implications for neurologists. They discuss key applications such as imaging analysis, diagnostic and decision-support tools, and emerging use in wearables, while addressing interpretability, standardisation, and current barriers to routine clinical implementation.

Ep. 198: The Complex Interaction between (Social) Media and Functional Neurological Disorders 26.04.2026 29min

Moderator: Kirsten R. Müller-Vahl (Hanover, Germany) Guest: Natalia Szejko (Warsaw, Poland) and Anna Dunalska (Warsaw, Poland) In this episode, Kirsten R. Müller-Vahl speaks with Natalia Szejko and Anna Dunalska about functional neurological disorders and the influence of social media. They discuss common clinical presentations, challenges in diagnosis based on positive signs, and the impact of online information on symptom expression, patient expectations, and clinical management, with implications for contemporary neurological practice.

Ep. 197: Functional Neurological Symptoms Co-existing with Movement Disorders: Clinical Challenges and Opportunities 19.04.2026 38min

Moderator: Selma Aybek (Fribourg, Switzerland) Guests: Gabriela Gilmour (Calgary, Canada) and Katarzyna Śmiłowska (Sosnowiec, Poland) In this episode, Selma Aybek speaks with Gabriela Gilmour and Katarzyna Śmiłowska about the overlap between functional neurological disorders and movement disorders. They discuss key diagnostic principles based on positive clinical signs, mechanisms underlying co-occurrence, and practical challenges in distinguishing functional symptoms from conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, with implications for accurate diagnosis and management in neurological practice.

Ep. 196: Is Biological Sex Important for the Development of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND)? 12.04.2026 33min

Moderator: Primavera Spagnolo (Boston, MA) Guest: Natalia Szejko (Warsaw, Poland) and Anna Dunalska (Warsaw, Poland) In this episode, Primavera Spagnolo speaks with Natalia Szejko and Anna Dunalska about functional neurological disorders, focusing on the influence of biological sex and gender on their development and clinical presentation. They discuss diagnostic features, epidemiology and female predominance, neurobiological and sociocultural factors, sex-related differences in presentation and comorbidities, and implications for sex- and gender-informed diagnosis and multidisciplinary care in neurological practice.

Ep. 195: Functional Neurological Disorder Across Europe: Bridging Gaps in Neurology Training and Clinical Practice 05.04.2026 27min

Moderator: Veronica Cabreira (Porto, Portugal) Guest: Mark Edwards (London, UK) and Jon Stone (Edinburgh, UK) Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) remains one of the most common yet least adequately taught conditions in neurology training across Europe. In this episode, moderator Veronica Cabreira and expert guests Jon Stone and Mark Edwards reflect on historical and contemporary factors that contribute to major gaps in education and training on FND across Europe. They argue that FND should be the “business” of Neurologists and provide their insights into advocating for better clinical pathways and specialist services, integrating evidence-based FND teaching, and aligning health policy for FND with modern clinical practice.

Ep. 194: Autism in children and adults: different or the same? 29.03.2026 48min

Moderator: Taras Voloshyn (Kyiv, Ukraine) Guests: Laavanya Damodaran (Birmingham, UK), Osman Malik (London, UK) In this episode, Taras Voloshyn speaks with Laavanya Damodaran and Osman Malik about autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan, with particular focus on the transition from childhood to adulthood. They discuss core diagnostic features, early clinical signs, evolving presentations in adult patients, and the challenges of recognition, comorbidities, and long-term multidisciplinary support in neurological and psychiatric practice.

Ep. 193: Understanding GBS and other inflammatory neuropathies across ages 22.03.2026 28min

Moderator: Francesco Germano (Genoa, Italy) Guest: Matteo Cataldi (Genoa, Italy) In this episode, Francesco Germano speaks with Matteo Cataldi about Guillain-Barré syndrome and other inflammatory neuropathies across the lifespan. They discuss key age-related differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic challenges, and management strategies in pediatric and adult patients, highlighting practical considerations for early recognition, risk assessment, and treatment in neurological practice.

Ep. 192: Movement disorders in children and adults: different or the same? 15.03.2026 36min

Moderator: Natalia Szejko (Warsaw, Poland) Guests: Tammy Hedderly (London, UK), Alexander Münchau (Lübeck, Germany) In this episode, Natalia Szejko speaks with Tammy Hedderly and Alexander Münchau about the similarities and differences in movement disorders across the lifespan. They discuss the clinical evolution of tics and stereotypies from childhood to adulthood, the distinct diagnostic implications of dystonia and parkinsonism in pediatric versus adult populations, and the importance of multidisciplinary care and acceptance-based strategies in neurological practice.

Ep. 191: FND in children and adults: different or the same? 08.03.2026 39min

Moderator: Meagan Watson (Denver, USA) Guests: Pavlina Danhofer (Brno, Czech Republic), Natalia Szejko (Warsaw, Poland) In this episode, Meagan Watson speaks with Pavlína Danhofer and Natalia Szejko about whether functional neurological disorders (FNDs) present differently in children and adults. They discuss age-specific clinical features, comorbidities, developmental and family context, diagnostic challenges, and the role of early, tailored multidisciplinary management to improve outcomes in neurological practice.

Ep. 190: Parkinson’s disease – more than a movement disorder 01.03.2026 20min

In this episode, Yıldız Değirmenci speaks with Julie Hall and Marit Ruitenberg about non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, focusing on anxiety and cognitive impairment. They examine their clinical profiles, early detection challenges including neuropsychological markers, interactions with motor manifestations, and implications for comprehensive assessment and individualized management in neurological practice.

Ep. 189: Red flags of treatable (spino)cerebellar ataxias 22.02.2026 45min

Moderator: João Durães (Coimbra, Portugal) Guests: Paola Giunti (London, UK), Lidia Sarro (Milan, Italy) In this episode, João Durães, Paola Giunti and Lidia Sarro provide a rigorous examination of the diagnostic and therapeutic landscape of treatable ataxias, focusing on rare variants. The discussion first delineates autoimmune etiologies, such as anti-GAD, paraneoplastic, and gluten-related syndromes, before transitioning to a detailed review of acquired and genetic metabolic disorders, including vitamin deficiencies, NPC, Refsum disease, Glut1 deficiency, CTX, and Wilson’s disease among others. By highlighting critical clinical and paraclinical "red flags," the contributors offer a framework for accelerating differential diagnosis. The session concludes with an analysis of contemporary pharmacological advancements, notably the recent EMA approval for Friedreich’s Ataxia and the efficacy of repurposed drugs in treating genetic forms such as EA1/2 and SCA27B.

Ep. 188: Red flags of treatable rare myopathies 15.02.2026 32min

Moderator: Olimpia Musumeci (Messina, Italy) Guests: Antonio Toscano (Messina, Italy), Marianne De Visser (Amsterdam, Netherlands) In this episode, Olimpia Musumeci speaks with Antonio Toscano and Marianne de Visser about hereditary, particularly metabolic, and acquired myopathies, especially idiopathic inflammatory myopathies amenable to treatment. They review advances in pathophysiology, diagnostic approaches and novel therapies, highlighting clinical red flags and strategies that have a significant impact on timely diagnosis and management in daily neurological practice.

Ep. 187: Red flags of treatable rare cerebral small vessels diseases 08.02.2026 20min

Moderator: Emanuele D’amico (Foggia, Italy) Guest: Anna Bersano (Milan, Italy) In this episode, Emanuele D’Amico speaks with Anna Bersano about red flags for rare and potentially treatable cerebral small vessel diseases. They discuss how early onset, family history, multisystem involvement, and characteristic MRI patterns can help distinguish monogenic and metabolic forms from sporadic disease, focusing on conditions such as CADASIL, Fabry disease, CARASIL, and COL4A1/2-related angiopathies, and emphasising the importance of structured diagnostic pathways and early recognition for appropriate management.

Ep. 186: Red flags of treatable mitochondrial disorders 01.02.2026 25min

Moderator: Piervito Lopriore (Pisa, Italy) Guests: Chiara La Morgia (Bologna, Italy), Michelangelo Mancuso (Pisa, Italy) In this episode, Piervito Lopriore discusses red flags for treatable mitochondrial diseases with Michelangelo Mancuso and Chiara La Morgia. They highlight the clinical heterogeneity of these disorders, key diagnostic clues in neurological practice, and selected conditions such as Friedreich ataxia, TK2 deficiency, Barth syndrome, and Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, with a focus on early recognition and targeted therapies.

Ep. 185: Cognition and movement: A dynamic duo 25.01.2026 15min

Moderator: Yildiz Degirmenci (Istanbul, Türkiye) Guest: Marit Ruitenberg (Leiden, Netherlands) In this episode, Yıldız Değirmenci speaks with Marit Ruitenberg about the relationship between cognition and movement in neurodegenerative disorders. They discuss evidence showing that conditions traditionally classified as motor or cognitive often involve impairments across both domains, with examples from Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The conversation highlights subtle cognitive and motor features that may be overlooked and emphasises the clinical relevance of integrated assessment for diagnosis, patient counselling, and understanding disease burden.

Ep. 184: Neuromodulation 18.01.2026 27min

Moderator: Gabriela Rusin (Kraków, Poland) Guest: Jakub Antczak (Kraków, Poland) In this episode, Gabriela Rusin speaks with Jakub Antczak about non-invasive neuromodulation in neurology. They outline the principles of transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial electrical stimulation, emphasizing their role in modulating brain plasticity in network-based neurological disorders. The discussion reviews current clinical evidence across conditions such as stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, neuropathic pain, and Parkinson’s disease, highlighting variability in treatment response and key limitations. They also address practical considerations for clinical use, the importance of patient selection and combination with rehabilitation, and emerging techniques aimed at improving targeting and personalisation.