The Lancet Neurology in conversation with

Episoder

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  The future of Alzheimer’s disease: blood biomarkers, brain imaging, and screening the cognitively unimpaired 09.09.2026 28min

  What will Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis look like in 5–10 years? In this episode of In Conversation With…, Laura Hart is joined by the authors behind The Lancet Neurology Series on Future Directions in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders: Clifford Jack (Mayo Clinic), Charlotte Teunissen (Amsterdam UMC), Tammie Benzinger (Washington University in St Louis), and Jonathan Graff-Radford (Mayo Clinic). They discuss blood-based biomarkers and plasma p-tau217 testing, amyloid PET and MRI monitoring for ARIA, anti-amyloid therapies, and what it means to screen cognitively unimpaired people for Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological change. The conversation covers the role of primary care in early diagnosis, direct-to-consumer biomarker tests, how to communicate borderline results to healthy people, the AHEAD and TRAILBLAZER-ALZ prevention trials, and whether these pathways can work outside well-resourced health systems. Click here to read the articles in the series:  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00246-2/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00285-1/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00248-6/fulltext  
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  Marjo van der Knaap on vanishing white matter 12.08.2026 17min

  For decades, a diagnosis of vanishing white matter disease came with no real treatment — so how is an old blood-pressure pill offering hope? In this episode of In Conversation With…The Lancet Neurology, Deputy Editor Laura Hart speaks with Professor Marjo van der Knaap (Amsterdam UMC) about her clinical trial of guanabenz in children with the leukodystrophy vanishing white matter. They unpack the integrated stress response and eIF2B pathophysiology, why guanabenz moved from mouse models into a paediatric trial, the striking effect of age of onset, unexpected hallucinations as a side-effect, and where combination therapy with eIF2B activators could take the field. Essential listening for neurologists on leukodystrophy, rare paediatric neurological disease, and translating stress-response biology into treatment. Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00241-3/fulltext
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  Jan D Lünemann and Christian Münz on Epstein–Barr virus and multiple sclerosis 15.07.2026 15min

  In this episode, Heather Brown, Senior Editor at The Lancet Neurology, chats with Jan Lünemann (University of British Columbia, Canada) and Christian Münz (University of Zürich, Switzerland) about their Rapid Review on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and multiple sclerosis (MS). EBV, a common herpesvirus, has been strongly implicated in development of MS, and recent mechanistic advances are providing new insights into how EBV might cause MS in some people but not others. We also discuss the potential for prevention of MS with EBV vaccines, whether therapies targeting EBV might eventually be useful for MS treatment, and important unanswered questions and next steps for the field. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00177-8/fulltext
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  Hal Dietz discusses the role of genetics in spinal CSF leaks 17.06.2026 16min

  In this episode of In Conversation With, Morgane Boillot, Senior Editor at The Lancet Neurology, speaks with connective tissue disorders — including Marfan syndrome — and human genetics expert Hal Dietz from Johns Hopkins Medicine (Baltimore, USA) about the genetics of spontaneous spinal CSF leaks. Together, they explore the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and current treatment of spontaneous spinal CSF leaks, and discuss genetic findings revealing rare deleterious variants in FBN2, the gene encoding fibrillin-2, in patients with type 1b leaks. The conversation covers translational and mechanistic findings — including CRISPR-Cas9 mouse models and cellular interactions with the extracellular matrix — and what these reveal about the underlying biology of fibrillin-1 and fibrillin-2-related disorders. It also addresses the potential clinical implications of these findings, and Professor Dietz shares his hopes for their use in therapeutic development. Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00140-7/fulltext
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  Tony Schapira on GBA1 Parkinson's disease 16.06.2026 26min

  In this episode of In Conversation With, Elena Becker-Barroso, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Neurology, speaks with movement disorders specialist Tony Schapira from UCL’s Queen Square Institute of Neurology about GBA1-associated Parkinson’s disease.Together, they explore the genetic, clinical, and biochemical links between GBA1 variants, lysosomal function, Gaucher disease, alpha-synuclein pathology, and Parkinson’s progression. The conversation also highlights current challenges in risk prediction, biomarkers, genetic counselling, clinical management, and emerging therapeutic approaches aimed at modifying or even preventing disease. Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00090-6/fulltext
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  Henry Brodaty and Alice Powell on cognitive resilience and ageing 17.04.2026 23min

  Join The Lancet Neurology’s In Conversation With… as editors Elena Becker-Barroso and Laura Hart welcome Henry Brodaty and Alice Powell from the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia) to discuss cognitive resilience and ageing. This episode teases apart cognitive resilience, cognitive reserve, brain maintenance, and brain reserve; explores how social determinants, life-course factors, and vascular health shape resilience; and delves into robust measures, biomarkers, and how pathologies interact with resilience. It also covers multicomponent interventions and their transferability to low-income and middle-income countries, how clinicians should communicate risk, and the key knowledge gaps and priorities for global cognitive resilience research. Don’t miss this timely exploration of dementia prevention and healthy brain ageing. Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00027-X/fulltext
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  Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren on the use of biomarkers in the diagnosis and stratification of Alzheimer’s disease 18.03.2026 16min

  In this episode, Laura Hart and Elena Becker-Barroso speak with Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren (Lund University) about the use of blood biomarkers in the diagnosis and stratification of Alzheimer's disease. They discuss two particular plasma biomarkers—p-tau217 and eMTBR-tau243—including what they measure and how a proposed practical two-step approach that uses p-tau217 as an initial screen in a neurology clinic, and then eMTBR-tau243 for those who test positive, could support diagnostic decisions....
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  Cristina Tassorelli on migraine prevention 18.02.2026 24min

  In this episode, Senior Editor Morgane Boillot speaks with Professor Cristina Tassorelli (University of Pavia, Italy) about recent advances in migraine prevention. Together with colleagues, Tassorelli has authored a Review in the journal examining the major developments in migraine-specific pharmacological treatments over the past decade, with a particular focus on therapies targeting the CGRP pathway. In this conversation, they explore what these advances mean for people living w...
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  Inga Zerr and Simon Mead on advances in prion diseases 21.01.2026 30min

  Our Editor-in-Chief, Elena Becker-Barroso, speaks with Inga Zerr (DZNE, Göttingen, Germany) and Simon Mead (UCL London, UK) about the latest advances in prion diseases. In collaboration with other experts, Zerr and Mead have authored a Series in the journal that covers the genetic factors behind these diseases, and new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Click here to read the full articles: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(25)00451-X/fulltext https://ww...
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  Julia Greenland on azathioprine for early Parkinson’s disease 19.12.2025 15min

  Host Morgane Boillot chats with Dr Julia Greenland about a clinical trial of azathioprine in early Parkinson's disease. Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(25)00386-2/fulltext Medical imaging and theranostics are revolutionising how we diagnose, treat, and understand disease. To meet this moment, The Lancet group is happy to announce the launch of, The Lancet Medical Imaging and Theranostics. You can visit https://ww...
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  Ian McKeith on dementia with dementia with Lewy bodies 12.11.2025 16min

  In this episode, host Antonia Eisenkoeck, speaks with Ian McKeith, Emeritus Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at Newcastle University, UK. They delve into the history of dementia with Lewy bodies research, highlighting key milestones and breakthroughs. Discover insights into the current state of the field and what the future holds for understanding and treating this condition. Click here to read the full articles of this series: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(25...
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  Ask Nordestgaard on long-term stroke risk in women 15.10.2025 11min

  In this episode, host Laura Hart chats with Ask Nordestgaard (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA) about the long-term risk of stroke in healthy women, the role of inflammation and lipoproteins, and how early biomarker screening could transform stroke prevention strategies. Click here to read the full article. Medical imaging and theranostics are revolutionising how we diagnose, treat, and understand disease. To meet this moment, The Lancet group is happy to announce the launch of, The ...
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  Shiv Saidha on recent updates in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis 17.09.2025 29min

  Morgane Boillot chats with Professor Shiv Saidha (Johns Hopkins University, USA) about recent developments in diagnosing multiple sclerosis, and specifically on the use of paraclinical tests of the optic nerve in this context. Read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(25)00270-4/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_September_25_laneur Medical imaging and theranostics are revolutionising how we diagnose, treat, and understand disease. To meet this ...
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  Michael Rafii on Down syndrome-related Alzheimer’s disease 13.08.2025 23min

  People with Down syndrome face a high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which is the leading cause of death in this population over the age of 35. In this episode, Morgane Boillot (Senior Editor) is joined by Professor Michael Rafii to explore the intersection of Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease. They discuss the latest research into disease pathology, biomarkers, and clinical trials, and examine the key challenges and future opportunities in understanding and treating Alzheimer’s...
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  Amit Bar-Or on fenebrutinib for relapsing multiple sclerosis 16.07.2025 9min

  In this episode, host Laura Hart chats with Professor Amit Bar-Or (University of Pennsylvania) about the potential of the BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib in treating relapsing multiple sclerosis, highlighting future challenges in MS research. Read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(25)00174-7/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_July_25_laneur Medical imaging and theranostics are revolutionising how we diagnose, treat, and understand disease. To meet...
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  Marte-Helene Bjørk on reproductive risks in people with epilepsy 17.06.2025 21min

  Sarah Passey is joined by Dr Marte-Helene Bjørk (Haukeland University Hospital, Norway) to discuss the latest evidence and practical guidance on managing reproductive risks in people with epilepsy, including medication safety, pregnancy planning, and global challenges in care. Read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(25)00130-9/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_June_25_laneur Medical imaging and theranostics are revolutionising how we diagnose...
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  Geoff Manley on a new classification system for traumatic brain injury 20.05.2025 25min

  Assistant Editor Sam Griffiths is joined by Professor Geoff Manley (UCSF, CA, USA) to discuss his new NIH-NINDS classification of acute TBI, the limitations of traditional classifications, how the new framework was developed, and what it means for the future of TBI research and patient care. Read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(25)00154-1/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_May_25_laneur Medical imaging and theranostics are revolutionising h...
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  Wayne Feng on stroke rehabilitation using brain stimulation and constraint-induced movement therapy 16.04.2025 20min

  Increasing numbers of people are surviving stroke but with motor impairments that can contribute substantially to long-term disability. Transcranial direct current stimulation has shown promise in reducing motor impairment when combined with rehabilitation therapy. Sarah Passey talks to Wayne Feng (Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA) about his latest trial, TRANSPORT2, which assesses transcranial direct current stimulation in combination with modified constraint-induced...
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  Marialuisa Gandolfi on the management of chronic pain in Parkinson’s disease 19.03.2025 13min

  In this podcast, linked to the April 2025 issue of The Lancet Neurology, Laura Hart (Deputy Editor) chats to Marialuisa Gandolfi (University of Verona in Italy) about advances in the classification and management of pain in Parkinson’s disease. Medical imaging and theranostics are revolutionising how we diagnose, treat, and understand disease. To meet this moment, The Lancet group is happy to announce the launch of, The Lancet Medical Imaging and Theranostics. You can visit https://www....
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  Michael Tymianski on neuroprotection in stroke 19.02.2025 25min

  Sarah Passey (The Lancet Neurology) is joined by Michael Tymianski (University Health Network, Toronto, Canada) to discuss an Article in the March issue reporting a meta-analysis looking at neuroprotection in stroke and what can be learnt for future research. Read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PiiS1474-4422(24)00515-5/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_laneur Medical imaging and theranostics are revolutionising how we diagnose, treat, and under...