Best Scan Club Podcasts (2025)

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SGLT2 inhibitors and reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease and dementia: Journal club 49:08

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1h ago49:08

49:08

This episode continues our run of journal club episodes, this time looking at whether SGLT2 inhibitors used for type 2 diabetes mellitus have any associated reduction in dementia (such as Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia) and Parkinson’s disease, therefore falling into these respective series as well. The content of this episode is best su…

1
Inflantion Hits Santa's Cookies, GameStop's Trade Anything Day, and Grandma's Birthday Cake Fire 34:22

9d ago34:22

34:22

(00:00:00) Inflantion Hits Santa's Cookies, GameStop's Trade Anything Day, and Grandma's Birthday Cake Fire (00:02:03) A Piece of My Mind (00:06:27) A Pancho-less Week of Stupidity We are "Pancho-less" for this FINAL 2025 Episode...Pancho took a week of vacation so he could contract strep throat so this Weekend Episode is not only late being publis…

1
This year’s biggest breakthrough and top news stories 33:58

7d ago33:58

33:58

First up on the podcast, Online News Editor David Grimm joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about this year’s best online news stories—top performers and staff picks alike. Together they journey the scientific gamut, from bird feeders’ influence on hummingbird beak evolution to the use of “artificial spacetimes” to guide tiny robots through their envir…

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Sniifing Farts, DoorDash-dardly Deed, Dead Hog Smorgasboard 1:28:27

12d ago1:28:27

1:28:27

(00:00:00) Sniifing Farts, DoorDash-dardly Deed, Dead Hog Smorgasboard (00:00:43) Midweek BONUS Stupidity (01:01:26) Insane Week In Review (01:09:46) Genius Awards Increase your brain power ...not from Reader's Digest, but from your own "air biscuits"! If you're getting food from a DoorDasher, better have your Ring Camera rolling! Internet influenc…

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Dopamine uptake scan (DAT SPECT; DaTscan) for Parkinson's disease/primary extrapyramidal syndromes 48:01

10d ago48:01

48:01

This instalment brings another journal club episode, this time in the Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders series, focussing on the diagnostic accuracy of dopamine uptake scans (DAT SPECT; DaTscan) for Parkinson’s disease and the other primary extrapyramidal disorders/Parkinson’s plus syndromes (progressive supranuclear palsy, PSP; multiple s…

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Overthinking Parenthood, Russian Bird-Biodrones, and Pit Porn 2:06:25

16d ago2:06:25

2:06:25

(00:00:00) Overthinking Parenthood, Russian Bird-Biodrones, and Pit Porn (00:01:40) A PIece of My Mind (00:08:11) Pancho Guero My Insane FL Nephew (01:15:24) Ask Pancho (01:36:48) Insane Game Show (01:51:51) Coming Next Episode There is a degree of trepidation for new parents but when overthinking becomes the norm, it's time for a reality check. We…

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Hunting asteroids from space, and talking to pollinators with heat 27:59

14d ago27:59

27:59

First up on the podcast, we’ve likely only found about half the so-called city-killer asteroids (objects more than 140 meters in diameter). Freelance science journalist Robin George Andrews joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the upcoming launch of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor, an asteroid hunter that will improve our ability to look for large …

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Drunk Coon In A Liquor Store, Pittsburgh Grinch, and A Masterbating Fireman 1:25:50

19d ago1:25:50

1:25:50

The Grinch is alive & arrested in Pittsburgh after trying to "end Christmas". A racoon is in AA after breaking into a liquor store & slurping up enough booze to pass out in the bathroom. A fireman is being "hosed" for playing with his "fire hose" in multiple locations. In this Midweek BONUS Episode... Man Set His Family's Home On Fire Following Arg…

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Bald Eagle Cat Bomb, TSA Tampon Scan, and A Radio Show Creepy Caller 2:09:14

23d ago2:09:14

2:09:14

Nature can be so beautiful until it comes through your car's windshield as you travel down the freeway! My Insane FL Nephew, "Pancho Guero" will graphically tell you how one woman from NC got a front row seat experience. Going through airport security is stressful enough without the realization that those TSA officers operating the scanners can see…

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Grappling with declining populations, and the future of quantum mechanics 38:00

21d ago38:00

38:00

First up on the podcast, Science celebrates 100 years of quantum mechanics with a special issue covering the past, present, and future of the field. News Contributing Correspondent Zack Savitsky joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about a more philosophical approach to quantum physics and the mysterious measurement problem. Next on the show we have Ann…

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Squeezable Leftover Gravy, Buck Naked FL Man, and An IA Man Flashes For Excitement 1:33:42

26d ago1:33:42

1:33:42

Nothing spells "yummy" like squeezable gravy in a bottle. But the ingenious people a Heinz had to add the word, "leftover" to really add some pizazz. Polk Co., FL Sheriff Grady Judd has a visual for what it means to be "buck naked", thanks to a FL man claiming to be doing a TikTok challenge...without his phone. In a stunning display of the definiti…

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Tenecteplase for stroke to 24 hrs: TRACE-III study journal club 1:00:06

23d ago1:00:06

1:00:06

We’re thrilled to present our first journal club episode, focusing on tenecteplase for ischaemic stroke in the 4.5-24 hour time window in patients with large vessel occlusions (LVOs) in whom mechanical thrombectomy is not an available option (the TRACE-III study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine; NEJM in 2024). This is a landmark st…

1
When we’ll hit peak carbon emissions, and macaques that keep the beat 26:21

28d ago26:21

26:21

First up on the podcast, when will the world hit peak carbon emissions? It’s not an easy question to answer because emissions cannot be directly measured in real time. Instead, there are proxies, satellite measures, and many, many calculations. Staff Writer Paul Voosen joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss how close we are to the top of carbon mountai…

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How to run a stroke call/code stroke & decision-making re. thrombolysis/thrombectomy eligibility 1:02:25

1M ago1:02:25

1:02:25

Hope you’re ready for an important one! In this next instalment in the stroke & cerebrovascular diseases series we discuss how to effectively run a stroke call/code stroke, focussing on establishing the time last seen well (or midpoint of sleep), the baseline function (modified Rankin scale; mRS), stroke deficits (National Institutes of Health Stro…

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ChatBot Children, Cockroach Murder Accomplice, Smuggled Parakeets In Underwear 1:43:14

1M ago1:43:14

1:43:14

If you're going to develop feelings for your AI Chatbot, shouldn't you also let it have your children? Some people seem to think so. A lot of the psychotic murderers hear voices in their heads telling them to kill people. This guy hears it from bugs. If you're going to sneak birds out of a country, do you think putting them in your shorts next to y…

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Baby's Diaper Consent, Chatbot Jesus, Scottish "Windmilling", and Pancho's Boobie Tea Pot 1:50:39

1M ago1:50:39

1:50:39

I'm all about proper protocol but when parents have to start granting consent from their newborn before they can remove a poopy diaper, protocol goes down the commode. You can now chat with the Almighty right from your smartphone and pray to Jesus just like you would do a Google search! Windmills look so picturesque when seen against a sunset. But …

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A headless mystery, and a deep dive on dog research 32:35

1M ago32:35

32:35

First up on the podcast: the mysterious fate of Europe’s Neolithic farmers. They arrived from Anatolia around 5500 B.C.E. and began farming fertile land across Europe. Five hundred years later, their buildings, cemeteries, and pottery stopped showing up in the archaeological record, and mass graves with headless bodies started to appear across the …

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Bass Pro Shop Bathroom Beatdown, Naked Chainsawing, and A Bearista Cup Bruhaha 1:22:19

1M ago1:22:19

1:22:19

If you thought things could get tense when a line of women are trying to get into a bathroom, wait until you hear about what happens when a bunch of men at a Bass Pro Shop need to potty! You've heard stories of naked gardening, but now you're treated in this episode to naked chainsawing. But the neighbors were not amused. Starbucks Coffee may not g…

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Police Pig On The Loose!, Big Boob Bubbles, Police Chief Stung By Hooker Crime 1:53:38

1M ago1:53:38

1:53:38

An officer with the City of Buffalo couldn't keep his "Breakfast" contained and it went after a woman in his neighborhood. A man in the UK couldn't stop looking at boobs after his eye surgery. A police chief couldn't stop helping prostitutes get off the street and got caught up in a sting operation. My Insane FL Nephew, "Pancho Guero" and I will ex…

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Solving the ‘golfer’s curse’ and using space as a heat sink 28:13

1M ago28:13

28:13

First up on the podcast, Online News Editor David Grimm joins host Sarah Crespi for a rundown of online news stories. They talk about lichen that dine on dino bones, the physics of the lip-out problem in golf, and a brain-computer interface that can decode a tonal language (Chinese) from brain waves. Next on the show, Jeremy Munday, a professor of …

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Pantless Police Officer On Zoom, Walmart Monkey In A Diaper, and An AZ Judge Peein In The Bushes 1:26:58

2M ago1:26:58

1:26:58

Halloween really brings out the stupid in people and we have some examples. Also a judge saw too much evidence displayed by a police officer in a Zoom hearing when it was revealed that the cop was revealing more than he focused on. Attention Walmart shopper...loose monkey in a diaper in the Halloween department. A ticket in the hand is better than …

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Parkinson’s disease: Common ward management dilemmas 30:42

2M ago30:42

30:42

In this next episode in the movement disorders and Parkinson’s disease series, we begin with a brief overview of the mechanisms of action of the medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease, before focusing on five common and important ward dilemmas encountered in the management of patients with Parkinson’s disease: (1) the patient is unable to ta…

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College Kids Cheat AND Apologize With AI, Duckfaced Woman On A Roller Coaster, and Nutmaxxing 1:57:11

2M ago1:57:11

1:57:11

It's bad enough to cheat on a college paper by using artificial intelligence. But when the profs caught the cheaters, the profs began getting letters of apology....ony to later discover that the apology letters were also written with AI. Riding a roller coaster to experience the thrill of speed and gravity defiance was suddenly interruped for one w…

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Understanding early Amazon communities and saving the endangered pocket mouse 35:03

2M ago35:03

35:03

First up on the podcast, Contributing Correspondent Sofia Moutinho visited the Xingu Indigenous territory in Brazil to learn about a long-standing collaboration between scientists and the Kuikuro to better understand early Amazon communities. Next on the show, we visit the Pacific pocket mouse recovery program at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance…

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Booger Candy, A "Glam Campbell" AI Remix, and Smashing Pumpkins At Target 1:26:04

2M ago1:26:04

1:26:04

You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose and now you can pick up some booger candy ...but I wouldn't recommend you put that in your nose. Someone who had more spare time on their hands than time would allow wondered what Glen Campbell's 1975 hit, "Rhinestone Cowboy" would sound like if it were done by an 80's glam metal band. So, he use…

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Extrapyramidal & Parkinson’s disease examination (theory) with pearls & pitfalls 36:26

2M ago36:26

36:26

We’re thrilled to announce the first episode in our movement disorders & Parkinson’s disease series (also continuing our clinical method series), beginning with a discussion of how to perform an extrapyramidal examination, particularly in the context of suspected Parkinson’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MS…

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Skeleton Strip Show Snitfit, 67, Monkey Madness, & ‘Whitexicans’ In Queens 1:48:58

2M ago1:48:58

1:48:58

Halloween sure brings out the stupid in people and this is the place to find out how. Monkeys one the loose both virtually and literally from NJ to MS. My Insane FL Nephew, "Pancho Guero" who considers himself a "Mexican-In-Law" has news about how New Yorkers are losing their minds over a restaurant that triggers all the left-wingnuts. 67. In This …

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Detecting the acidity of the ocean with sound, the role of lead in human evolution, and how the universe ends 45:27

2M ago45:27

45:27

First up on the podcast, increased carbon dioxide emissions sink more acidity into the ocean, but checking pH all over the world, up and down the water column, is incredibly challenging. Staff Writer Paul Voosen joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss a technique that takes advantage of how sound moves through the water to detect ocean acidification. Ne…

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Clinical approach to the dizzy patient, & vertigo causes & overview of management 46:03

2M ago46:03

46:03

The second episode in the neuro-otology and vertigo series takes a step back to review the clinical approach to the patient presenting with the notoriously misinterpreted symptom of ‘dizziness’, before reviewing the best way to classify common causes of vertigo into either acute persistent vertigo vs. episodic vertigo (which can in turn be triggere…

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The Ultimate Bush Thongs, Montana Pumpkin Mystery, and A Diamond-Encrusted Eyeball 1:22:14

2M ago1:22:14

1:22:14

Just when you thought Kim Kardashian couldn't get any more stupid ideas, we now have an option to buy our girl a frisky thong with pubic hair. A 30-year long mystery has plagued the Missoula campus of the University of Montana that finds a pumpkin somehow impaled atop of a spire high above the Main Hall. No one knows who, why, or how. Would you tru…

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Central vertigo (HiNTs+) & Dix-Hallpike/related examinations (theory) with pearls & pitfalls 45:54

2M ago45:54

45:54

We’ve got another surprise installed for you today… the first episode in the neuro-otology and vertigo series! (Again as an overlap with our ongoing clinical method series). This episode focuses on the HiNTs+ examination in distinguishing central from peripheral causes of an acute vestibular syndrome, in particular distinguishing a posterior circul…

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Toxic Toad Licking, Smart Bed Snafu, and A Slow Check-Out Stabbing 1:54:40

2M ago1:54:40

1:54:40

Having the insaciable urge to lick something should lead a person to an ice cream cone or a lolipop--not frogs. But some people are just stupid, as you will discover when my Insane FL Nephew Pancho Guero will tell you. A lot of smart beds got stupid when the massive outage occurred at Amazon Web Services (AWS), leaving some night owls sleeping like…

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The contagious buzz of bumble bee positivity, and when snow crabs vanish 27:13

2M ago27:13

27:13

First up on the podcast, the Bering Sea’s snow crabs are bouncing back after a 50-billion-crab die-off in 2020, but scientists are racing to predict what’s going to happen to this important fishery. Contributing Correspondent Warren Cornwall joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss what’s next for snow crabs. Next on the show, freelance producer Elah Fed…

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How to perform a lumbar puncture (LP) & what tests to order 1:04:33

2M ago1:04:33

1:04:33

This is the first episode in the neurological procedures series… drum roll please… you guessed it, it’s the lumbar puncture (LP)! This episode describes at length the many indications for lumbar punctures (a super helpful procedure!), the contraindications and how to evaluate these, how to consent the patient, what equipment is required and recomme…

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NIHSS hyperacute stroke examination (theory) with pearls & pitfalls 58:33

2M ago58:33

58:33

Correction: 19:30 Visual threat testing is for testing visual fields when the patient isn't properly responding to your initial standard field testing (not for when there is already an established field deficit in a cooperative and responsive patient) Correction: 21:31 Should say "retrochiasmal components" (not "upper motor neuron components", oops…

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Scent-Based Alarm Clocks, Thermos Up The Rectum, and A Crock-Pot Cauldron 1:34:47

2M ago1:34:47

1:34:47

Imagine waking up to the smell of fresh coffee, bacon, or gasoline. Just pick what suits your fancy the next time you have a hotel stay. Some Holiday Inn Express hotels are introducing scent-based alarm clocks! Was this guy trying to keep his soup warm when he shoved what looks to be a 20-oz. THERMOS up his "exit ramp"? As my Insane FL Nephew, "Pan…

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Hunting ancient viruses in the Arctic, and how ants build their nests to fight disease 26:38

2M ago26:38

26:38

First up on the podcast, Contributing Correspondent Kai Kupferschmidt takes a trip to Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago where ancient RNA viruses may lie buried in the permafrost. He talks with host Sarah Crespi about why we only have 100 years of evolutionary history for viruses such as coronavirus and influenza, and what we can learn by looking dee…

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Lower limb neurological examination (theory) with pearls & pitfalls 46:44

2M ago46:44

46:44

This episode further continues our clinical method series by turning to the lower limb examination, focussing on tips and tricks to optimise your examination technique assessing inspection, tone, power, reflexes, sensation, coordination, stance and gait. The diagnostic utility of many of these examination components are critically discussed, and va…

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Career Catfishing, His & Hers DUI, and Taylor Swift's "Wood" 1:18:11

3M ago1:18:11

1:18:11

You might have been the victim of or the perputrator to the dating scam known as "catfishing" where you portray yourself as something you're not. Now this has evolved to the job hunting profession. When you say your wedding vows, you typically promise "to death do us part"...but can you also comimit "to DUI do us serve"? One couple did & ended up c…

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Upper limb neurological examination (theory) with pearls & pitfalls 48:01

3M ago48:01

48:01

This episode continues our clinical method series by turning to the upper limb examination, focussing on tips and tricks to optimise your examination technique assessing inspection, tone, power, reflexes, sensation and coordination. This episode also introduces some neurophysiological and anatomical principles, and ties these in with key patterns e…

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How birds reacted to a solar eclipse, and keeping wildfire smoke out of wine 37:00

3M ago37:00

37:00

First up on the podcast, producer Kevin McLean talks with Associate Online News Editor Michael Greshko about the impact of wildfires on wine; a couple horse stories, one modern, one ancient; and why educators are racing to archive government materials. Next on the show, research that took advantage of a natural experiment in unnatural lighting. Hos…

1
Death-Themed Coffee, Mushroom Mocktails, and Diarrhea In The Face 1:19:10

3M ago1:19:10

1:19:10

Would you pick up a cup of "Graveyard Shift Coffee" on your way into the hospital to visit your terminally ill grandma? The Mayo Clinic would probably not endose this, so they booted the death-themed coffee truck from its parking lot. Would you spare the hangover by drinking a mocktail made from mushrooms? Would you consider a career in corrections…

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Billboard Bachelorette, Eating Peacocks For Spite, and A $10M "Seed Round" For Sperm Races 1:40:17

3M ago1:40:17

1:40:17

Forget being a mail-order bride, that's so old-fashioned. Be a Billboard Bride aan tell everyone you're "available" with an online application. One way to teach your neighbors about not feeding your pets is to EAT them. The pets. Not the neighbors. A Florida man did just that with his peacocks. My Insane FL Nephew, "Pancho Guero", thinks ESPN shoul…

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PART 2: Cranial nerves examination (theory) with pearls & pitfalls 44:25

3M ago44:25

44:25

This episode is part 2 of the session taking a deep dive into the specific examination techniques for each cranial nerve, focussing on pearls and pitfalls for optimal testing, along with focussing on linking the examination to relevant neurological pathologies for contextualisation and to aid memorisation. This episode, part 2, focuses on cranial n…

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A new generation of radiotherapies for cancer, and why we sigh 34:48

3M ago34:48

34:48

First up on the podcast, Staff Writer Robert F. Service joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about a boom in nuclear medicine, from new and more powerful radioisotopes to improved precision in cancer cell targeting. Next on the show, we talk about why we sigh. Maria Clara Novaes-Silva, a doctoral student at ETH Zürich, discusses how deep breaths cause m…

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Cranial nerves examination (theory) part 1 with pearls & pitfalls 59:03

3M ago59:03

59:03

This episode begins with a description of the examinable components of each cranial nerve, and how they are best grouped together for an efficient and logical examination, before taking a deep dive into the specific examination techniques for each cranial nerve, focussing on pearls and pitfalls for optimal testing, along with focussing on linking t…

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In-n-Out Burger's "Home Run", Meltdown In The Delta Lounge, and An NFL "Poo-Nami" 1:16:11

3M ago1:16:11

1:16:11

When you hit a "home run" at an In-n-Out Burger, you're not coming in first. When you crash a Delta Sky Lounge without credentials, you're are going out first. When you change a baby's diaper, you really don't know what's coming out first. You'll understand all of these when you check out this Midweek BONUS Episode... In this Midweek BONUS Episode.…

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Nocturnal hypermotor (hyperkinetic) seizures vs. physiological arousals & parasomnias 22:29

3M ago22:29

22:29

This episode discusses how to semiologically distinguish nocturnal hypermotor (hyperkinetic) seizures typical of sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE, formerly nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy, NFLE) from the two main differential diagnoses for paroxysmal sleep behaviours, namely exaggerated/confusional physiological arousals and various parasomni…

1
Explaining our logo! 10:22

3M ago10:22

10:22

This short (and less serious!) episode explains the many hidden details in our intricate logo, with a few perhaps unexpected learning points discussed along the way, including a brief discussion of different ways of acquiring an electroencephalogram (EEG) recording, the four radiological locations for typical multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions, some o…

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Is it a seizure? Distinguishing seizures, convulsive syncopes & psychogenic non-epileptiform spells 1:20:20

3M ago1:20:20

1:20:20

This episode discusses how to distinguish a bilateral tonic-clonic seizure (of generalised, focal or unknown onset) from a convulsive syncope and from a psychogenic non-epileptiform spell/seizure (PNES, as part of functional neurological disorder, FND). To do so, we focus on key aspects of the semiology of the episode in addition to other relevant …