eanCast: Weekly Neurology

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.