Tales From The Cortex

Each morning, Alfonso watches the same elderly man through the window across the coffee shop. As a journalist, he's used to observing people, but something holds his interest. At first, it’s just his walk. Then Alfonso realizes why it feels so familiar. His grandfather had the same gait. That recognition compels an otherwise healthy 42-year-old on a quest for answers to a question many of us have quietly wondered: How much of our future is already written in our genes? Episode 4 of Tales From the Cortex follows Alfonso’s search for answers, from a chance coffee encounter to observations made on the streets of London more than two centuries ago, and ultimately to the rapidly changing landscape of genetics, environmental risk and the earliest signs of a neurodegenerative disease. Because inheriting risk is not the same as inheriting a destiny. And sometimes, seeing someone else’s story makes us wonder about our own. Send us Fan Mail

Daniel is 34 years old, newly single, anxious, and increasingly afraid that something is happening to his mind, similar to what happened to his uncle with schizophrenia. It starts with brief, unsettling moments that are difficult to explain. They come without warning, disappear within seconds, and are easy to dismiss—until one night everything changes. In Episode 3 of Tales From the Cortex , we explore how neurological symptoms can hide in plain sight and how diagnostic anchoring can delay the right diagnosis. A story about memory, fear, the temporal lobe, and the importance of recognizing a pattern. Every symptom is a clue. Every brain has a story. ___________________ The bonus teaching segment turns the narrative into a practical guide for clinicians, and trainees. Send us Fan Mail

Jasmine is a gifted teenage pianist, but something is beginning to interrupt the music. What starts as an occasional headache gradually becomes harder to ignore. The pain grows more frequent. Sound becomes unbearable. School, piano, and daily life begin to slip out of reach. Her family tells her it's “just a headache.” Over-the-counter medications help—until they don’t. Then come the emergency department visit, the brain scans, the uncertain MRI report, and months of waiting for answers. In episode 2 of Tales From the Cortex , we follow Jasmine through the fear, frustration, and isolation of worsening headaches. Sometimes, the most important part of the story is what happens between the notes. Every symptom is a clue. Every brain has a story. _____________ The bonus teaching segment at the end turns the narrative into a practical guide for clinicians, and trainees. Send us Fan Mail

Within minutes, an ordinary morning becomes a medical emergency when Laura a healthy 50-year-old suddenly can't get words out and the right side of her face and arm weaken. In the first episode of Tales From the Cortex , follow Laura from the moment her symptoms begin through the rapid decisions that follow. Step into the neurologist’s chair as the clock starts ticking: What’s happening inside her brain? What would you do next? And how do you make critical decisions when every minute matters? Along the way, we’ll explore how neurologists approach an acute neurological emergency, to reach the correct diagnosis, administer fast treatment, and the relentless search for why it happened. Every symptom is a clue. Every brain has a story. ___________________ The bonus teaching segment turns the narrative into a practical guide for clinicians, neurology trainees, and emergency physicians learning to examine a suspected stroke under time pressure where time is clot. It emphasizes the NIH Stroke Scale as the standardized tool, while acknowledging its limitations. The episode offers high-yield exam priorities, flags common pitfalls (including stroke mimics), and unusual exam findings. The overall takeaway is simple and urgent: recognize stroke fast, activate emergency care immediately, and use focused, pragmatic assessment and imaging to deliver reperfusion therapy without delay. Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Tales From The Cortex: Stories From Inside The Brain. A story-driven neurology podcast that takes you inside the mysteries of the human brain. Send us Fan Mail