Videos: Preventive Neurology

Consultant Neurologist and University of Oxford Associate Professor Alastair Webb answered questions about stroke research at a webinar on July 7 2022. Asking the public's questions was Adrian Bodimeade, a Stroke Ambassador for the Stroke Association, a charity which works to support people to rebuild their lives after stroke. Subscribe to the NIHRtv YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/NIHRtv Follow NIHR on social media • Twitter https://twitter.com/NIHRresearch • Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OfficialNIHR • LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/nihr-research

Clinical neurologist Professor Peter Rothwell outlines leading stroke and related dementia research, how it is developing earlier recognition of those at risk, improving diagnosis and developing more effective use of existing preventive treatments

Professor Peter Rothwell is the clinical neurologist who heads the Centre for the Prevention of Stroke and Dementia in Oxford. He is leads the NIHR Oxford BRC’s Stroke and Vascular Dementia Theme. Here he talks about the long-running OxVasc study. Started in 2002, it is the first and only population-based study in the world looking at all acute vascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks, simultaneously in the same population. More than 10,000 people living in Oxfordshire have taken part in the study. Working with a number of local GP practices, OxVasc has improved our understanding of these conditions, and how we can improve treatment for patients. Among other things, researchers have explored: the incidence of vascular events; the role of hypertension in vascular conditions; the links between stroke and dementia; and whether certain genetic biomarkers make some people more susceptible to stroke. Already the findings of OxVasc have resulted in a number of important changes to clinical practice, for example to guidelines around the world on how patients with TIAs (mini-strokes) are treated, reducing the risk of major stroke soon afterwards. Read more about OxVasc: https://www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/research/oxvasc

Poor outcomes in delirium: finds from an observational cohort of over 1,700 unselected acute medicine patients

Stroke is the second largest cause of death worldwide, responsible for over six million deaths each year. A common cause of stroke is carotid artery disease, which can be treated in one of two ways: carotid artery surgery; or having a stent fitted, with a view to improving blood flow to the brain. Until recently, it has been unclear which of these procedures results in better overall patient outcomes. To answer this question, researchers at Oxford Population Health at the University of Oxford have coordinated the Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial 2 (ACST-2), the largest trial to date comparing the outcomes of the 2 procedures. In this talk, research fellow and consultant vascular surgeon Richard Bulbulia will discuss the findings of the ACST-2 trial and whether patient factors favour one approach over another when treating those at risk of a stroke.

Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Consultant Neurologist Michele Hu answered questions about Parkinson's Disease research at a webinar on 19 July. Asking the public's questions was former BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019. Subscribe to the NIHRtv YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/NIHRtv Follow NIHR on social media • Twitter https://twitter.com/NIHRresearch • Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OfficialNIHR • LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/nihr-research

With one in three people in the UK affected by insomnia, improving our sleep quality is fast becoming a key public health priority. In this public talk at the John Radcliffe Hospital on 4 July 2019, Dr Simon Kyle explains how sleep disruption affects mental health and how digital CBT can be an effective treatment for chronic insomnia. Dr Simon Kyle is Associate Professor at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Programme Director for the Oxford Online Programme in Sleep Medicine.

The neuroscientists from the Breathe Oxford group are investigating what parts of your brain are involved in feeling breathlessness. Meet the team and find out whether being out of breath is 'all in the mind'.

Dr Alastair Webb: Stroke – don’t let the pressure get to you! High blood pressure is a contributing factor in around half of all strokes. On top of the 9.5 million people diagnosed with high blood pressure in the UK, an estimated 5.5 million are undiagnosed and untreated. In this public talk at the John Radcliffe Hospital on 18 October 2016, Dr Alastair Webb explains how high blood pressure affects the brain and how diagnosing high blood pressure can improve the prevention of stroke and other vascular diseases. Dr Webb is a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Development Fellow, at the Centre for the Prevention of Stroke and Dementia, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford; and an Honorary Neurology Consultant with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. To find out more about our research into stroke and vascular conditions: https://oxfordbrc.nihr.ac.uk/research-themes-overview/stroke-and-vascular-dementia/ and into neurological conditions: https://oxfordbrc.nihr.ac.uk/research-themes-overview/neurological-conditions/

Clare Mackay, Professor of Imaging Neuroscience and Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience are senior researchers at the National Institute for Health Research’s Biomedical Research Centres in Oxford. In this accessible and informative public talk they will explore the latest research into the debilitating neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. They will show how cutting edge research is: increasing our knowledge of the mechanisms causing these disorders, offering the prospect of earlier diagnosis and supporting the development of potential new therapies to slow the progression of the disease.

Professor Zameel Cader, Director of the Oxford Headache Centre and Director of Oxford StemBANCC, which stores stem cells for drug testing, talks about headaches. Headaches are anything but fantastic for millions of sufferers. Their impact on people’s lives is often not understood and all too easily dismissed by others. But why do some people get crippling headaches and what is currently thought to cause them? There are many exciting discoveries that are finally paving the way for new treatments that may be truly fantastic. This talk, which took place on Thursday 12 October at the john Radcliffe Hospital, was hosted by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Clinical Research Network Thames Valley and South Midlands, which are funded by the Department of Health to support research in the NHS.

A brief overview of some of the research into Parkinson's being carried out within the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre.

Alie Tilley, of Bicester, Oxfordshire was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in November 2015 and died in May 2016. In February 2016 she started raising money for research into the condition by the University of Oxford at the John Radcliffe Hospital. In October 2016 her family visited to see where the money is going.

Despite major research breakthroughs, there are still no treatments that can slow, stop or reverse the progression of Parkinson's. The Monument Trust Discovery Award at the University of Oxford is the largest ever research grant given by Parkinson's UK, the UK's biggest research and support charity for people affected by Parkinson's. This ground-breaking project launched the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, bringing together a world-class team of researchers to better understand Parkinson's to allow everyone to live free from symptoms of the condition. Working together, we're now closer than ever to our goal. We are currently recruiting 1,500 people recently diagnosed with Parkinson's and 300 brothers or sisters of people with Parkinson's .We run research clinics in 11 sites across the Thames Valley, so you won't have to travel far to get involved in our research. Developing tests that can diagnose Parkinson's at an earlier stage, coupled with treatments that tackle the root problems, will provide the best chance of protecting the remaining nerve cells and slowing or stopping Parkinson's. If you have Parkinson's diagnosed in the past three years, or are a brother or sister of someone with Parkinson's, and can travel to one of our research clinics, why not consider taking part in our research? You can find out more about the Discovery project by calling the Dendron NHS Research team on Tel: 01865 234892 or by emailing us at: Parkinsons.Discovery@nhs.net Further information on our study is also available on the Parkinson's UK website http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/discoveryaward For more information about the DeNDRoN research network please visit http://www.dendron.nihr.ac.uk/ If you'd like to find out more about the work of the NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) please click on the link below http://www.nihr.ac.uk/ This film was produced by Oxford Medical Illustration which is a non profit making department of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. If you wish to find out more about their work visit http://www.oxfordmi.nhs.uk

Consultant Neurologist Michele Hu outlines the work of the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre and the research that the centre is undertaking to find a cure for the disease.

Epilepsy is among the most common of all neurological disorders, with one in twenty of us having a seizure at some stage in our lifetime. As epilepsy affects people across their lifespan, the socio economic range is vast. However, epilepsy remains stigmatised and a rather under-investigated area of medical research. The Oxford Epilepsy Research Group is a wide collaborative venture across the University of Oxford, Oxford University Hospitals Trust, and multiple international partners. We look to address all areas of epileptology using a patient-centred approach. We are particularly interested in co-morbidity in epilepsy, immune-mediated epilepsy, ultra-high field imaging and in projects that help to demystify epilepsy. All research is driven by a desire to offer better care to our patients and indeed to all people with epilepsy. We hope that this talk offers some insights into our endeavours.

Heidi Johansen-Berg, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, gives an update on research into the brain. Our brains adapt whenever we learn a new skill, such as juggling. Our brains also adapt after damage such as stroke. Professor Johansen-Berg shows how brain imaging allows us to watch this brain remodelling, reorganisation and rewiring. She also discusses new developments in brain stimulation that raise exciting opportunities for accelerating learning and enhancing recovery.

Join sleep-deprived presenter of Radio 4′s Today's programme, Evan Davis, and Oxford BRC researcher Professor Russell Foster on the subject of sleep. Filmed at the Cheltenham Science Festival.

Professor Russell Foster wowed the crowds at Cheltenham Science Festival with his talk on how or if the month of your birth plays any part in your predisposition towards certain chronic illnesses. While it is clear that animals and birds live by the seasons, for a long time humans have been able to counteract the harsh changes in light and temperature using central heating, indoor lighting and a continuous food supply. And yet there are some months of the year with higher frequencies of births, onsent of disease and mental health episodes. Discover with Russell Foster how the social, biological and physical pressures of the seasons still affect us.