Solving the case, making the diagnosis: Neurology and detective writing

When searching for clues to reach a diagnosis, neurologists often empathise with the detective who is trying to solve a case, write Peter Kempster and Andrew Lees in Practical Neurology bit.ly/1dqReQq.In this podcast Andrew Lees, director of the Queen Square Brain Bank, discusses with PN editor Phil Smith how neurologists draw upon detective skills (and how this is changing as the specialty changes), those who have turned these skills to crime fiction writing, and the use of narrative in clinical case histories.The expert witnesses called upon are Oliver Sacks, best selling author and professor of neurology at NYU School of Medicine, Peter Gautier Smith, now retired from consulting at Queen Square and who wrote 31 detective novels, and Chris Goetz, who worked at Rush University Medical Centre with Harold Klawans, crime fiction writer and authority on Parkinson’s disease.Listen to the full interviews here:Andrew Lees bit.ly/1cPaoxMPeter Gautier-Smith bit.ly/1d5HhKjHarold Klawans bit.ly/19cXRGCOliver Sacks bit.ly/1hBsbgz

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The Practical Neurology Podcast is the essential guide for the everyday life of all neurologists. Just like our journal Practical Neurology, this podcast is useful for everyone who sees neurological patients and who wants to keep up-to-date and safe in managing them. In other words, this is a podcast for jobbing neurologists who plough through the tension headaches and funny turns week in and week out. Subscribe to enjoy deep dives into each journal issue with editors Prof. Philip Smith and Dr. Geraint Fuller, discussions on recent case reports with Prof. Martin Turner, and Editor’s Choice article discussions between authors and Dr. Amy Ross Russell. Practical Neurology - pn.bmj.com - is included as part of a subscription to JNNP and provided in print to all members of the Association of British Neurologists. * The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.