What is cerebral small vessel disease and why is it such a critical area of research? In this episode, Associate Editor Dr. Scott Earley (University of Rochester) interviews author Dr. Anne Joutel (Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, INSERM) about the pathogenic diagnosis and molecular basis of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD). Classified into two categories, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and nonamyloid cSVD, cSVD is a major health problem responsible for about 25% of ischemic strokes, the vast majority of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, and about 20% of all dementia cases. What role does the presence of lesions in small vessels play in exacerbating the burden of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease? What is “silent cSVD” and how common is it? Listen now to find out more.

Hugh S. Markus and Anne Joutel The pathogenesis of cerebral small vessel disease and vascular cognitive impairment Physiological Reviews, published February 18, 2025. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00028.2024

In this episode, Dr. Jan Born (University of Tübingen) interviews his colleague and author Dr. Andreas Nieder (University of Tübingen) about his recent Review in Physiological Reviews on mathematical reasoning that incorporates neurobiology, comparative physiology, and neurophysiology. Mathematical skills can be described as falling into symbolic (arithmetic, number theory) and non-symbolic (set size) representations of numerical quantities. Infants as young as 2 days old can discriminate set size, for example, distinguishing between four dots and eight dots. And then, of course, there is the fascinating concept of zero, which is “rather like the eccentric uncle in the series of numbers,” as Dr. Nieder says. Understanding the concept of zero as the absence of something, represented as a number, is critical to understanding all other numbers. How does all of this work in the brain? Listen and find out.

Andreas Nieder The calculating brain Physiological Reviews, published October 25, 2024. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00014.2024

In the episode, Dr. Willis K. “Rick” Samson (Saint Louis University School of Medicine) interviews lead author Dr. Eric Lazartigues (Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center) about the recent Review by Chhabra et al. on the latest discoveries related to the role of ACE2 in glucose homeostasis and regulation of metabolism. What are the consequences, in terms of pancreatic function and glucose homeostasis, for ACE2 knockout animals compared to animals used in overexpression studies? Listen as we discuss skeletal muscle effects related to changes in body weight, effects on intestinal absorption and the microbiome, as well as potential clinical applications of ACE2 therapies. What advice does Dr. Lazartigues offer to early career researchers about how to pursue their good ideas? Listen to find out.

Kavaljit H. Chhabra, Robin Shoemaker, Chandana B. Herath, Merlin C. Thomas, Catalin M. Filipeanu, and Eric Lazartigues Molecular Dissection of the Role of ACE2 in Glucose Homeostasis Physiological Reviews, published February 7, 2025. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00027.2024