There is a REAL Brain Disease That Causes Cannibalism

[@crystalpritchard5065]

“She’s having a munch” might be my new favourite way of talking about zombie/infected bites 😂

[@CleoHarperReturns]

At three in the morning I often get up from having restless leg syndrome and do my little twitch dance in front of the refrigerator. I'm more compelled to eat then than at any other time -- this lady reminded me of those times. This is also a new term for my own strange behavior.😆

[@CleoHarperReturns]

@@Squeekysquid Bahahaha thanks for the reminder! Made my day.😁

[@Diegesis]

I was so expecting a sanitized 80% truth version of the history of LSD and i was blown away at hearing just bold truth come out my mans mouth. Bravo!

[@bradjaeger3775]

Episode 3 is going to ruin you in all the best ways. Thanks as always for your insightful videos.

[@rhondajohnson8310]

So true!!!

[@rickrische557]

Episode 3 will leave our good doctor a blubbering mess.

[@Tomy_Yon]

That was some master class writing and acting... 🥹

[@mandipandi303]

I cried so hard watching it I was worried my neighbors would come to check on me. I'm not exaggerating. (I haven't played the game, so no spoilers, please).

[@tannerlewis2068]

Ah, we just covered this in med school neurology. You're starting off with describing Kuru, which is found in New Guinea by a tribal population (their specific name is escaping me, but in the honesty of KZbin, I won't google it). The mechanism of transfer was through a prion disease in the brain (hence why the obscure disease appeared 5 times on my first neurology exam!!), which patients were receiving through consumption of brain matter. Interestingly, it was only infective to males, which made early investigators believe it was somehow a sex-linked neurodegenerative disorder, but it turns out that only males in the population were allowed to eat the brain matter from departed persons.

[@Pashtashe]

Yes! You beat me to it. It is the same mechanism as "mad cow disease" which also originated from cows forced to display canibalism. By being fed slaughter waste (so also some amount of cow brains) as a means of cheaper hard feed.

[@LunaticDoctor]

Kuru is the name if I recall correctly. Quite interesting it is, as well as gruesome

[@deadlymelody27]

I remember it having the word sponge in it 🤣 like spongi or something

[@deadlymelody27]

Ohhh the one im thinking of is literally mad cow disease as it has spongiform in the name 😂 well as a non medical lamen thats not too bad

[@darth-imperius]

​@@deadlymelody27 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease

[@Fortisfox]

Kuru/Prion diseases are absolutely terrifying.

Almost choked on my lunch when you started with the "don't be suspicious"!!! 🤣

[@tim4pele]

I can't wait to see your reaction to episode 3. It's a masterpiece and so relevant. Love this video, love your channel. Cheers!

[@themachphantom]

Last of Us is my favorite game so im thrilled to see you're covering the series! So excited for your thoughts both on Episode 3, as well as when we get to the end of the season.

[@RaffaCakey]

13:29 omfg I lost my shit remembering that Parcs and Rec scene! Love the reference!

[@Quzga]

15:30, a fellow Parks and rec fan. Such a good show

[@bellatrixmoon1836]

I just wanted to say that I love your videos and I love how you discuss mental health issues without any of the stigma. It’s refreshing. But much love and much respect ❤🌈😊

[@jp4951]

The question at 07:45? If I saw grandma doing those quick jerking movements my first thought would be a seizure. An aneurysm or ischemic stroke would certainly be on the table. More likely something neurodegenerative like Alzheimers. The exception being of course that this is a horror show and so a humanity-ending fungal infection is the obvious dx.

[@WatashiMachineFullCycle]

YES! I've been obsessed with this show since it started airing, and I was hoping (but not necessarily expecting) that you would cover it at some point. Lots to talk about and unpack, psychologically. Hope that you enjoy the future episodes

[@WatashiMachineFullCycle]

Also while I didn't get Kuru precisely, I'm not a med student or a professional so I think I get some credit for immediately blurting out "prions! He's talking about prion diseases!"

[@Babygirlyouretheheart]

"Blood should be inside people and not on the floor" every day i learn something new 🙏

[@alexanderbusch8014]

Glad to see you cover this :D And after episode three, we will truely need some therapy :´)

[@Aywerther]

For the cannibalism question, I believe the pathogen is some sort of prion, like Mad Cow Disease or something? I forgot which community it effects but I remember there were some tribes in the world that ritually consume part of their deceased (I think the brain).

[@VMichaelLazar]

It's called Kuru and was discovered in Africa in a tribe with ritual necrophagy. Once the tribe was told to stop consuming the brains, the disease stopped occurring.

[@sparklymishy96]

It’s called kuru which is transmitted from eating brain tissue. I was wondering if the same would happen with mad cow disease since they are so similar.

[@darth-imperius]

​@@sparklymishy96 they are both caused by prions, which are proteins that aren't functioning properly.

[@Lepizzle251]

As a healthcare student the more questions of this episode was great, would love to see more

[@Cisaraleitao]

About the sign saying the different times of incubation depending on where the bite is: we actually use something similar in Brazil to mesure the danger of someone catching human raivis so I think it's quite possible that the line of thought might be similar

[@weepingscorpion8739]

Endemic non-infectious diseases: I'm going on a limb here and I'm going to say the increased prevalence of rare diseases in endogamous societies. One example is CTD (Carnitine Transporter Deficiency). I'm from the Faroe Islands, and a few years ago a line was drawn between certain people who had suddenly died of seemingly no reason. A lot of study was put into this and it was determined that the frequency of CTD in the Faroese population is much much higher than it is globally (around 1 promille of the Faroese have it). As such, most of us were tested to see if we had the disease, were carriers of the gene that causes the disease, or if we were "clear". I tested myself personally and never heard back from them. Since my parents and one of my sisters were clear, I'm taking the "no news is good news" angle on that. The 2nd example from our islands is a genetic disorder where a certain enzyme is not produced. Reduced motor functions and deafness are usual indicators and people with this disease live for an average of 9 years. I wasn't able to find any more specifics nor a systematised name for this illness, but it's simply called The Faroese Disease (føroyska sjúka) as its origin is a single genemutation which happened in the 17th century. Genealogy even identified the person in which this mutation occurred. Anyway, I hope that answered the question correctly.

[@deadlymelody27]

As someone who had gestational diabetes, i chose to have a c section instead of an induction in part (not wholly the reason but it was a factor) because i would potentially have to stay in hospital for days, on my own (during the pandemic) with only carby based food when i was entirely diet controlled. And gestational diabetes they do not suggest keto because ketones are bad for the baby or something (im not a doctor im sure you know what this is), but the small amount of carbs you are allowed have to be wholegrain/wheat and a much smaller portion than you would normally. The nhs gives you the option of toast or cereal for breakfast and there is nowhere to store foods brought in from home easily. As comparison, i ate a chicken breast, a pepperami and a packet of twiglets for breakfast with an orange squash that had vitamin c to take my iron tablet because orange juice wouldve been too much sugar. Breakfast is often the hardest one to tolerate carbs in too and often the options are very very carby (even a full english breakfast could be depending on what you have with it like beans, potatoes etc). Sorry, ramble based on what you said about nhs food 😅 also the education from the nhs on it was awful and i would not have kept diet controlled without a facebook group to help.

[@elliottrae9355]

Haven't played TLoU yet so I've been holding off on the show... but I love and appreciate your insights and perspective. Always learn a lot! And I lost it at the "Don't be suspicious", loved that reference haha

[@corvida2311]

I'd love to see your reaction to episode 3. Great, insightful analysis as always.

[@Quzga]

An older relative of mine tried to kill himself by drinking antifreeze after his wife died from covid back in 2020, he survived though but you're def right about the toll this pandemic has taken on people.

[@illuminahde]

I used to take acid before my high school basketball games. There needs to be more legitimate studies done on the positive use of hallucinogens. I know it's anecdotal but I've personally seen friends deal with trauma and terrible depression by tripping. There's a mental vulnerability that one has to learn to accept when you're on strong hallucinogens and I think this helps some face their own thoughts.

[@bialynia]

The incubation time makes more sense if you assume that infection doesn't necessarily need to travel through the bloodstream. It's literally mycelium so it might just grow through the tissues.

[@Malysari]

Omg I can’t wait for you to react to episode three!

[@barbara832001]

If I remember correctly it's kuru that effects people who are cannibals. I think it has something to do with prions from eating organ meats, tends to effect women and children as the men eat the muscle meat. I can't remember where it was first observed.

[@ambersoul1]

It became the women and children's main protien source after their funerary rites so it became a self defeating cycle

[@FabianPerception]

Are you referring to kuru? Lovely to hear your insight as always

[@liamturner8536]

Kuru! A work colleague and I were discussing this the other day in the lab!

[@jester98125]

A show you might consider is The Alienist it follows the alienist Dr Laszlo while investigating a serial killer in the late 19th century in the US.

[@gacchan]

I am so excited to see you do this series!

[@Venslor]

I knew this was coming! And I'm so excited to sit down and watch all of these!!!

[@silverzelenia5549]

The Ergot thing is really interesting to me bc of the theory that it’s what made everyone lose it during the Salem Witch Trials!

[@Harrison_J_T]

Psilocybin has shown some promise in treating depression and OCD and even helping terminally ill patients cope with the idea of dying. It being illegal in most countries have made researching it really difficult and it's so frustrating because it has so much potential to help people

[@RomySews]

This isn’t my kind of show at all but I’ve enjoyed watching Dr Ed Hope’s analysis from an emergency doctor’s perspective so looking forward to your view too! Would love to see you two collaborate sometime too 😊

[@KyloPot]

Okay, but the editing additions look great!

[@davidlohmanmn]

I'd love to hear you talk about psychedelics and mental health. Love your channel!

[@garyprime6983]

The Last of Us is a fantastic story about love and how that causes people to act in the ways they do because of it. If you don’t the whole season you should have plenty to talk about. Ellie and Joel’s relationship is one of complexity.

[@MerelvandenHurk]

Kuru, right? Wasn't there some population in Guinea or thereabouts that had this issue through cannibalism, specifically through eating human brains, that actually taught us a lot about prion diseases?

[@SuperYxskaft]

Isnt something about like a prion disease in the brain, cant remember exactly, but it has something to do with eating the brain if im remembering the little i do remember correctly.

[@almtzd]

Love this show and love your watch-alongs! There are some fascinating and complex psychological issues throughout these stories. Would love to see you cover more of these episodes as the season goes on, especially episode 3. Bring tissues!

[@ambersoul1]

kuru is the disease. It started as a funerary rite in a tribe in New Guinnea and the became an additional protien source for the women and children. We read the monograph in Anthroplogy when I was a major.

[@timmer14414]

The fungus that they based the video game on is real, and occurs specifically with colonies of fire ants. They just had to restructure a bit of the story, to adapt it to a TV show. Making it about the bites. The devs of the game were extremely involved with the production of the show. In the first episode you can see in the background; a poster regarding amputation of limbs, and how much time you have to complete the process before the mushrooms reach the brain.

[@JohnPalb]

To take a shot at your opening question I have a vague recollection of a nuerodegenerative disorder being caused by cannibalism, I believe similar to mad cow disease, that was effecting tribes of indigenous peoples in Papua New Guinea, if that's what you're referring to. I believe it was caused by ingesting diseased brain tissue. Without looking it up though, the name of the disorder completely escapes me and I can't recall the exact method of transmission.

[@jubilantsleep]

Sarah’s hair is gorgeous. Hair goals! (The healthiness. Not the exact look or curl pattern. My hair is much coarser.)

[@gillian2325]

Finally started watching the show, so now I can catch up on the reviews :D

[@Mysteri0usChannel]

In regards to your question in the beginnung: You're either talking about rabies, which is transmissible by bite, fatal in virtually 100% of cases, and messes with the patient's mind quite a bit before eventually killing them (increased aggression and agitation, hydrophobia...), or referring to a highly specified illness known as "Wendigo psychosis", which affects Native Americans belonging to tribes that believe in the existence of Wendigowak (specifically the Algonquian peoples), evil creatures or spirits born of cannibalism; in Wendigo psychosis the patient is convinced that they ARE a Wendigo (or becoming one) and that they have to sustain themselves on human flesh, often after having consumed human flesh once before. In these cases, which often occur during times of famine or otherwise great hunger, the afflicted resort to cannibalism even though other food sources are available to them, yet eat human flesh for sustenance.

[@annadownya]

Kuru. I think it's in New Guinea.

[@Hmm...Whats-Their-Name]

Looooooooved the parks and rec outtake allusion. So fuckin good. Don't be suspicious!

[@PinkyStyleHS]

Great Parks & Rec reference 😂

[@brianwynne2352]

I know the videos old so you mightn’t see this but there were alotta drug epidemics in my town growing up with kids overdosing on painkillers but idk if that’s proper usage of the word or just chatter to call more attention to the issue

[@daycatchers]

Pleaaase react to the entire season its an amazing story! Especially the final episode should be interesting to talk about here.

[@hoathanatos6179]

As someone who naturally experiences focal dystonia I didn't even get the answer right. But I also know that the infection is caused by a fungus that takes control of the brain and uses it to spread into other organisms.

[@hoathanatos6179]

The bits coming out of her mouth are apical meristematic tissue that release enzymes to break down proteins into basic forms that can be absorbed as nutrients. It also allows for RNA to be spread into the new orgamism so that the organism can evolve with added genetic info. Mushrooms evolve when they get enough new genetic info via sexual interactions or when they realize that they are dying and need to spread their information to continue as a species.

[@jeremyphillips7827]

11:22 Maybe the fungus travels to the brain via the nervous system, like the rabies virus.

[@steve6valdez]

I read Deadly Feasts by Richard Rhodes years ago and it was both fascinating and terrifying.

[@ryanmatheson5137]

Hoping it's not named at the end of this video therefore making me feel smart, but are you thinking Kuru? Just got to the discussion on LSD, on a personal note, ive always felt more concern nursing people post intake of legal highs than i ever had on people taking anything else Got to the end and the kuru answer both happy I got this right yet disappointed there is no way to prove I got this before your answer 😢😂

[@mid1429]

0:57 Kuru or the laughing sickness caused by eating human brain tissue

[@alesenbergers504]

Can you cover the critical minds analysis of misrepresenting psychiatric expertise situation?

[@rog2224]

On the subject of Keto - the amount of protein in the diet probably increases dietary choline and omega 2 which have shown impact on depressive illness.

[@sparklymishy96]

Kuru can be transmitted from human cannibalism. Could CJD also be transmitted from human to human in the same way?

[@sparklymishy96]

It effects tribes in South America

[@sergejg9627]

can't wait until episode 3

[@rchlzbln]

I’m living for him watching this horror show with pictures of Sasha Colby in her tie-day look from a couple of weeks a ago 😂

[@jubilantsleep]

Wow. Super cool reaction! Subscribed! ❤

[@LuizFelipe-ci3fr]

Can't wait for episode 3

[@cherriblossomss]

ooh i know the answer to this question!!! it's kuru, a prion disease that you can get through consuming human meat. it was a real big problem for the Fore people, who used to engage in cannibalism as a funeral rite before it was curbed after cannibalism was flagged as a suspected route of transmission for the disease!!

[@evaserration6223]

Medical Professional: "Basically Trip Balls."

[@Ona1979]

I have been told that rabies is a disease where the closer the bite is to the brain, the faster it becomes terminal. It is my understanding that the virus spreads in the nerves. It is my understanding that rabies becomes transmissible through bites at the same time as or after it reaches the brain, when it spreads to the salivary glands.

[@gr8aussief--kup]

"daddy's here" we all know exactly what you mean by that

[@sweetpeafairy2255]

idk if you could do a video on epilepsy and how it effects memory / mental health ?

[@mandipandi303]

You should probably watch episode 3 privately before doing a video on it. I cried so hard watching it I was worried my neighbors would come to check on me. I'm not exaggerating. (I haven't played the game, so no spoilers, please).

[@MichaelCharlesAubrey]

15:27 was that... was that Elmo?

[@glamasaurus]

I can't wait till you watch episode 3

[@janedoe3085]

Kuru is transmitted through cannibalism. It's a prion, i thought

[@harrytucks]

Episode 3 is directed by one of the directors from Its A Sin and is extremely moving

[@TimMoorsom]

Without cheating by checking Wikipedia. I'm guessing you mean kuru? Which is isolated to a single community in New Guinea and is caused by a prion. Irrc correctly it was theorised to be due to a historical cannibalistic practice but that has since been called into question. Isn't that also the origin of the prion that causes BSE (cannibalism in that case being amoung cows due to the practice of recycling waste beef products into cattle feed in the 90s)? Not sure how much of that is true and how much I've misremembered.

[@TimMoorsom]

Finished the vid and glad to see I'd mostly remembered right. What I'd forgotten was that kuru was actually a variant of cjd. I'd also forgotten that another zombie movie used a fictional cjd variant as the origin of its pandemic, the surprisingly erudite Zombieland.

[@alisaperez3716]

Is there a difference between dystonia and psychomotor agitation? I've heard of the latter one in class but not dystonia.

[@DoctorElliottCarthy]

Both are forms of overactive movements but they're different types and often require different treatments

[@whodovoodoo2313]

Please do react to episode 3! To A your Q: any prion disease would do it, like Mad Cow and Kuru.

[@rhondajohnson8310]

Love this show! Let's Crack on!

[@-----REDACTED-----]

It’s Kuru, a prion disease once endemic to Papua New Guinea among a tribe practicing ritual endocannibalistic funeral rites. Edit: glad I was right. Forgot the name of the tribe though…

[@Likeomgitznich]

The neuro disease in New Guinea from eating the brains of dead people…it was sadly a snake eating it’s own tail type situation. Speaking of Prion disease, isn’t it thought that Alzheimer’s might be related to Prion? I that study blew up and only recently came out that it was a bit of BS…but I might be misremembering.

[@Horticarter41]

Cruetzfeld-jacob, or kuru

[@EllEmm1313]

Medical professionals are saying "blood should be inside of people, not on the floor". A bold claim.

[@carolh2561]

I believe they're called prion or brain sickness

[@GalitMordecai]

Please react to this music video called "Hi Ren"- Ren. Its a great discussion about mental health :)

[@Lesedipls_]

Would you watch “this is us”?

[@alisonallen8658]

Waiting for the ep 3 reaction....

[@rog2224]

Your early comments reminded me of the time that a sitting Home Secretary questioned the wisdom of role of science in policy, during the whole scandalous treatment of Professor David Nutt, showing that nebulous public opinion is more important than actual reality.

[@ianswinford5570]

Please react to more of “The Last of Us”! It’s pretty good so far, but I’m still on edge about it.

[@qienna6677]

I have an irritable bowel and my gut really doesn't like me going keto, so I don't.

[@Argiope92]

I was going to say creutzfeldt-jakob disease because I looked this up when I was super into zombies as a kid. I don't think that's the right answer to your question though. Edit: Oh shit, I was...almost right.

[@storiesofsarahtonin]

Thank you for highlighting the political aspects of drug regulation!

[@carriemarti3282]

Rabies is higher risk if you are bitten on the face etc at least I thought

[@nadine1208]

Aside from prion disease, isn't there a cultural mental disorder tied to the story of the wendigo? I don't remember the name

[@gman854]

Lowkey watched last of us so I could watch these videos while I walked haha

[@vanessaaves3271]

I don’t know what it’s called, but humans can get a type of “mad cow disease” from the consumption of human flesh. And I want to say, the tribes of New Guinea (and I’m sure other tribes elsewhere). Anyway, now I can watch the rest of your video lol

[@MichaelMike85]

Need to watch the Whole Ep 3 one of the greatest romantic stories on Tv of all time. Bill and Frank loved every second of it.

[@catherinejaddii828]

just found your channel, you're so based

[@DoctorElliottCarthy]

Welcome!!

[@NickBLeaveIt]

The "pre"-epidemic: The fact that every fricking word gets "pre" put in front of it despite being unnecessary. You don't preheat an oven, you heat it. Explain to me how you get on an airplane (screw that, I'm getting IN the airplane) before you board it.

[@vivianjones9749]

So you’re a George Carlin fan

[@MrPapaverSomniferum]

Dude you Skipped over the most Trumatic experience for Joel about losing his daughter

[@BackwardTravisty]

Ron Livingston has this accent down pat, doesn't he. Amazing! Finally, an American can start taking some British acting jobs instead of the other way round.