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Published by EFNS Head Office • Breite Gasse 4 • 1070 Vienna, Austria • Tel.: +43 1 889 05 03 • Fax: +43 1 889 05 03 13 • E-mail: [email protected]
EFNS NEwSlEttEr no. 3 2011
© European Federation of Neurological Societies 2011. Permission is given to reproduce the text or any information found in this newsletter as long as the sense is not distorted by omission or addition and the original place of publication is cited.
In thIs IssuE2011
17th Joint AnnuAl Meeting of the
gerMAn-AustriAn-swiss society AgAinst epilepsy
September 15–17, 2011Prien/Chiemsee, Germany
www.epilepsiezentrum-erlangen.de
7th congress of the europeAn federAtion of
iAsp® chApters (efic)pAin in europe Vii
September 21–24, 2011Hamburg, Germany
[email protected] http://www2.kenes.com/efic
1991 – 2011: 20 yEars of Efns – 15 Efns CongrEssEs
In 2011, EFNS is not only celebrating its 20th anniversary, but also holding its 15th Congress. In order to sum up these past congresses, all of our past congress programme committee chair persons have contributed to this article and sent to us their impressions of the time, when they were leading this important EFNS committee:
wolf-dieter heiss cologne, germany
chairman from 1997-2001
Initially, I had some reservations to join the EFNS, since it was succeeding the Pan-European Society of Neurology which was mainly based in Central Europe and operated by a group of close-ly related conservative neurologists. The scienti fic orientation of this group biased the topics discussed at the congresses of the Pan-European Society of Neurology, e.g. in Vienna 1991, but also was in some aspects carried over to the first Regional Meetings of the EFNS, e.g. in Berlin 1993 and in Prague 1997 and the first full-fledged Congresses of the EFNS, e.g. in Rome 1996, which I attended. With the orientation of the EFNS after the World Congress of Neurology in Vancouver 1993 the EFNS changed with the new members of the Management Committee and a
new trend towards research based neurology as established in Western Europe and the USA and Canada was accomplished. This strategic decision of the Management Committee under the Presidency of Jes Olesen (10 points of mission) was the basis for the development of programs for the Congresses of the EFNS, and it was a great honour – but also a burden – when Jes Olesen and Uschi Tschabitscher offered me the position of Chairman of the Programme Committee (and at that time also of the Scientific Committee) in 1993 for the following annual congresses. I am very grateful to the international members of the PC that together we developed the guidelines for the programmes of the EFNS congresses, setting the rules for main topics, focused workshops and oral as well as poster sessions, which in principle are still followed with some alterations, additions and improvements. The first congress organized according to these guidelines in Seville in 1998 attracted 4200 participants – the city certainly was also part of this attraction – and additionally was a big financial success setting the economic foundation for the EFNS for the following years. The structure of the programme was successfully applied to the following congresses in Lisbon 1999, Copenhagen 2000 and Vienna 2002; 2001 the EFNS did not organize its own congress but was partner at the WFN World Congress of Neurology in London with membership in the Programme Committee and organization of a Main Topic Session.
BudApest 2011 4efns foruM 6 interViews with who officers 8efns AcAdeMy 2011 9depArtMent to depArtMent progrAMMe 10efns fellowship 12eAynt ActiVities in BudApest 13rtc in yekAterinBurg 14continuing MedicAl educAtion 16
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2011
17th congress of child neurologists of
MediterrAneAn September 21–24, 2011
Piran, Slovenia
[email protected]://www.cnm2011.eu/
child-neurologists-of- mediterranean/
35th AnnuAl Meeting of europeAn society of
neurorAdiologySeptember 22–25, 2011
Antwerp, Belgium
Jacques l. de reuck ghent, Belgium
chairman from 2001-2005
To chair the congress programme committee was for me one of the most exciting jobs as EFNS officer. The committee members were very active and had excellent ideas. Our “team” helped improving significantly the congress programme which led to a historical increase of the number of participants to more than 4000 people. All this made the EFNS organizer of the leading neurological congress in Europe. Also the reputa-tion of our congresses increased in such a way that more than 20% of the participants are now coming from out of Europe.
gian luigi lenzi rome, italy
chairman from 2005-2009
Mémoires of a Chairman of the EFNS Congress Programme Committee
I am unable to recollect when exactly and why I decided to begin my Camino di Santiago (Pilgrims’ walk to Santiago de Compostela). Probably during early 2004 I began to feel a deep need to go away for a while from people and confusion, from tele-phone calls and anxious patients and relatives, from grant deadlines and useless hospital meetings. To go away, and to spend this time thinking, just thinking. If Dante was in the middle of a dark forest, I also found myself in plenty of fog, as shown in Photo 1
However, I remember perfectly when, in Paris, 2004, I received the telephone call from Dieter Heiss, and, a few hours later, the proposal to take over the position of Chairman of the EFNS Congress Programme Committee. We were in Paris, and I was going to celebrate some family reunion with my wife and three of our four daughters, in the renowned Pigalle Bistro. Well, then… I interpreted the offer of Chair of the EFNS Congress Programme Committee as a sign that my organizing capabilities shown at the European Stroke Conference in Venice in 1991, in Bologna in 1998, and before that with the CBF Congress in Bologna in 1989, had all been considered positively enough. Soon enough, I had the impression that my freedom in choices and innovations would have to be limited by the
quiet steady presence of Dieter Heiss in the Programme Committee, by the rules that brought every decision back to the MC, and by the ebullient hyperactive personality of Jacques De Reuck, who had moved from the CPC Chair to the EFNS Presidency. So, in 2004 both my Camino and my experience as Chairman of the EFNS PC began together. Would Dante have said “Lasciate ogni speranza o Voi ch’entrate!”? (Leave every hope o ye who would enter!)
The first Congress that I had to organize was in Brussels 2007, and it brought me a mixture of enthusiasms and delusions. Enthusiasms, due to the simple fact that I was working with a fantastically well formed and structured organization; contri-buting to the building of the most important neurological conference in Europe, with a super staff, friendly and keen to find answers and solutions for all that I needed. Delusions, since practically everything was already programmed and organized and my Italian creative fantasy had to be restrained quite a few times.
An example: All the social part of the programme? Not my business. Increasing the Sessions from 3 to 4? A scandal! Introducing the Clinical Lecture? No way. Giving a fee to the Lecturer? The Trea-surer had a fit. I tried to introduce some sparks of life into the presentation pages of the programme that – to my best knowledge – only a few bored listeners in the audience were reading. Photo 2 shows how I was pre-senting myself in this Preliminary Programme of the EFNS Congress in Brussels, in 2007.
One of the major battles at the MC in Brussels was regarding the refunding of expenses of the speakers to the Focused Workshops. I felt as if I was on the ramparts of the free towns of the Hanseatic League, fighting against the might of the Empire and Charles V, who wanted that everybody pay his taxes. The way my proposal was received reminded me of the weather that I faced proceeding on my Camino, in the Passo de la Petraia, when I was poorly equipped for the snow and which obliged one other pilgrim to go to the local Hospital because of frost-bite (see Photo 3).
However, when the Congress moved to Madrid, the atmosphere was warmer, due to the successes of the Congress in terms of participation and
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sinApsA neuroscience conference '11
September 22–25, 2011Ljubljana, Slovenia
[email protected]/snc11
16th nordic stroke congress on
cereBroVAsculAr diseAsesSeptember 28–October 1, 2011
Tallinn, Estonia
[email protected] www.nordicstroke2011.org
scientific evaluation: the EFNS bank account was full of plenty of resources. The MC accepted to wave the fees for the Focused Workshops speakers, to reimburse some money for travel expenses, and, with some concern, to increase the MT sessions from 3 to 4!! I was lucky to have an excellent Speaker for the “first” EFNS Clinical Lecture, Prof. Miller, whose Department finally received the planned fee quite a few months later, showing that for our Treasurer the safety of EFNS coffins was the top priority.
One error that could have cost me quite a few reproaches was the choice of the background photo that I selected for the Madrid Preliminary Programme (Photo 4) Luckily enough, probably only a few people recognized the flowers from the Bilbao Museum, possibly too Basque for Madrid!
I still had to learn one further lesson: that the OPENING and the CLOSURE of the Congress were a “one man show”, and that the Chairman of the Programme Committee was not to be that man. Only my closest friends realised how happy I was about that, since very few people know of my reticence to speak in front of a large audience. I like small classes, small groups, but I am often frightened to be required to talk in front of thousands (thousands!!) of listeners. So, I smiled and listened. An accomplishment acquired also along the Camino.
And, in general, both in the Camino and in the Congress, besides the altitudes and the difficulties, the sky was terse and the sun acceptable. Photo 5 reflects some of these nice moments of rest.
My third Congress was in Florence, in 2009. Besides my birth in Siena, (the last Italian free town to resist foreign powers, and a few centuries of friction with Florentines), the appeal of the Renais-sance, and the intertwining of beauty and science, arts and philosophy, that Florence embodies at its very core, encouraged me to work as hard as possible to bring to Florence as many neurologists as possible from all over Europe. The Local Committee, chaired by Antonio Federico, was very cooperative, the European neurologists answered the call, and the EFNS Congress in Florence obtained the best success ever; all four sessions
were plentifully attended, with a grand final repre-sented by a superb Lecture on the Mirror Neurons by Giacomo Rizzolatti.
After months of trepi-dation, I was able, to quote Dante once again, to get out of darkness and to go “… a riveder le stelle.”. (to see again the stars) Photo 6
Approaching the Geneva Congress in 2010, I was leaving the Chair of the PC, moving to the definitely less heavy position of Vice-President.
The new President, Richard Hughes, kindly decided to test my cardio-arrhythmia by asking me to speak for quite a few minutes as Chair of the PC in front of the main Hall full of participants. Beta-blockers helped a lot.
Since I had passed this stress-test, I was asked to address my energies towards revitalizing the EFNS NEWS LETTER, a job that ever since I have been trying to fulfil to the best of my ability, by moving it in the near future to a more interactive, readily available website. All of the EFNS affiliates will therefore be able to judge my attempts.
I will deeply appreci-ate it if eventual critics might be more friend-ly than these two very respected Colleagues! (Photo 7).
Early in July 2011, with my wife Pamela, I reached Santiago de Compostela, after 808 km with backpack and faithfull legs. (Photo 8)
Moving nearly two thousands years back in poetry, NUNC EST BIBENDUM.
However, I will go to Budapest by car.
Petroio, 27 August 2011
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2011
84th AnnuAl congress of the dgn
September 28–October 1, 2011 Wiesbaden, Germany
[email protected]://www.dgn2010.de/
dgn2011/main.html
ABn AnnuAl MeetingOctober 5–7, 2011
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
[email protected] http://www.theabn.org/
BudapEst 2011
nils erik gilhus Bergen, norway
chairman since 2009
For me, the EFNS congress has always been the most important meeting place for European
neurologists. This congress combines science and education, learning and social interaction. During the congress, new ideas are coming up on how to improve patient treatment and neurological practice, and also for new research projects and possibilities. Interaction and discussions between neurologists from all European countries is a hallmark for EFNS. Previously chairing the
EFNS Scientific committee, it is for me especially nice to see how the Scientist panels through a broad European cooperation present excellent program suggestions, and at the same time facilitate building and strengthening research networks. The EFNS congress should expand further regarding participation and scientific presentations. The aim is that neurologists from all European countries should regard it as neces-sary to take part in this yearly meeting. A quality mark is that an increasing number of non-Euro-pean neurologists find the congress attractive. EFNS congresses in Stockholm 2012 and Istanbul 2014 are expected to draw a large number of participants. After that, we all look forward to the European Academy of Neurology.
win 10 registrations to the 2012 efns congress in Stockholm, Sweden. In your participants’ bag you will find a congress evaluation form. Please fill it in and return it at the registration area. Among all evaluations forms received, 10 registrations to the next EFNS congress will be raffled. Winners will be announced after the congress.
opening ceremonySaturday, September 10, 2011 19.00 Plenary Hall
Welcoming words20 years EFNSPresentation of the new EFNS eBrain programmerichard hughes, EFNS President
15th EFNS CongressPresentation of the European Handbook, Volume 2nils erik gilhus, Chair Congress Programme Committee
lászló Vécsei, Vice-Chair Congress Programme Committee
Performance by VARIDANCE
eBrain launch http://www.ebrainjnc.com/
sunday, september 11, 201110:30 Exhibition Area, EFNS Booth (number 14)
Changing the face of learning in the Neurosciencese-brain, the exciting new interactive online learning programme designed to support training and conti nuous professional development for clinical neuroscience trainees, consultants and non- specialists, will go live in autumn 2011.
PartnersDeveloped in partnership with the Joint Neurosci-ences Council, the European Federation of Neurological Societies, the European Neurological Society, and University College London, it repre-sents the most comprehensive clinical neuroscience web-based training resource. Led by Professor Simon Shorvon, Mr Simon Thomson, Dr Hannah Cock and Professor Thomas Berger, the contributors to the e-learning form part of a multi-disciplinary team of expert clinical authors and reviewers drawn from the neurosciences, both in the UK and across Europe.
Changing the face of learningThe multimedia-rich, engaging materials are designed to enhance traditional learning, support existing teaching methods and provide a valuable reference point that is accessible anytime, anywhere. The online training content comprises approximately 20 modules of e-learning, with each of the 550+ individual lessons taking around 20 minutes to complete. The program includes:Ischaemic Vascular Disease; Haemorrhagic Vascular Disease; Head Injury; Spinal Trauma;
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21st AlzheiMer europe conference
October 6–8, 2011Warsaw, Poland
[email protected] http://www.alzheimer-europe.org/
EN/Conferences/Warsaw-2011
43rd dAnuBe syMposiuMOctober 6–8, 2011Dresden, Germany
[email protected] www.danube2011.org
Tumours and Cysts; Hydrocephalus and Cerebro-spinal Fluid Pathologies; Neurological Infections; Neuro-inflammatory Diseases; Neurodegeneration; Degenerative Spinal Disease; Headache and Facial Pain; Movement Disorders; Transient Loss of Consciousness and Epilepsy; Coma and Sleep; Neuro-ophthalmology; Neuro-otology; Neuro-muscular Diseases; Diseases of the Autonomic Nervous System; Neurological Issues in General Medicine and Surgery; Neuropsychiatry; Neuro-rehabilitation and Spinal Injury Rehabilitation; Clinical Examinations; Neurosurgery For further information call 0044(0)2035384708 0044(0)7833050907 or visit the website at: www.ebrainJNC.com
handbook of neurological Management, Volume 2, 2nd editionlaunch on Monday, 12 september, 13.30 at the efns Booth (number 14)
special social event at the Market hall
Monday, September 12, 201120.00 – Market Hall
Get ready for a special social event with a Hungarian spirit, where you can meet with colleagues and friends.
The market will be open especially and exclusively for us to taste, smell, listen, dance and feel the best of Hungarian delicatessen and spirit.http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.com/ great-market-hall.html
Getting to the Market HallAddress: Fővám tér, Pest end of Liberty Bridge, trams 2, 47, 49the nearest metro station is at Kálvin tér (M3 blue line)
efns lecture on clinical neurology
Tuesday, September 13, 201112:00 – 13:00, Hall D
The widening spectrum of antibody-mediated neurological diseases: from neuromuscular junction to brainAngela Vincent, Oxford, UK
There are increasing numbers of relatively rare conditions that are associated with the presence of specific serum autoantibodies. In the peripheral nervous system, diseases such as myasthenia gravis and the Lambert Eaton myasthenic syndrome are directly caused by autoantibodies to muscle or neuronal ion channels and receptors, including muscle specific kinase. The diseases improve sub-stantially with immuno-therapies. In the central nervous system, autoantibodies to a variety of intracellular neuronal targets are well-recognised in tumour-associated (paraneoplastic) neurological diseases that result when the immune system reacts with tumour antigens which are shared by the nervous system reacts with tumour antigens which are shared by the nervous system, but these patients do not generally improve with treatments and have a poor prognosis. More recently, however, it has become clear that autoantibodies to specific receptors and ion channels or associated proteins can lead to neurological diseases involving many regions of the central nervous system. These anti-bodies can be detected in the serum and usually in the cerebrospinal fluid and are thought to be directly pathogenic. Although often severely affected, most patients derive considerable benefits from immunotherapies. In addition, antibodies to the water channel aquaporin-4 are highly specific for neuromyelitis optica and related syndromes. All of these recent discoveries have greatly enhanced the recognition and, hence, treatment of these acquired neurological disorders.
teaching coursesPlease register early for the Teaching Courses. There are still some tickets available. If you will not be able to attend the EFNS Teaching Courses, you can purchase a Syllabi CD-ROM at the EFNS Booth in Budapest or by sending an e-mail to [email protected] the congress, the syllabi of certain Teaching Courses will be available on the EFNS website together with CME testing.
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The theme that I am proposing for a discussion between younger and ‘less young’ neurologists, at the EFNS Congress in Budapest, concerns the motto “FESTINA LENTE” as related to our field of exper-tise, neurology.
When confronting something new or unknown, I now “google” the name, word or sentence and in general I obtain quite a few answers.The results from a “Google” search on FESTINA LENTE bring us back to Augustus and Svetonious. Augustus, an apparently nice, sweet and kind, definitely non-military, asthmatic and low-keyed individual, managed to achieve the following endea-vours:- to have killed all the “liberators”, that is all the 43
senators who participated in the assassination of Julius Cesar on 15 March 48 B.C.,
- to have killed and robbed of their estates all the liberator’s supporters, including Cicero,
- to have destroyed the army and the fleet of Antonius and Cleopatra, who then killed themselves afterwards, finally to have obliterated Cesarion, the illegitimate son of Julius Cesar and Cleopatra.
All these ‘accomplishments’ through fellow/friend generals, who happily continued to serve him with-out aiming to obtain the major power for themselves. Augustus was always careful, methodical, a strong worker and deeply in love with his family, perhaps too much. However, Google will tell us that the FESTINA LENTE was also a certain Aldo Manunzio’s motto, a book printer working in Venice between the end of the XV and the beginning of the XVI century.
Furthermore Google states that same motto was chosen by Cosimo I. de’ Medici, but here Google indicates that the motto and the related crest, with a turtle and a sail, applied to the Medici family’s fleet. This is not true, since Cosimo I. frequently coupled the FESTINA LENTE motto with a similar one, UT TOLLAR UNO, meaning “to fly high“: to fly away from earthly dimensions we need the ‘sail of the mind’.
Here, one must try to establish a link between Augustus, Manuzio and Cosimo I. And… neurology. More or less everybody has some basic knowledge about Augustus. What is probably less known is the fact that he never practised his military education which was the first normal step for the cursus honorum in Rome. He was neither physically nor emotionally fit for combative confrontations. At the battle of Filippi he escaped into a swamp, later pretending this was due to his asthma. He never commanded an attack. He was superb in the intelligence, and counter-intelligence. He collected as much information as possible on his opponents, slowly, carefully, and at the moment of action, he was quick and absolutely ruthless. He was also, however, able to surround himself with a small group of young outsiders, in particular with Agrippa, Balbo and Maecenas, who finalised all of his
decisions, Agrippa on the military, Balbo on the finances and Maecenas on the civilian part. His poor health made him very dependent on medical opinions and indications, and from the time of his youth, he understood how his asthma was related to emotional stress. Psychosomatic? But with his “FESTINA LENTE” approach/motto, he ruled the largest empire for the longest period of time, (44 years) without any major war, after a century of civil slaughters. FESTINA LENTE.
Very few neurologists, I am sure, know about Manuzio. Aldus Pius Manutius.
I refer to Google and Wikipedia for more information on Aldus Pius Manutius. What I like to summarize briefly is the fact that “students” (i.e. all who are studying something) all through the world are indebted to Manutius for the invention of the “book” as we now
intend it. He simply divided, (the same year that Columbus dis covered the Americas), the large page of the “tomi”, first into two, then into four parts, then finally into eight parts, reaching a dimension that made the book light, easy to be managed and trans-ported; and absolutely cheaper than before its new format. Culture was now at the reach of bourgeois and merchant classes. A revolution in information that we may think of from our perspective in the third millen-nium as smashing as internet. Manutius dedicated his entire life to the diffusion of the classical culture, and his motto “FESTINA LENTE” well represents his rapid but careful progression into the European cultural panorama, from Pico della Mirandola to Erasmo da Rotterdam. If Augustus represents the victory of the mind over the muscle, of culture versus brutality, Manutius rep-resents the spreading of the by-products of this victory throughout the entire world, in length and in depth.
Last but not least we have, Cosimo I., and his motto FESTINA LENTE. Here, I am slightly parochial, being definitely more familiar with Tuscany history (and wine) then with … Burgundy or other European countries. Cosimo I. was a complete outsider, sired from a collat-eral and very poor branch of the Lorenzo de’ Medici family, the only son of a soldier who sold his bravery to the rulers of many of the small Italian principates of the 15th century, and who, unfortunately, died young after one skirmish.
Cosimo I. reached the first step of his rise to the ab-solute power in Florence, by being nominated “First Chief of Florence Government” in 1536, still a teenager. His nomination was possible since he was considered a “nobody”, and mainly to block the possible nomination of a stronger Spanish ruler (as Charles V was planning), or a Neapolitan ruler (from
BudapEst forum 2011By gIan luIgI lEnzI
2012
eAns 2011 – 14th europeAn congress
of neurosurgeryOctober 09–14, 2011
Rome, Italy
[email protected] http://www2.kenes.com/eans/
Pages/home.aspx
13th congress of the europeAn federAtion of
AutonoMic societies (efAs)October 12–15, 2011
Bern, Switzerland
[email protected]://www.imk.ch/efas2011
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the Pope’s family), or some outrageous republican rioter (one of the Strozzi family). In many ways he reminds one of Augustus: he was not very skilled in military arts, but he knew how to choose his generals, as the Vitelli, his collaborators for the arts, as Vasari, Cellini, for culture, as Annibal Caro, or for buildings, or agriculture and land reclamations, as Sangallo. He slowly changed the landscape of Tuscany, introducing cypress trees and vineyards, villas and farms. He built the ports of Leghorn and Piombino. Yet, he too, was absolutely skilled in the “FESTINA LENTE” behaviour. When he besieged Montalcino, the small hometown of Brunello wine, (then the last rampart of the Siena’s Republic, and which he eventually fully conquered with the aid of the Spanish Army, in the name of the Emperor Charles V), he was trying to be nominated Duke of Siena, too. However there were many other pretenders at work: the Carafas, supported by the Pope; the Farnese, supported by the Emperor, and others, supported by Caterina de’ Medici, daughter of Lorenzo and Queen in France who was quite upset by the rise to power of such a minor Medici offspring. The ongoing war in Tuscany, with Montalcino still resisting, was however blocking a decision, since Cosimo I. was very popular within the army. Blocking everything for as long as the little town of Montal - cino resisted. The “FESTINA LENTE” approach was at its zenith: Cosimo I. was attacking during the day, and sending food and every kind of support during the night. After four years Montalcino finally surrendered, and later on Cosimo I. was finally nomi-nated Archduke of Tuscany. Not bad for a forty year
old man, raised in the Chianti countryside, always short of money, and with a very parochial instruction.
In Cosimo I., one sees the results of a very imaginative but also truly experimental mind coupled with a strong personality, capable of quick but very carefully planned action, applied in depth, together with a long term plan to be carried out to the very end.
After carefully observing these three men of the motto FESTINA LENTE, I propose it as the motto of the neurologist, in particular for the new “Urgent Neurology“. “Time is brain” and neuro logists work-ing in the acute neurological situations, such as acute stroke, epileptic fits, myastenic crisis, and so on, need to hurry and to move forward …but carefully. They need to plan a strategy, to act quickly, but to take care of tomorrow and the day after-tomorrow as well.
Cosimo I., if born in our time, he might have benefit-ed from just such an approach had he been evaluated by a trained neurologist when, on the 15 February 1567 “… cadde un poco di gocciola … in su lato ritto”.
“Gocciola” in the old Tuscan language, means a “drop” and in fact Cosimo I. suffered a stroke which impaired his right side, his speech and his behaviour: he killed his own secretary when he brought bad news, he cried often at length and laughed without any reason. His speech became progressively unintel-ligible. He suffered from additional strokes and finally died a classic case of multi-infarct dementia in 1574.
2011
5th world congress on controVersies in
neurologyOctober 14–17, 2011
Beijing, China
[email protected]://comtecmed.com/
cony/2011/
ectriMs 2011:27th congress of the
europeAn coMMittee for treAtMent And
reseArch in MsOctober 19–22, 2011
Amsterdam, The Netherlands (with ACTRIMS & LACTRIMS)
It was a late after-noon, plenty of sleet in Warsaw. Hubert came to pick me up at the end of a wine show that I was attending, to try
to increase the quality levels of wine consumption in Poland. Ob viously, the poor weather obliged both of us to drink quite a few glasses before moving outside, in a town and in a country that were completely new to me. I knew Hubert not that well, and since only a couple of years, working together in the EFNS, and not infrequently finding each other in a position of complete disagreement. The glasses of Chianti Clas-sico helped both of us not only to survive the cold and
damp atmosphere of a wintry Warsaw, but to begin to talk outside the rules and the conventions, a conver-sation that continued on in front of a warm soup that Hubert strongly suggested and that I swallowed, hélas, with the help of a trinket of local bier. Why I remember that evening, of all the possible memoires of Hubert? Because he was talking about home, about family, about his young years and about what he was looking for in twenty and what he had achieved at sixty. And he was listening; he was interested in my feelings, in my sorrows and in my aims. The Muse of Neurology was attending this personal meeting, very silent, slightly upset of being totally outside our MAIN THEME 1.
By Gian Luigi Lenzi
In mEmorIam huBErt KwIECInsKIMember of the efns congress programme committee chair of the efns scientist panel on critical care
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Interview with professor raad shaKIr
1) how did you become involved with the who?Since WHO-Neurology&Mental Health is reviewing ICD-10 to have the new ICD-11, they wanted a Neurologist who had to be a “generalist”, and not a hyperspecialised scientist in some aspect of Neurology. The proceedings for the ICD-11 have started in June 2009, and so far we had three meetings in Geneva.
2) which part of your job at who do you find the most interesting and challenging?WHO had initially a Division on “Uncommuni-cable diseases and mental health and substances of abuse”, where neurology was not represented at all. The goal of this Division is to produce every 10 years a new ICD book. My job is to introduce neurology to this mainly psychiatric Committee. And in fact now Stroke is part of neurology, while before it was with the cardiovascular diseases. Dementia is now part of Neurology as being a degenerative disease. And they have to be included in the ICD-11 as neurological diseases.
3) what are the points of contact between Efns and who-neurology&mental health and how would you describe this relationship?For WHO-Neurology&Mental Health, public health is crucial. EFNS may help WHO-Neurology&Mental Health to acknowledge neurological diseases that have been previously classified within other labels, as psychiatry, cardio-vascular, or geriatrics. Through WHO, EFNS may reach governments.
4) which are the best modalities for collaboration between the two entities?WHO in general and WHO-Neurology&Mental Health in particular, cannot give money, but they open doors. EFNS may capitalize on the activity of the WHO-Neurology&Mental Health and on the ICD-11, where more neurology will be pres-ent, to interact with governments. 5) how can who-neurology & public health contribute to neurology’s growth and public perception in Europe?For the “peripheric” neurologist, the WHO-Neurology&Mental Health, with the ICD-11, may be helpful through a correct classification of the diseases. ICD-11 will have a definite impact for all the neurological diseases, since for the first time WHO is ambitious. The new definitions, with more neurology, with stroke and dementia back to neurology, will be translated into all the languages of the world and utilised for official statistics.
IntErvIEws wIth who offICErsInterview with professor JEs olEsEn
1) how did you become involved with the who?I have been working with WHO - Neurology&Mental Health since at least 20 years. Initially, the WHO Section on Mental Health was essentially a pure psychiatric division. They asked for a neurologist, and I was asked, as the President-Elect of the EFNS to join this committee. However at a certain point I stopped to partici-pate, because it was a major wasting of my time. Then the American Academy of Neurology pulled out too, because of the wrong label of this Committee that is “Section of Mental Health”, just when the biological basis of many psychiatric diseases was more and more evident. So I decided to go back and to participate again to the works of the Committee, to have Neurology represented.
2) which part of your job at who do you find the most interesting and challenging?As said above, I am working to accommodate Neurology into the general WHO panorama of the global burden of the diseases, to make the point the 11% of this burden are the neurological diseases, on a background that was for many years a pure psychiatric approach.
3) what are the points of contact between Efns and who-neurology&mental health and how would you describe this relationship?WHO documents go to the governments; if EFNS wants to reach the governments, EFNS has to go through WHO. WHO opens govern-ment doors, but it has been hampered by a chronic lack of financial supports, since the budget comes from the United Nations, and it is unable to support major projects. Now WHO has received some financial support from Foundations, such as the Bill Gates and the Soros. However EFNS may come in support of the WHO-Neurology&Mental Health for specific neurological projects.
4) which are the best modalities for collaboration between the two entities?EFNS may link with WHO-Neurology&Mental Health for some educational project, such as the recently developed Atlas of Neurology. The EFNS Liaison Committee may be the instrument to forge this link. A Teaching Course in 2013 on the consequences of the new ICD-11 on manage-ment of the neurological diseases could be very important.
5) how can who-neurology & mental health contribute to neurology’s growth and public perception in Europe?WHO is very slow, but it opens doors. EFNS may come in support to the WHO-Neurology&Public Health, to speed up the realization of the ICD-11. It may occur through financing a part-time position for a Neurologist appointed at the WHO.
2011
enrc 1st europeAn
neurorehABilitAtion congress
October 20–22, 2011 Merano, Italy
[email protected] www.enrc2011.eu
7th internAtionAl congress on VAsculAr
deMentiAOctober 20–23, 2011
Riga, Latvia
[email protected] www.kenes.com/Vascular
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20th world congress of neurology
November 12–18, 2011 Marrakesh, Morocco
[email protected] www.wcn-neurology.org
The interest for participation in the annual EFNS Academy surpassed in this current 12th course all records from previous years. For our maximal capacity of 130 attendees more than 270 colleagues have applied. It was only with painful heart when we had to reject such a number of colleagues - not only of those asking for a repeated visit to the course, but also of those submitting their request the first time. Finally a great audience from 34 countries gathered in Hotel Bezděz to listen to three and a half days of scientific and on the last day also organizational presentations. Faculty members from 6 countries (Finland, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Czech Republic) presented three 50 minute plenary lectures in the morning and provided three workshops for smaller groups in the afternoon.As a sign of the importance of these courses to the EFNS, we were pleased to welcome our President Professor Richard Hughes, who remained with us for the whole duration of the Academy. He lectured on the first day together with Professors Jean Michel Vallat (Limoges, France) and Davide Pareyson (Milan, Italy) on peripheral nerve diseases. The second day was devoted to cerebral blood flow and modern methods of measurement. Topics of functional MRI, measurements of brain per-fusion and diffusion and recent PET advances were demonstrated in detail by Daniela Cevolani (Bologna, Italy), Lauri Soinne (Helsinki, Finland) and Jan Sobesky (Berlin, Germany). The questions of diagnostic algorithms and surgical solutions for different types of hydrocephalus were featured on day three. Altin Stafa (Bologna, Italy) discussed neuroradiology, Martin Smrčka and Václav Vybíhal (Brno, Czech Republic) focused on endo-scopic procedures for hydrocephalus and Martin Sameš and Tomáš Radovnický (Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic) dealt with treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus. All participants received syllabi of these valuable teaching topics on CD.The last half day traditionally contained general
topics of neurological practice and perspective: WHO priorities in brain and nerve diseases by Alena Šteflová, WHO representative; future pros-pects for junior neurologists in Europe by Edina Varga, vice-president of the EAYNT; educational systems in neurosciences by Martin Pospíšil (Lund beck) and neurology around the world, dif-ferences, education and perspectives by Pavel Kalvach. Besides the quality of the learning experi-ence many participants were delighted to meet with new colleagues and contrast neurology and life in so many different countries. The generous spirit of the EFNS, which sponsors tuition, board and accommodation at this course showed its impact on the general atmosphere. Due to another unrestricted grant from Lundbeck we had not only perfect technical equipment, but also an enjoyable cultural programme in the evenings. The participants included 2 colleagues from Tunisia, 1 from Syria, 2 from Morocco and 2 from Egypt, countries which are associate members of the EFNS in the spirit of sharing knowledge and edu-cation with Mediterranean and African countries. In the performance of the course, the main part of its quality rested upon the precise preparations and a huge administrative work by Mrs Magda Dohnalová, who even engaged her husband and son in the technical provision of the event. We believe that the course fulfilled the intention declared at the opening ceremony to „Work for unforgettable memories“.
post-course echos faculty:
“Although my journey was short I highly enjoyed being there and sharing this wonderful meeting. I had a lot of interesting discussions with young colleagues and I very much liked the spirit of the session. It was great to contribute to this Academy.Thanks again for this meeting” Jan Sobesky
Efns aCadEmy for young nEurologIsts staré splavy, CzECh rEpuBlIC may 12 – 15, 2011 – fInal rEport
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deutsche gesellschAft für epilepsie –
dgfe-tAgung 2012February 29–March 03, 2012
Stuttgart, Germany
8th AnnuAl updAte syMposiuM on clinicAl
neurology & neurophysiology
February 22–23, 2012Tel Aviv, Israel
[email protected] http://www.neurophysiology-
symposium.com
This meeting has been approved for CME by the EFNS.
Efns dEpartmEnt to dEpartmEnt programmE hosting departments 2010 and 2011wE would lIKE to thanK all thE hostIng dEpartmEnts, whICh arE:
AustriAfranz Aichner, Neurologische Abteilung, Landes-Nervenklinik Wagner Jauregg, Linzchristian eggers, Abteilung für Neurologie mit Stroke Unit, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder, Linzelisabeth fertl, Department of Neurology, Krankenanstalt Rudolfstiftung, Viennawolfgang grisold, Department of Neurology, Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital, Viennagerhard ransmayr and walter struhal, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Krankenhaus Linz erich schmutzhard, Universitätsklinik für Neurologie, Innsbruckeugen trinka, Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Privatuniversität, Salzburgcicek wöber-Bingöl and Max h. friedrich, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vienna
BelgiuMpatrick cras, Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Antwerp, Edegemsteven laureys, Cyclotron Research Center & Neurology Department, University of Liège Alain Maertens de noordhout, Department of Neurology, Hopital de la Citadelle, Liège
croAtiAVida demarin, Department of Neurology, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital, Zagreb
czech repuBlicpetr kaňovský, Department of Neurology, Faculty Hospital Olomouc ivan rektor, Department of Neurology, St. Anne's Hospital, Brnoevžen růžička, Department of Neurology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University, PragueJana zárubová, Department of Neurology, Thomayer Faculty Hospital, Prague
denMArk sándor Beniczky, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Danish Epilepsy Centre, DianalundJes olesen, Department of Neurology, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup
finlAndheikki numminen, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University Hospital, Tampereturgut tatlisumak, Department of Neurology, University Central Hospital, Helsinki
frAnceBruno Brochet and wassilios Meissner, Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeauxphilippe damier, Department of Neurology, Hôpital Laennec, NantesJean-yves delattre, Department of Neurology, Mazarin, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, ParisJean- pascal lefauchner, Laboratory of Clinical Neurophysiology, Henri Mondor University Hospital
“It was for me a beautiful and very interesting experience.”Altin Stafa
“It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity of partici pating in the EFNS Academy and to find so many young neurologists from different countries and so interested in learning! I am glad they enjoyed the talks. Thank you again for your kind hospitality and many wishes for all your activities and for the Czech Republic as well.”Davide Pareyson
“….. I enjoyed very much. It was an exciting experience for me, to form part of the teaching staff of your course.Many congratulations for your course, which was very much appreciated by all participants.”Daniela Cevolani
“The basic idea of having an academic curriculum and a get-together for young neurologist col-leagues is just great and commendable, and you sure did an excellent job to make it work for the participants with just about perfect and thoughtful arrangements.”Lauri Soinne
participants:
“Thank you very much for an extremely friendly and very useful Academy 2011. Only after commu-nication with other young neurologists I under-stood how important and useful it is.”Jan Fris, Moscow
“First I would like to thank you again for organizing the EFNS Academy. The lectures were very inter-esting and the venue was great.” Veronica Popescu, Amsterdam
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10th Ögn AnnuAl congressMarch 14–17, 2012
Graz, Austria
[email protected]/kongress2012
9th world congress on BrAin inJury
March 21–25, 2012Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Jean-Marc léger, Consultation de Pathologie Neuromusculaire, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Parisdidier leys, Department of Neurology (stroke unit), Hôpital Roger Salengro, LilleJean-Michel Vallat, 2. Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Limogesfausto Viader, Service de Neurologie, CHU Cote de Nacre, Caen christophe Vial, Service d’Electroneuromyographie et pathologies neuro-musculaires, Lyon
gerMAny tobias Back, Department of Neurology, Saxon Hospital Arnsdorf/Dresdenulrich Bogdahn, Neurologische Klinik, University of RegensburgJosef Böhm and g. John, Neurologische Abteilung, Kreiskrankenhaus Freibergdetlef claus, Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Klinikum Darmstadt GmbH, Darmstadtreinhard dengler, Neurologische Klinik, Medizinische Hochschule Hannovergünter deuschl, Department of Neurology, Christian Albrechts Universität, Kielhans-christoph diener and zaza katsarava, Headache Centre, University of EssenMarianne dieterich, Department of Neurology, Klinikum Grosshadern, MunichMichael fetter, Department of Neurorehabilitation, Klinikum Karlsbad-Langensteinbach GmbH, Karlsbadchristian gerloff, Neurological Clinic, Hamburgwerner hacke and roland Veltkamp, Department of Neurology, University HeidelbergAndreas hetzel, Department of Neurology, University of FreiburgMax hilz, Department of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum ErlangenManfred kaps, Department of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum GießenAlfred lindner, Department of Neurology, Marienhospital Stuttgartheinz reichmann, Department of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, DresdenAndreas schulze-Bonhage, Epilepsy centre, University Hospital Freiburgrüdiger seitz, Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University Hospital, Düsseldorfcornelius weiller, Department of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum FreibergJosé Valdueza, Neurologisches Zentrum der Segeberger Kliniken Gruppe, Bad Segeberg
greece stavros Baloyannis, Department of Neurology, Aristotelian University, Thessaloniki
hungArydaniel Bereczki, Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapestlászló csiba, Department of Neurology, University of Debrecenlászló Vécsei, Department of Neurology, University of Szeged
irelAnd orla hardiman, Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, DublinBrian sweeney, Department of Neurology, Cork University Hospital, Cork
itAly ettore Beghi, Laboratorio Malattie Neurologiche, Istituto “Mario Negri”, MilanMaria grazia grasso, Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, RomeMaurizio leone, Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novarapaolo Manganotti, The Neurological and Vision Science Department, Policlinico G.B. Rossi lotto I, Veronagiovanni Meola, Department of Neurology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan
norwAyespen dietrichs, Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Osloole-Bjorn tysnes, Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen
sloVeniA Janez zidar, Institute of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana
spAin Alexandre gironell, Neurology Department, Sant Pau Hospital, CataloniaMiguel lainéz, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Hospital, Valencia
switzerlAndchristian hess, University Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern
turkeyreha kuruoglu, Department of Neurology, Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara
united kingdoMAndrew Bateman, The Oliver Zangwill Centre for Neuropsychological Rehabilitaion, The Princess of Wales Hospital, Cambridgeshirephilip Bath, Division of Stroke, Nottingham City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamkailash Bhatia, Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, Londonnikos evangelou, Consultant Neurologist, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottinghamnick gutowski, Department of Neurology, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeterchristopher kennard, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxfordsimon shorvon, The National Hospital for Neurol-ogy and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London
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With the support of the EFNS Scientific Fellowship I have spent a wonderful and very enriching year in the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s disease, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France. During my stay in Paris, where I joined the team of
Professor Bruno Dubois. The Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s disease is a centre of excellence in France for the diagnosis and treatment of dementia syndromes; it is also a Research and Resource Memory Centre of Ile-de-France region.
One of the main interests of the team is the early and differential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as well as focal, atypical forms of AD, like posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). I had a chance to be involved in two projects aimed to measure the differences in neurochemical and neuro-imaging biomarkers in AD, PCA and PPA. The results of our trial which aimed to measure regional and global [11C]-labeled Pittsburgh compound-B binding between PCA and AD groups with both volumes of interest and voxel-wise basis using statistical parametric mapping
methods were recently published in the neurology journal “Brain” (impact factor 9.5).
A year spent in the Memory Institute of Pr. Dubois gave me the possibility to gain more experience in the neuro-psychological, neuroimaging and neurochemical assess-ment of patients with cognitive disorders. I am very grateful to Pr. Bruno Dubois, Dr. Marie Sarazin, Dr. Leonardo Cruz de Souza, Dr. Aurélie Kas and Dr. Marie-Odile Habert who gave me opportunity to participate in highly interesting, scientifically rigorous and elegant research projects, and who encouraged me in every step of my work in Paris. I was also happy to participate in the clinical, research and social life of the international and multicultural team of Professor Dubois' Institute. I am also very grateful to my home department in Moscow and especially to Professor Nikolay Yakhno who taught me almost everything I know in neurology and who always supported me in my initiative.And finally, all this wouldn’t be possible without EFNS financial support that encourages young neurologists from around Europe in their professional development and gives the possibility to gain clinical and scientific experience in the best neurology centres in Europe.
Efns sCIEntIfIC fEllowshIp fInal rEport By olga uspEnsKaya, russIa
The EFNS Department to Department Programme I have performed at the Neurology Department, CHU Cote de Nacre, Caen, France was a useful and productive experience for me and I hope will be extremely beneficial to my future professional growing.
During my visit at Professor Gilles Defer’s Department, I took part at various clinical and scientific activities like morning visits, conferences, consultations. Most of the time I was in Professor Fausto Viader’s Neurovascular Department. I assisted to the hospitaliza-tion procedure, diagnosis, and management of the patients. I took part at the fibrinolysis procedures in the stroke patients and their follow-up.
I would like to mention that once a week, I joined the clinical conferences on neurovascular, memory, or neuro-psychological diseases that was very interesting for me.Professor Fausto Viader kindly offered me the oppor-tunity and permission to visit a Pain Centre in the other
department where I got a lot of experience in the field.I had also plenary permission to use the library with full access to the internet resources where I gathered a lot of new information, thus I widened my knowledge horizon in the field of neurology.
I was acquainted with different doctors within the hospital, with whom I hope that I will keep in touch and will collaborate in the future.
According to the gained experience and the acquired skills, I would like to emphasize the fact that the educa-tional programme performed at the Neurology Depart-ment was an efficient, practical, and accomplished one. In my opinion, I gained an important experience during this period and that is why I am extremely grateful to Professor Fausto Viader, who accepted me at the Neurology Department and who offered me this unique chance to earn this experience. I deeply appreciate the fact that Professor Fausto Viader is a very gentle teacher; open to collaboration and scientific research, that is why I hope we will have a subsequent future collaboration.
Regarding accommodation, food and other facilities I stayed at the Residential building “Internat the l’hopital”. The staying taxes included the food. The other facilities I paid from the grant money that was quite enough.
I am very grateful to the EFNS Department to Depart-ment Cooperation Programme and I think that this kind of educational programme is very useful and welcome, especially for all the young neurologists.
2012
2nd internAtionAl congress on neurology And epideMiology (icne)
March 22–25, 2012Seville, Spain
[email protected] http://www.neuro-conference.
com/2012/
efns spring school for young neurologists
(AcAdeMy)May 10–13, 2012
[email protected] www.efns.org
wcnr 2012May 16–19, 2012
Melbourne, Australia
[email protected] www.dcconferences.com.au/
wcnr2012
dEpartmEnt to dEpartmEnt programmE fInal rEportBy oxana grosu, moldova
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The European Association of Young Neurologists and Trainees (EAYNT) is announcing interesting lectures at the EAYNT Special Session, a hospital visit and social event during the congress of EFNS in Budapest. Our aim is to provide information about career ideas, the importance of consolidated psychiatry knowledge and life-long learning and to have an overview of the routine daily work of neurologists in Hungary.
1. eAynt booth in the exhibition areaWith the kind offer and help of EFNS, EAYNT will be present with a booth in the industry exhibi-tion area. Here one can join the association, meet colleagues and office members, get hands-on information on further activities, grant applications and give feedback on young neurologist issues and trends emerging in your country. The lucky participants of our quiz and lottery can win one of the several prizes. Main prize will be a travel grant, offered by EAYNT with the support of EFNS.
2. eAynt special session on sunday, 11 september 17.30-18.40, hall e.Chairs: Edina Varga (Dianalund, Denmark) and Martin Rakusa (Maribor, Slovenia)•17:30-17:40MartinRakusa(President,
EAYNT) and Edina Varga (President-elect, EAYNT): EAYNT present and future
•17:40-18:00WolfgangOertel(Marburg,
Germany): How to select the department to work at and become a combined neuroscientist/neurologist?
•18:00-18:20GunhildWaldemar(Copenhagen,Denmark): The borderlands between neurology, psychiatry and internal medicine: future challenges and opportunities
•18:20-18:40RayChaudhuri(London,UK)Neurology: reading, learning and real life
3. eAynt social event on sunday, 11 september from 18.40.If you want to finish this day with a nice, relaxing evening on a restaurant boat with us, register to our social event! We will be together on a ship on the beautiful riverside of Danube, Europe’s second longest river. Further details can be found on our website: www.eaynt.org.
4. hospital visitThanks to the kind invitation of Professor Dániel Bereczki (Head of the Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary), we have the possibility to be informed about the Hungarian training in neurology, as well as the routine daily work of Hungarian colleagues.
Further information, registration to free member-ship and forthcoming activities is possible via our website: www.eaynt.org.
JoIn JunIor nEurologIsts at thE 15th Efns CongrEss In BudapEstBy EdIna t. varga, KrIsztIna róna-vörös, natasha hollEr, raluCa IlEa, Johann sEllnEr
2012
esc 2012 – europeAn stroke conference
May 22–25, 2012Lisbon, Portugal
efns regionAl teAching course
May 30–June 2, 2012Iasi, Romania
efns regionAl teAching course
June 7–9, 2012Novosibirsk, Russia
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First of all I want to express my admiration of the wonderful idea by the European Federation of Neurological Society to organize Regional Teaching Courses (RTCs). To the present moment 24 RTCs were organized during almost 11 years since the first EFNS RTC in 2000. I want to express my deep gratitude to the EFNS for the opportunity to organize such a brilliant EFNS Teaching Course already for the second time in Yekaterinburg, for the great help of the EFNS staff with the prepara-tion of our EFNS RTC, especially Lisa Müller and Julia Mayer. I am also very thankful to Professor Detlef Kömpf who gave me valuable advice on how to organize an EFNS RTC and who helped me in the elaboration of the Scientific Programme and supported us during all stages.
I remember words by our neurologists after our first EFNS RTC in Yekaterinburg in 2006: “The EFNS RTC was like a revolution in neurology which changed our views on treatment and diag-nostics of many neurological disorders”. It was really very progressive for our neurology. For example, I remember that many neuro logists thought before that some problems with cervical spine and vertebral arteries may provoke vertigo very often but now I hope nobody thinks so. All those who were present at the lecture on vertigo by Professor Detlef Kömpf during our EFNS RTC 2006 know that the most frequent course of vertigo is benign positional vertigo. I can also
confirm that a lecture on Stroke Units by Past President of the EFNS Professor Jacques De Reuck and a lecture by our vice Minister of Health of Russia Professor Veronika Skvortsova on Guidelines for stroke management were additional stimuli for the creation of stroke units in our city. In 2006 we had no stroke unit in our city and now we have already 7 stroke units in Yekaterinburg and our region. Besides, an excellent lecture by Professor Jan van Gijn on stroke prevention demonstrated that neurologists and not only general physicians can prevent stroke and treat hypertension, dislipidemia and other risk factors correctly.
All this positive experience of this past EFNS RTC and a great desire to make further improvements of neurological services in our city using modern European neurological standards gave me energy and inspiration to organize an EFNS RTC in our city again. The 2011 EFNS RTC was again very successful. More than 450 neuro logists from Yekaterinburg, the Urals region and nearby cities participated in our 2nd EFNS RTC, most of them (70%) were under 45. The President of the EAYNT, Martin Rakusa (Slovenia) generously gave im portant information about grants for young neurologists and training opportunities in Europe at a special meeting at the Urals State Medical Academy, which we organized for 50 young and active neurologists one day before our
2nd rEgIonal tEaChIng CoursE of thE EuropEan fEdEratIon of nEurologICal soCIEtIEs In yEKatErInBurgmay 18–20, 2011, yEKatErInBurg, russIaBy ElEna r. lEBEdEva
2012
ens 2012 – 22nd Meeting of the europeAn
neurologicAl societyJune 9–12, 2012
Prague, Czech Republic
[email protected]://www.congrex.ch/ens2012/
1st pAn-slAVic congress of child neurology
August 29–September 1, 2012Ljubljana, Slovenia
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EFNS RTC. All neurologists spoke very fondly about this RTC, the excellent reports and especially the very interesting focused workshops in the afternoons. This year I found some extra positive moments: many of our neurologists improved their level of English after our first EFNS RTC and even did not use earphones for simultaneous translation. Besides, many of our young neurolo-gists can speak English very well. Another positive moment: our experience in organizing the EFNS RTC attracted great interest of other neuro logists from different cities. Thus, young neurologists already want to organize EFNS RTCs in Perm, St-Petersburg, Kazan and Penza. And of course we will help them in this progressive matter when the time comes.
I want to say several words about the pro-gramme of our Regional Teaching Course. The first day was devoted to stroke, the diagnostics, treatment, prevention and early rehabilitation. Professor Bo Norrving (Sweden), Professor Jaap Kappelle (The Nether-
lands), Professor Manfred Kaps (Germany) and Dr. Olga Kamaeva (Russia) made very clear and bright presentations during their morning session and focused workshops in the afternoon. That day we also organized a practical demonstration of ultrasound examinations of carotid and ver tebral arteries which was excellently performed by Professor Manfred Kaps. I hope this will be a stimulus for our neurologists to perform these examinations personally in future and study this technique. The second day included pain syndromes: migraine, polyneuropathies and lower back pain. Professor Peer Tfelt-Hansen (Denmark), Professor Klaus Toyka (Germany), Professor Jean-Marc Léger (France) and Professor Oleg Levin (Russia) presented up-to-date information about these disorders. So far, we did not use
diagnostic biopsy and histological con firmation of diagnosis in patients with polyneuropathies in our city, but I hope that we can do so in future using the experience of our colleagues from Europe. The third day included free topics: post-stroke dementia, differential diagnosis of vertigo and oculomotor syndromes, Wilson’s disease and epilepsy. Professor Natan Bornstein (Israel), Professor Detlef Kömpf (Germany), Dr. Klaus Jahn (Germany), Professor Anna Czlonkovska (Poland) and Professor Leonid Zenkov (Russia) made very interesting presentations. Professor Detlef Kömpf and Dr. Klaus Jahn prepared a wonderful master class about treatment of vertigo. They were like artists and their master class was like a spectacle but with the purpose to teach easily, informative and even joyfully. I can say the same about all other workshops in the afternoon; it is really a great way to teach in small groups.
Participants and speakers were very happy to take part in our EFNS RTC and wrote later that both the scientific and social programmes were excel-lent. Our cultural programme included various excursions every day, visits to our Opera and Ballet Theater, a beautiful party with amazing music by Russian Folk instruments quartet “Ural” and also an unforgettable Concert “Spring melody” by Professor Klaus Toyka (violin) who is a great professional not only in neurology but in music, too. All our participants were very impressed by the great talent of all the speakers. It was a great pleasure for me to have such a unique chance to be with them during all these days of our EFNS RTC, but I regret that I was too busy to have enough time to speak more with them which is what I would have liked to do. Sometimes it is better to be just a participant but not an organizer; really there is nothing more wonderful than the luxury of personal communication. I am very grateful to the EFNS for all the unforgettable moments and for the inspiration for future achievements. Of course, we want to organize an EFNS RTC again.
2012
10th world congress on sleep ApneA
August 27–September 1, 2012Rome, Italy
[email protected] http://www.wcsaroma2012.com/
10th Meeting of the europeAn AssociAtion of
neurooncologySeptember 6–9, 2012
Marseille, France
[email protected] www.eano.eu
The EFNS Administration (EFNS Head Office and Branch Offices Florence, Prague) has again been audited and is proud to inform that the ISO 9001 certification has been renewed.
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Answer all questions correctly and you will receive one hour of CME.
european Journal of neurology
Every month one article is chosen for online learning.
The following articles are available free of charge on https://www.efns.org/EFNS-Continuing-Medical-Education-online.301.0.html
May 2011: Tick-borne encephalitis in Poland in years 1993-2008 – epidemiology and clinical presentation. A retrospective study of 687 patients. Czupryna P. et al.
June 2011: Treatment of miscellaneous idiopathic headache disorders (group of the HIS classification)
– Report of an EFNS task force. Evers S. et al.
July 2011: Improved language performance subsequent to low-frequency rTMS in patients with chronic non-fluent aphasia post-stroke. Barwood CHS, et al.
August 2011: Human herpesvirus 6 and effective-ness of interferon beta 1b in multiple sclerosis patients. Garcia-Montojo M. et al.
september 2011: Treatment of medication overuse headache – guideline of the EFNS headache panel. Evers S. et al.
october 2011: Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis in Spain: clinical, prognostic, and genetic study. Pilo-de-la-Fuente B. et al.
november 2011: Low risk of vascular events following urgent treatment of transient ischaemic attack: the Aarhus TIA study. Von Weitzel- Mudersbach P. et al.
Win an EFNS package, including an EFNS tie/scarf!
Among all persons, who will correctly answer the questions related to the September 2011 article, 3 packages will be allotted.
we congratulate the winners of the last competition:
Sabina Horvat, SloveniaDimitri Mulyarov, Russian FederationAnton Van As, The Netherlands
ContInuIng mEdICal EduCatIon onlInEall E-lEarnIng aCtIvItIEs arE frEE-of-ChargE for Efns mEmBErs, who arE rEgIstErEd to www.Efns.org!
16tH Congress oF tHe euroPean FederatIon oF neurologICal soCIetIesstoCkHolM, sWeden, sePteMBer 8 – 11, 2012WWW.eFns.org/eFns2012
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EFNS Stockholm 2012
co-sponsored by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN)
organised in co-operation with the Swedish Neurological Society
co-sponsored by the European Section of the movement Disorder Society (mDS-ES)
co-sponsored by the European Federation of Autonomic Societies (EFAS)
2012
16th congress of the europeAn federAtion of neurologicAl societies
September 8–11, 2012 Stockholm, Sweden
[email protected]; www.efns.org/efns2012
10th europeAn congress on epileptology (ece)
September 30–October 4, 2012London, UK
[email protected] http://www.epilepsylondon2012.
org/
