By Vida Demarin, MD, PhD, FAAN, FAHA, FESO
55th INPC Opening Ceremony.
The 55th International Neuropsychiatric Congress (INPC) May 27-30 in Pula, Croatia, was held under the auspices of the president of the Republic of Croatia, her excellency Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic.
The organizer of the congress is the Society for Neuropsychiatry, and the co-organizers are the department of medical sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Central and Eastern European Stroke Society.
The Congress was endorsed by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), European Academy of Neurology, WFN Applied Research Group on the Organization and Delivery of Care, European Psychiatric Association and Croatian Stroke Society. The main sponsors of the congress were the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, City of Graz, City of Pula and Istria County. There were more than 350 participants from Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, the Czech Republic, Croatia, China, Greece, Iran, Italy, Ireland, Hungary, Macedonia, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Slovenia, Serbia, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.
From left: Prof. Hrvoje Hecimovic; Prof. Vida Demarin, INPC president; and Prof. Raad Shakir, WFN president.
The congress kicked off with an academic lecture on “WFN: The Way Ahead,” given by our special guest, Prof. Raad Shakir, president of the WFN. The main theme was “Highlights in Neurology — What Have We Learned in the Last 55 Years” in stroke, post-stroke depression, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, headache and pain and neurorehabilitation, presented by experts in the field, Professors Franz Fazekas, Kurt Niederkorn, Francesco Paladin, Wai Kwong Tang, Vesna Å eric and Vida Demarin.
Main topics in psychiatry were “Evolutionary Perspectives in Psychopathology” and “Controversies and News in Psychiatry,” organized by Prof. Karl Bechter and Francesco Benedetti. There were also numerous symposia, in particular: Challenging Child and Adolescent in Modern Society, Fourth European Summer School of Psychopathology, International Sports Psychiatry Meeting, Eighth International Symposium on Epilepsy, Fourth Symposium on the Interface Providers in Neurorehabilitation, Symposium on the Activities of the Association of Public Health Andrija Å tampar, and symposia about stress management and acute stroke treatment.
Joint meetings with Alps-Adria Neuroscience Section, WFN Applied Research Group on the Organization and Delivery of Care, and Central and Eastern European Stroke Society, chaired by Professors Leontino Battistin and Vida Demarin on the current status of stroke management in the region and on perspectives and new approaches in neurorehabilitation, also were organized as a part of the INPC. Prof. Anna Czlonkowska from Warsaw gave a special lecture on Wilson’s Disease, with original data from their registry.
During the congress, there were 66 lectures within 14 symposia, which were given by 55 lecturers from around the world, and a poster session with many interesting posters. Awards for best posters were given by the City of Graz and by INPC Kuratorium.
We are proud of this unique congress, being one with the longest traditions in the world. During the past 55 years, INPC has become a beloved place of meeting, a venue for continuing education in topics of neurology, psychiatry and related disciplines, and a point of scientific and professional exchange of experience for a large number of scientists and professionals from all over the world, continuing on the original idea of sciences and humanity. We hope to keep this success in the upcoming years.
