John Hughlings Jackson and Thomas Laycock: Brain and Mind

Two historical neurology figures played huge roles in understanding functions of the brain and mind.

By E.H. Reynolds, MD FRCP FRCPsych

The place of the Yorkshireman John Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911) in the history of neurology is well documented, so much so that he has been described as the father of British neurology by Critchley and Critchley (1998). As physician to the newly established National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic at the older London Hospital, he wrote extensively on the anatomical and physiological approach to neurological diseases, cortical localization, epilepsy and the nature of the epileptic discharge, aphasia, paralysis and disorders of movement, neuro-ophthalmology, the brain as a sensorimotor machine, evolutionary neurophysiology and dissolution in neurological disease, and finally his doctrine of concomitance of the relationship of brain to mind (York and Steinberg 2006).

old painting of Thomas Laycock wearing a suit with a red scarf and holding a cane

Thomas Laycock (1812-1876). (Reprinted by kind permission of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.)

Thomas Laycock and His Influence on Jackson

The influence of Thomas Laycock (1812-1876), also a Yorkshireman, on neurology is much less well recorded or appreciated, although as Jackson’s teacher at the York Medical School from 1852-1855, he introduced him to neurology and greatly influenced his approach to brain function and diseases of the nervous system, especially through Laycock’s theory of the reflex functions of the brain, which he presented to the British Association for the Advancement of Science in York in 1844.

Laycock studied medicine at University College London (1833-1835), followed by a session at La Pitié in Paris, where he absorbed the French clinico-anatomical-physiological-pathological method, which he later imparted to Jackson. He also graduated MD at Göttingen in 1839 before returning to York as lecturer in medicine. Unlike the philosopher-physician Jackson, he was fluent in French and German and took a scientific approach to medicine, becoming statistical secretary to the British Association for the Advancement of Science from 1844.

In 1855-1856, Jackson and Laycock headed in opposite directions from York. Jackson proceeded to London to complete his medical studies and later to develop his neurological career. Laycock successfully applied for the chair of the practice of physics in Edinburgh, the first Englishman to be appointed to the most prestigious chair in medicine in the UK at that time. In addition to his teaching duties, Laycock wrote widely on general medicine, including infectious diseases and public health, but from the beginning his overriding interest was always in nervous and mental diseases. His 1840 book, An Essay on Hysteria, was noted and commended by Charcot. In 1851, he translated A Dissertation on the Functions of the Nervous System by G. Prochaska from Latin into English. In 1860, he published his magnum opus, Mind and Brain in two volumes. Based on his encyclopedic knowledge of the scientific, medical, and philosophical literature, Laycock took an evolutionary view of brain and mind and of dissolution in disease. He viewed mental diseases as diseases of brain, based on continuity between physical, vital, and mental energies. He advocated the study of medical psychology in health and insanity as fundamental to medicine, society, and culture.

Accordingly in 1859, Laycock established the first university course on medical psychology and mental diseases, for which he was additionally appointed lecturer in medical psychology and mental diseases. Earlier in 1856, he had been appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Physician to the Queen in Scotland. In 1868, he was elected president of the Medico-Psychological Association, giving his residential address in York to which Jackson traveled from London.

photo of John Hughlings Jackson

John Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911).

Jackson’s Brain/Mind Theory: Sensorimotor Machine and Concomitance

Influenced by Laycock, especially his theory of the reflex functions of the brain, Jackson continued to search for fundamental principles of nervous action. Building on Laycock’s theory, he developed his own theory in the 1870s and 1880s that the brain is exclusively a sensorimotor machine associated with his doctrine of brain/mind concomitance. He viewed the central nervous system as made up of processes of increasing degree of complexity representing impressions and movements. The whole nervous system was “a sensorimotor machine, a coordinating system from top to bottom.” Furthermore, brain and mental states are intrinsically different, occur in parallel and have no causal interaction between them. There is no physiology of the mind any more than there is a psychology of the nervous system. Thus:

“States of consciousness (or synonymously states of mind) are utterly different from nervous states of the highest center; the two things occur together, for every mental state there being a correlative nervous state; although the two things occur in parallelism, there is no interference of one with the other.”

Curiously, Jackson does not acknowledge Laycock in his own evolutionary approach to brain and mind, including dissolution in neurological disease, but instead he relies on the evolutionary philosopher, Herbert Spencer (1820-1903).

Laycock’s Brain/Mind Theory: Continuity and Unconscious Cerebration

In the meanwhile, however, Laycock had developed a different concept of the relations between brain and mind. Although both saw the brain and mind as the highest point of evolutionary development, Laycock concluded from his theory that although much of human behavior was reflex, automatic, and involuntary, some was conscious and voluntary. Thus, he opened the door to what he called “unconscious cerebration.” Furthermore, unlike Jackson, he separated “mind” from “consciousness.” For Laycock, consciousness was conscious awareness. Mind he described as an agency in man distinct from matter and organization but dependent on organization, i.e. the brain, for the due display of its effects. Mind originates motion or wills, perceives the qualities of matter, compares the perceptions and thinks. Finite minds could not perceive matter without force (energy). Finite minds transfer force. The brain is adapted; the mind is the force that adapts to ends. All mental states are reflections in our consciousness of the vital laws and forces. Mental science is linked to physics through biology and the laws of life.

Jackson, on the other hand, considered consciousness and mind to be synonymous terms. He never defined “mind,” although he considered the brain and perhaps the whole body to be “the organ of mind.” He struggled with the concept of unconscious states of mind, which he considered a contradiction and rejected. Whereas Laycock envisaged higher centers in the brain serving instincts, feelings, knowledge, and reason, Jackson claimed that it was impossible to locate mental function because the nervous system is exclusively sensorimotor. Although mental disease may be present, he viewed its nature as beyond the purview of medical science.

Conclusions

Laycock was the primary and most significant influence on Jackson’s interests and approach to diseases of the nervous system. Jackson’s view of the brain as an exclusively sensorimotor machine and his doctrine of concomitance of brain and mind were founded on Laycock’s theory of the reflex actions of the brain. Laycock, however, moved on, separated mind from consciousness and viewed his reflex theory as opening the door to unconscious and conscious brain activity, both of which Jackson rejected. Laycock considered mind to be causally linked to the brain through physics and biology and urged the study of mind in health and insanity through medical science.

In Edinburgh, he taught a distinguished generation of neurologists and psychiatrists, including Sir James Crichton-Browne and Sir David Ferrier, who together with Jackson, who Laycock had earlier taught in York, were three of the four founders of the journal Brain in 1878. Laycock’s brain/mind concepts are nearer to current concepts than those of Jackson, and he would have approved of the modern neuroscientific approach to mental illness, which he first promoted. For many reasons, Jackson is rightly respected as a seminal influence on neurology. Laycock, however, is a rather neglected figure, although his views of brain, mind, and disease are nearer to our modern concepts than those of Jackson. If Jackson is the father of British neurology, Laycock has some claim to be considered father of British neuropsychiatry.

Another version of this text will be published in the newsletter of the History of Psychiatry Section of the Royal College of Psychiatrist in London.


References.

Critchley M, Critchley EA. John Hughlings Jackson, Father of English Neurology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Laycock T. Reflex, automatic, and unconscious cerebration: A history and a criticism. J Ment Sci 1876; 21: 477-498

Reynolds E.H. John Hughlings Jackson and Thomas Laycock: Brain and Mind. Brain 2020; 143: 711-714

York GK, Steinberg DA. An Introduction to the Life and Work of John Hughlings Jackson with a catalogue raisonné of his writings. Medical History, supplement No. 26. London: The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, 2006.

Report of the EFNR-WFNR Eastern Europe Regional Meeting in Conjunction with the Bistrița Clinical Neuroscience Conference and Report of the National Neurology Forum

By Dafin F. Muresanu

The EFNR-WFNR Eastern Europe Regional Meeting in conjunction with the Bistrița Clinical Neuroscience Conference, took place March 31-April 1, 2023, in Bistrița, Romania. This significant academic gathering was held in a hybrid format and featured esteemed experts from various fields discussing potential advancements in neurorehabilitation. The event was jointly organized by the European Federation of Neurorehabilitation Societies (EFNR), the World Federation for Neurorehabilitation (WFNR), the County Council of Bistrița-Năsăud, and the County Clinical Emergency Hospital Bistrița. It received support from multiple organizations, such as the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), Foundation of the Society for the Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), the Foundation for the Study of Nanoneurosciences and Neuroregeneration (FSNN), the Romanian Academy, and the Romanian Society of Neurology (SNR).

EFNR-WFNR Eastern Europe Regional Meeting

The event attracted over 150 participants from Eastern Europe, making it a remarkable success. World-renowned experts gathered to discuss a diverse range of topics, including post-stroke neurorecovery, cognitive decline after stroke, pharmacology in functional recovery, clinical case studies, traumatic brain injury treatment developments, effective stroke recovery, motivation in neurorehabilitation, innovation and sustainability, early rehabilitation after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral vein and dural sinuses thrombosis, autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease, immunomodulatory treatment for multiple sclerosis, complex management of adult SMA patients, neurorehabilitation peculiarities in multiple sclerosis, and computer-assisted and robotic neurorehabilitation for stroke patients. Prof. Dafin F. Muresanu, EFNR president, and Prof. Volker Hömberg, WFNR president, led the scientific event, with experts from around the world sharing their knowledge on various neurorehabilitation subjects. As a special guest of the event, Prof. Wolfgang Grisold joined online for the opening ceremony to express his support of EFNR-WFNR initatives and congratulate both societies for the efforts.The regional meeting emphasized international viewpoints on current topics while showcasing national experiences and perspectives from countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. During the March 31st meeting, the current state of neurorehabilitation in Eastern Europe was discussed. This specialized gathering aimed to present the health care systems and neurorehabilitation specifics of these countries, focusing on strategies to overcome limitations and improve neurorehabilitation approaches.

The objective of the event was to develop a joint action plan and extend the educational outreach and network of WFNR and EFNR. Another goal was to establish institutional partnerships among National Rehabilitation Societies.

The EFNR-WFNR Eastern Europe Regional Meeting, combined with the Bistrița Clinical Neuroscience Conference, served as a unique forum for knowledge exchange.

The National Neurology Forum 2023: Patients, Doctors, Authorities, Industry—Together for the Future of Neurology

The Romanian National Neurology Forum emerged as a distinctive and unparalleled event in the realm of neurological science, transcending toward policy the knowledge shared at the Annual Congress of the Neurological Society in Romania. Convening at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest on April 21 and 22, the forum captivated over 350 participants, both in person and virtually, engaging in thought-provoking debates on pressing issues in national health care. Unlike traditional scientific conferences, the event focused on pinpointing the most effective strategies to surmount the common obstacles encountered within the Romanian Health Care System, providing valuable insights into public policy to facilitate national health care reforms.

The forum was organized by Prof. Dr. Dafin Muresanu, president of the European Federation of Neurorehabilitation Societies, Prof. Dr. Cristina Tiu, president of the Romanian Neurology Society, and Prof. Dr. Bogdan O. Popescu, prorector at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila Bucharest). Coordinated by the Foundation of the Society for the Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), the Ministry of Health, the Romanian Society of Neurology (SNR), Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Bucharest, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Cluj-Napoca, and George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology from Targu-Mures, the event featured an array of topics, from neurology and associated specialties, such as neurosurgery, cardiology, diabetes and nutritional diseases, and physical and rehabilitation medicine. Officials from public authorities, universities of medicine and pharmacy, and national and international professional societies were present at the scientific proceedings, including Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Grisold, president of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), Prof. Dr. Volker Hömberg, president of the World Federation for Neurorehabilitation (WFNR), and Prof. Dr. Alexandru Rafila, minister of health Romania.

The event highlighted the National Strategy for Combating Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases (SNBCC) as its central focus. Announced by Health Minister Prof. Dr. Alexandru Rafila in the autumn of 2022 and developed under the aegis of the Romanian Academy, the SNBCC is a central element of the 2023-2030 National Health Strategy. The scope of the policy is to improve health care approaches for the Romanian population by implementing a comprehensive reformative plan in the field of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Furthermore, the objectives include assessing the impact of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases on the Romanian population, developing prevention programs, advancing the domain of human resources specializing in interventional neurology, increasing access to neurorehabilitation services, and expanding the national network for stroke intervention.

Panel discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the implications of SNBCC for the Romanian health care system, the importance of prevention in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, cognitive impairment and dementia, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neurological diseases, neuro-oncology, and headaches and migraine. Each panel provided comprehensive approaches to understanding and addressing the various aspects of neurological conditions and health care. Discussions also emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration among the private and public sectors and authorities, converging toward the common goal of improved education and communication of public health knowledge.

The National Forum aimed to gather scientific insights from international health care systems to provide a comparative framework for future systematic guidelines. Moreover, the event provided ample opportunities for networking among medical professionals, researchers, patient association representatives, central public authorities, medical societies, and medical equipment producers and traders.


Dafin F. Muresanu is president of the European Federation of NeuroRehabilitation Societies (EFNR), secretary general AMN (Academy for Multidisciplinary Neurotraumatology), past president of the Romanian Society of Neurology, and professor of neurology, chair of the department of neurosciences at “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

WFN Educational Days

Update on e-Learning opportunities.

By Riadh Gouider, Wolfgang Grisold, Steven Lewis, and Imen Kacem

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) has been working with regional organizations and with a collaboration of other international organizations to create free e-learning days for neurologists, residents in neurology, and other health care professionals around the world.

The concept of these one-day educational events was boosted by the situation caused by COVID-19 pandemic, which suspended face-to-face conferences and regional teaching courses. The idea was to focus on one region, but also open the event to worldwide participation. The participation is free but registration is necessary.

The creation of these e-Learning days began with the African Region and was organized jointly with the African Academy of Neurology (AFAN).

The inaugural e-Learning Day, First WFN-AFAN e-Learning Day, took place Oct. 10, 2020. The theme was “Stroke: A Treatable and Preventable Disease,” with the collaboration of the World Stroke Organization (WSO), the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Among those who registered, 576 participants from 60 countries participated in the event, with 513 participants from 31 African countries.

It was followed by the Second WFN-AFAN e-Learning Day, which took place on Nov. 6, 2021, and the overarching theme was epilepsy. The EAN, AAN, and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) provided support for this educational event.  The participation rate reached 48.5% of the registrations. Participants from 88 countries, including 33 African countries, attended the e-learning day.

The Third WFN-AFAN e-Learning Day was held Nov. 3, 2022. The event covered a number of topics on the theme of “Movement Disorders.” The Movement Disorders Society (MDS), AAN, and the EAN collaborated on this event. There were 514 attendees from 84 countries who participated in the event worldwide, with 334 participants from 30 African countries.

This year, the Fourth WFN-AFAN e-Learning Day will take place Saturday,  Dec. 2, 2023, and will focus on neuropathies with the support of the AAN, EAN, the International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases (ICNMD), and the Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS).

These interactive e-learning days consist of a one-day program, primarily in English conferences, and with French parallel sessions, with the participation of local and international speakers.

In addition to the successful WFN-AFAN days, for three consecutive years, the WFN and AFAN have been jointly organizing, with the International Headache Society (IHS) and the Global Patient Advocacy Coalition (IHS-GPAC), educational days on the diagnosis, management, and support of patients with headache. The aim is to improve the knowledge of practitioners in Africa and to raise their awareness of headache disorders, hoping to contribute to improving the management of headache disorders on this continent.

The first Education in Headache to Health Care Providers in Africa (EHHPA) was conducted over two days (Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, and Saturday Sept. 4, 2021), with one parallel French conference on the first day and two parallel French conferences on the second day. The total number of attendees reached 498 participants from 71 countries with 65% of the participants from 32 African countries.

The Second Annual EHHPA, a one-day event, was held Saturday, May 14,  2022. It complemented the first one by focusing on the management and support of primary headache, with a focus on non-pharmacological management options, as well as the importance and strategy of advocacy for headache disorders.

The number of parallel French sessions increased to six parallel French conferences. 310 participants attended the Second Annual EHHPA hosted 310 participants of which 170 were neurologists and residents in neurology.

French parallel session

In 2023, the Third Annual EHHPA will be held Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Two parallel French sessions are scheduled, with three conferences each.

Registration is open now.

Following this successful pattern, the First WFN-AOAN e-Learning Day will be co-organized with the Asian and Oceanian Association of Neurology (AOAN), and have as the theme Advancing Stroke Care in Asia. This first Asian e-Learning Day is being planned for Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023 with the collaboration of the World Stroke Organization (WSO), the Asia Pacific Stroke Organization (APSO), and the World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation (WFNR).

These successful e-Learning activities are highly practical for neurologists and other health care professionals all over the globe to improve their neurological skills and practice. They play an important role within the mission of WFN, which is to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide.

For more information and updates, visit the WFN website.

The Nominating Committee

Raad Shakir

Raad Shakir

By Prof. Raad Shakir

This committee is the backbone of the federation.  Although the WFN trustees form the nominating committee, it functions outside their direct control.  This is crucial as its decisions form the basis of the future leadership and function of the organization. The idea of an independent committee to search, approve, suggest, and nominate appropriate future leaders is not unique to the World Federation. The composition of the Nominating Committee has to be representative of the whole WFN across the globe.

Historically, the Nominating Committee started in earnest in 1965 following the retirement of the WFN first president Ludo van Bogaert. The first meeting was in Vienna under the chairmanship of Helmuth Tschabitscher (Austria), the recommendation was to propose Macdonald Critchley as WFN’s second president. 

Currently, a chair and six members form the Nominating Committee. The members are from the six WFN regions.  The committee functions are laid out in the WFN memorandum and articles of association. Article 6 states the functions of the committee are to “choose a list of candidates” for all positions and publish the list to all member societies.

The Nominating Committee is also instructed to “solicit” nominations for officers and trustees by approaching them directly.  This is done to balance the composition of the trustees in the WFN.  It is vital that, as much as possible, all the six regions of the world are represented and any duplication or “dominance” of any region is not allowed to occur, if at all possible.  There has been a time when one region or even one country has been overrepresented, but this should be the exception and not the rule.

The list of candidates agreed by the Nominating Committee is published on the WFN website and World Neurology six months prior to the Council of Delegates meeting and further names may be added (subject to review by the Nominating Committee) if submitted by five or more approved delegates at least 30 days prior to the date of the council vote.

In selecting candidates, their professional status, contribution to the WFN, and future commitment to growth and development of the WFN are paramount.

The Nominating Committee has to consider geography and gender in all its considerations.  The committee can supplement applicants, as it deems appropriate.  This will eventually be subject to the WFN Council of Delegates vote.

It is quite possible that some candidates meet the guidelines, but for a variety of reasons cannot be shortlisted by the Nominating Committee. This exclusion does not in any way reflect their unsuitability.

The committee’s proceedings and decision-making process is held in private to avoid any outside pressures and influences. It is understood that regions and delegates canvas for their preferred candidates, and this is acceptable as long as it falls outside the Nominating Committee’s structure and function.

These rigorous criteria and procedures have evolved since the inception of the WFN and continue to serve the organization, ensuring its integrity and inclusivity. •


Prof. Raad Shakir CBE FRCP is a past president and current chair of the Nominating Committee of the WFN.

Candidate Statements

Candidates

(Click on each name for their candidate statement.)

Treasurer to take office Jan. 1, 2024

  1. Prof. Marianne de Visser (The Netherlands)
  2. Prof. Barbara Tettenborn (Switzerland)
  3. Morris Freedman* (Canada)

Elected Trustee to take office immediately after the COD Meeting

  1. Dr. Lawrence Tucker (South Africa)
  2. Dr. Mohammed Wasay (Pakistan)
  3. Dr. Tissa Wijeratne (Sri Lanka / Australia)

* This is an additional candidate nominated under Article 6.3 of the constitution (nominated by five member societies). All other candidates are by recommendation of the WFN Nominations Committee.

Candidate Statement for Treasurer: Marianne de Visser

Marianne de Visser

Marianne de Visser

My name is Marianne de Visser. I am an adult neurologist and (emeritus) Professor of Neuromuscular Diseases at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

I would like to apply for the position of treasurer.

I have been committed to the good cause of the WFN for several decades. I have served under inspiring presidents. First, as a delegate on behalf of the Netherlands Society of Neurology, subsequently as an elected trustee under the late Presidents Jun Kimura and Johan Aarli. Under Bill Carroll’s presidency, I was chair of the Nominating Committee, and most recently, co-opted trustee. President Wolfgang Grisold appointed me as chair of the Membership Committee and chair of the Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

I have witnessed the growth of WFN. The increasing membership, but also the expanding role of the WFN in several impactful initiatives worldwide, are clear signs of leadership.

The close collaboration with the WHO has borne fruit for neurology.

One example is the Neurology Atlas, showing the country resources for neurological disorders. The data highlight that while the burden of neurological disorders is disproportionately high in low- and middle-income countries, health care services and resources are often scarce. The main project presently is the implementation of the intersectoral action plan for epilepsy and other neurological disorders, IGAP, which was approved at the World Health Assembly in May 2022, and has a time of 10 years for the duration of the program. It focuses on advocacy, treatment, prevention, research, innovation, and public health awareness, and is meant to implement neurology in all countries of the world.

The WFN puts many efforts in fulfilling its mission: “Fostering quality neurology and brain health worldwide.” One example is by organizing the World Brain Day, together with the six regional societies. World Brain Day is an extremely successful recurring event on July 22. This year, World Brain Day focuses on Brain Health and Disability: Leave No One Behind, conveying five important messages: Awareness, Prevention, Advocacy, Education, and Access.

Several WFN Programs focus on education, in particular aimed at residents and early career neurologists. This year, we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of WFN training centers, which provide one-year fellowships but also four-year residency programs. Another great success is the department visit program which enables an exchange of experiences and practices and also creates an opportunity to create an academic network for future cooperation.

At the beginning of his term, President Grisold stated that the WFN will need to take diversity, equity, and inclusion into consideration in its strategy, that the needs of early career neurologists require specific attention and action, and a platform for patient organizations should be installed in the WFN infrastructure. I embrace those initiatives, and I am fully committed to serve the WFN as treasurer to make those initiatives to a success in close collaboration with the trustees and the indispensable colleagues from the Head Office. •

Candidate Statement for Treasurer: Barbara Tettenborn

Barbara Tettenborn

Barbara Tettenborn

My name is Barbara Tettenborn. I am professor of neurology in Switzerland and Germany with both citizenships. I was born in Halle/Saale in East Germany, spent my later childhood and youth in West Berlin, studied medicine in Germany, England, and Ireland, and passed my neurological residency at the University Hospital in Mainz in Germany (Head of Department Prof. H.C. Hopf) followed by a stroke fellowship with Prof. L.R. Caplan in Boston in the United States.

I am a general neurologist with special interests in epilepsy, stroke, sports neurology, and brain health. After more than five years as vice chair of the department of neurology in Mainz, I was elected as head of the department of neurology in St. Gallen, Switzerland, in October 1999, and kept this position until my retirement in March 2023. I am still affiliated with the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz as professor of neurology continuing to give lectures and teaching courses on a regular basis. I am a member of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) as editor-in-chief of e-Learning. Together with a great team from the EAN and the editorial board, we built up the new e-Learning platform in 2021/2022, which was launched at the EAN annual meeting in Vienna last summer.

Regarding my experience in administrative boards:

  • I was member of the board of the Swiss Neurological Society for more than eight years and treasurer of the Swiss Federation of Clinical Neuro-Societies for more than four years until the end of 2022.
  • I served as a member of the administrative board at the hospital in St. Gallen for four years.
  • I am president of the Swiss League against Epilepsy and president of the organization Women in Neurology (WIN) Switzerland.
  • I am vice president of the scientific board of highly specialized medicine in Switzerland. My special research interests are epilepsy in the elderly, seizures due to vascular lesions, new antiepileptic drugs, vertebrobasilar ischemia, gender aspects in neurology, and sports neurology.
  • I am author and co-author of numerous publications and editor and co-editor of several textbooks of neurology, including “Paroxysmal Disorders in Neurology”’ and “Sport as Prevention and Therapy of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders.”

Neurology is not only my profession, but also my first and most favorite hobby, my second hobby being sports, especially triathlon and mountaineering. I like to cooperate and communicate with people and to encourage especially the next generation. Being recently retired from my position as head of department gives me the time and energy to take on new tasks. I have quite a lot of experience in administrative positions and political communication, including the position of treasurer of a large national society for several years.

It would be a great honor for me to serve the World Federation of Neurology as treasurer, and I promise to put all my energy, enthusiasm, time, and effort into this position in order to help to give neurology as much worldwide visibility and impact as possible. 

Candidate Statement for Treasurer: Morris Freedman*

Morris Freedman

Morris Freedman

I am honored to be nominated for WFN treasurer. This position comes with great responsibility to the WFN and its member societies, and requires in-depth knowledge of the WFN, as well as the experience, judgment, ethical character, equitable approach, and transparency, which are essential for managing the WFN’s finances. Moreover, in the currently uncertain financial times, serving as treasurer requires vision for creating novel approaches to maximize the WFN’s financial assets.

I believe that I bring the above qualities to the position of treasurer. I have been actively involved with the WFN since 2007, when I started by serving as the Canadian delegate, and I have continued to serve the WFN up to the present. I am now completing my second term as elected trustee. I am also chair of the innovative e-Learning Subcommittee of the Education Committee, and served as chair of the Membership Committee, member of the Education Committee, and co-chair of the eLearning Task Force together with Prof. Riadh Gouider. I also served as president of the Canadian Neurological Society and president of the Canadian Congress of Neurological Sciences. I also served as secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Neurological Society and Canadian Congress of Neurological Sciences.

We need new strategies to ensure the financial security of the WFN. The WFN’s mission is to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide. If elected as WFN treasurer, I will use my skills in innovation to advance this mission, which is dear to the heart of people all over the world, by developing a mechanism to raise funds from donors across the world. The goal will be to generate financial support to significantly expand the implementation of the WFN mission, especially as applied to middle- and low-income countries where the need is greatest—and to do this in a way that is sustainable.

An example of my track record in innovation relates to my international leadership role in neurological education. I spearheaded the concept of the WFN e-Learning Hub, which will serve as an electronic library to access recorded educational materials from leading sites all over the world through links available on the WFN website. Thus, the WFN website will be the “go-to” place where health care professionals across the world can easily access a broad spectrum of educational videos.

I have a vision, a clear sense of direction, and the necessary personal qualities, as well as the focus and determination to serve as WFN treasurer in a way that will honor the tradition of this very important role, ensure the financial security of the WFN, and introduce innovation in generating financial support to significantly enhance implementation of the WFN mission. This will require extensive collaboration within the WFN, as well as with people with diverse needs and across many countries. Those who know me say that I am an excellent team player, organizer, and innovator, and that I am highly responsible, ethical, equitable, and fully transparent. These qualities are essential for serving as WFN treasurer. I hope that I have your support. •

* This is an additional candidate nominated under Article 6.3 of the constitution (nominated by five member societies). All other candidates are by recommendation of the WFN Nominations Committee.

Candidate Statement for elected Trustee: Lawrence Tucker

Lawrence Tucker

Lawrence Tucker

It is an immense honor to be nominated for the position of WFN trustee.

After completing a laboratory-based, neuroscience PhD in Cambridge as a young doctor in 1993, I returned to train as a neurologist in sub-Saharan Africa where neurologists to general population average one per five million. I now head of neurology at Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town’s Neuroscience Institute. I am president of the College of Neurologists of South Africa and past president of the Neurological Association of South Africa. I also sit on the boards of various other national, neurological, professional, and academic bodies

I am a general neurologist with an interest in epilepsy, but my passions lie in the advancement of neurological education, training, clinical practice, and advocacy, especially in resource constrained environments. Little surprise, then, that working with the WFN over the past decade has been a privilege and source of great personal fulfilment. I have been a WFN delegate for almost a decade and served on many WFN committees (core education, grants, public awareness and advocacy, RTC, e-Learning, 2023 WCN, and finance). In these and other roles, it has been a pleasure and honor to interact with esteemed WFN colleagues, including four presidents, trustees, and many other office bearers.

I am grateful to the WFN for providing me with opportunities to pursue its mission. For example, using WFN seed sponsorship, our Cape Town group developed an intensive, annual, 6-month, distance learning program for electroencephalography training, which has enrolled well over 1,000 neurology residents and neurologists, predominantly from lower and middle income countries during the past seven years. However, I regard working closely with the WFN and African colleagues to establish the African Academy of Neurology (AFAN) in Dakar (2017), and setting up the Cape Town WFN Regional Training Center (2019) as two particularly significant personal achievements.

Since its inception, I have been treasurer, vice president and, most recently, president-elect of AFAN, which is now well-established and collaborates with the WFN and other international, regional, and national bodies globally to promote neurology in Africa. Among other activities, AFAN runs biennial congresses and, jointly with the WFN, virtual annual e-Learning days and advocacy programmes.

The Cape Town WFN regional training center (RTC), which I head, is the only Anglophone WFN RTC in the southern hemisphere. It offers career neurology training, as well as clinical fellowships (in stroke, epilepsy, neuroinfection, neuromuscular disorders, and clinical neurophysiology) for neurologists practicing in lower and middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

If elected as trustee, I will continue to work with WFN colleagues toward our organization’s goal of quality neurology for all. This will involve strengthening established collaborations with national, regional, and international organizations, including the WHO; expanding the WFN’s existing and already successful educational, e-Learning, visiting fellowship and RTC programs; and supporting new, inclusive initiatives between the global north and south to promote the WFN’s mission in Africa, South and Central America, Asia, Oceania, and all regions in the world where neurologists and neurological expertise remain scarce. •

Candidate Statement for Elected Trustee: Mohammad Wasay

Mohammad Wasay

Mohammad Wasay

I am currently Alicharan Endowed Professor of Neurology at Aga Khan University Karachi, past president of the Pakistan Society of Neurology and Pakistan Stroke Society, president of the Neurology Awareness and Research Foundation and distinguished scholar of COMSTECH (OIC). I have also served as a director of World Stroke Organization (WSO) and am currently serving as fellow of Pakistan Academy of Sciences and Secretary of the Environmental Neurology Speciality Group (ENSG) and member global policy committee for WSO. I was recently elected as fellow of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).

I have worked with WFN for more than a decade as an active neurology advocate and researcher from South Asia. I was trained at Palatucci Forum, and then received Advocacy Leader of the Year Award by American Academy of Neurology for my global advocacy contributions. I served as chair of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) Advocacy Committee for four years. This committee was instrumental in starting and organizing World Brain Day activities and promoting brain health across the globe. We organized many advocacy workshops and teaching courses during the Asian Oceanian Association of Neurology conferences, Asian Pacific Stroke Conference, and World Congress of Neurology.

I established a network of neurology training and research in Kenya, Tanzania, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. We established the Asian stroke network with more than 20 centers in 10 Asian countries. Currently, I am leading an initiative to establish the OIC Neurology Academy to promote neurological acre and training in developing Islamic countries. Recently, I have been appointed as chair of the specialty groups committee by the WFN president. As secretary of Environmental Neurology Specialty Group (ENSRG), I have organized many educational and awareness activities related to environment and neurological diseases.

I have trained more than 50 neurologists under my supervision. I have published more than 238 papers in peer-reviewed medical journals with impressive publications metrics (IF: 676; citations=6700, H-index 39 and I10 index 95). I have received many awards, including the Teachers Recognition Award by American Academy of Neurology, Gold Medal by Pakistan Academy of Medical Sciences, Gold Medal by Pakistan Academy of Sciences and Research productivity awards by Pakistan Council of Science and Technology. I have received 29 research and training grants (intramural and extra mural) as PI and co-PI. I have been an invited speaker at more than 130 conferences in 73 countries.

The growing burden of neurological diseases in the world has established WFN as an important stakeholder in global health. The WHO has recently approved an intersectoral action plan for promotion of neurological care, training, and advocacy across globe. We plan to promote brain health as a top agenda for WHO and United Nations. There is an inequity in neurology training and care across the globe. South Asia, Central Asia, and Africa should be a center point for our future interventions. As an expert in stroke from south Asia, active role in the World Federation of Neurology and World Stroke Organization, I could be a useful member of this global task force. •