World Brain Day 2021: Stop Multiple Sclerosis

A collaboration between the World Federation of Neurology and Multiple Sclerosis International Federation

By Tissa Wijeratne, Wolfgang Grisold, Rachel King, William Carroll

Wolfgang Grisold

Tissa Wijeratne

World Brain Day (WBD) was launched in 2014. Since then, the WFN, jointly with other international societies, such as International League Against Epilepsy, World Stroke Organization, the International Headache Society, and the Movement Disorders Society chooses a topic with a view to drive home the importance of brain health and promoting better neurological care globally.

Based on this background, the WFN chose the topic of multiple sclerosis jointly with the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) as the topic for WBD 2021. As in preceding WBDs (https://wfneurology.org/world-brain-day-past-years), the aim of WBD 2021 is to alert not only its member societies but also the public on critical neurological issues. The member societies of the WFN will receive a “tool kit,” templates for press releases and also educational PowerPoint presentation sets to assist in their local activity to promote WBD and advocate for patients with MS and their caregivers.

Rachel King

William Carroll, MD

Local press conferences, press coverages (including print, electronic, radio, TV, YouTube channels) are strongly encouraged to reach the public.

Let us spread the key messages from WBD 2021: Stop Multiple Sclerosis through mainstream media, social media platforms, and local, regional, national and international meetings throughout the year. Please see and share our new logo, the web banners, social media images, and other educational material in your country.  We invite our readers to rally around WBD 2021 with the aim to stop multiple sclerosis.

Please make the World Brain day 2021 campaign Stop Multiple Sclerosis an important priority. The educational and promotional material from the WFN-MSIF collaboration will help you to be the best advocates for your patients with multiple sclerosis and their caregivers. •

 

Key Message

World Brain Day (WBD) 2021, jointly with the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF).

Get on board now; let’s spread the news through mainstream media, social media platforms, national and international meetings throughout the year.

Arrange virtual educational, advocacy activities concerning “STOP Multiple Sclerosis (MS),” World Brain Day 2021 campaign in your community, hospital, village, city-region throughout the year.

Contact the World Brain Day team through the WFN website for ongoing support.

The educational and promotional material from the WFN-MSIF collaboration will help you advocate for your patients with MS.

 

Five Key Facts

Disability: Multiple sclerosis can be a debilitating neurological disease that impacts every aspect of a person’s life, with effects ranging from cognitive impairment to significant physical disability.

Prevalence: 2.8 million people of all ages globally are affected by MS, and someone receives this life-altering diagnosis every five minutes.

Education: We must work with health care professionals to recognize the signs and symptoms of MS so people can be diagnosed early and effectively treated.

Access to Treatment: Disease-modifying treatments slow disease progression, dramatically improving the quality of life for those living with MS, yet access to these medications is unavailable in many parts of the world.

Advocacy: We can stop MS by diagnosing earlier, providing better access to life-changing treatments, and advocating for improving the quality of life for those living with MS and their caregivers.

 

Brief Update on Cancer and Neurotoxicity

By Stefan Oberndorfer, MD, Prof, FEAN

Cancer is one of the most important conditions in human health, and due to longer life expectation and improved therapies, survival in cancer patients is also increasing. This has several implications in the management of cancer patients as the longer survival changes the “natural” course of many tumors.

The nervous system, consisting of the brain, spinal cord, the peripheral, and autonomic system is exposed to direct and indirect damage by cancer, which are not only metastatic, but also metabolic, endocrine, inflammatory, and paraneoplastic. In the past decades, besides hematotoxicity, neurotoxicity (for instance, chemotherapy-induced polyneuropathy) was one of the most frequent side effects of anticancer treatment. In recent years, the profile of side effects from cancer therapy is changing from the classical, often dose-related toxicity toward side effects predominantly based on immune mechanisms.

Side effects from these new therapies, including molecular and immunological mechanisms, induce neurological phenomena affecting the brain, spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system. In clinical practice, the distinction between direct cancer effects, side effects of classical and “newer” therapies, or other cancer effects need to be thoroughly discriminated. This discrimination has a major impact on the therapeutic and diagnostic management of cancer patients.

Conversely to the classic concept of direct damage (e.g. surgery), or toxicity (and chemotherapy), targeted and immune therapies present with an entirely new spectrum of side effects. In clinical practice, where the patient may be affected with tumor progression, concomitant diseases, infections, and side effects of conventional therapies, these emerging therapies pose an additional factor and need to be classified as distinct neurological syndromes.

For the clinical neurologist and neuro-oncologist, it seems sometimes challenging to catch up with all the new anticancer treatments, even with a focus on neurological side effects. Each year, an amazing number of new drugs appear that have been evaluated for toxicity in early phase 1 and 2 trials, and during the registration process. However, their effect in the medium- and long-terms is uncertain, and clinicians are challenged by monitoring these patients.

Recent developments in medical oncology, for example, the therapeutic “revolution” in many cancer types induced by checkpoint inhibitors, show a completely new spectrum of neurological complications such as autoimmune encephalitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and myasthenic syndromes. A complete summary of “classical” and “newer” neurotoxicity of anticancer treatment can be found in the book “Side Effects of Anticancer Treatment, co-edited by this author, with many international contributors, focusing on therapy related effects, and providing pragmatic guidance for the differential diagnosis from neoplastic and other causes.

Adequate and immediate response to autoimmune phenomena caused by checkpoint inhibitors (dose reduction, immunosuppression) is crucial for oncologic and neurological outcome. At the same time, symptomatic therapies of neurological side effects have to be applied.  Another example is neuropathic pain, which may be caused by direct or indirect effects of cancer and also as a side effect of therapy. Other examples for the need of symptomatic therapies are disorders of coordination, cognitive disorders, seizures, weakness, which need the expertise of neuro-oncology.

Due to the rapid progress in molecular pathology and genetics, the borders of tumor entities blur and the spectrum of anticancer treatment will become more colourful and personalized in the future. The conventional approach based on surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy will be increasingly complemented by the concepts of targeted therapies and immune therapies, which will increasingly result in a new spectrum of side effects. •

Prof. Oberndorfer is head of the department of neurology at the University Clinic St. Pölten in Austria.

Reference

Grisold W, Soffietti R, Oberndorfer S, Guido Cavaletti (eds): Effects of cancer treatment on the nervous system. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020–2021, Volumes 1 and 2

Cape Town WFN Training Center: The First Two Years

By Lawrence Tucker, MB ChB

Lawrence Tucker

In 2019, Groote Schuur and Tygerberg Hospitals in Cape Town, South Africa, were jointly recognized as the only WFN-accredited, anglophone Regional Training Center (RTC) in sub-Saharan Africa; and one of only four such WFN RTCs on the African continent. It comprises the divisions of neurology of the universities of Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch as well as the Neurology Research Group at the newly established UCT Neuroscience Institute (http://www.neuroscience.uct.ac.za).

Dr. Desmond Koffie

The Cape Town RTC is widely recognized for the quality of its clinical training, commitment to clinical excellence, and meaningful neuroscience research in the African context. This month, Dr. Desmond Koffie, a Ghanian physician, will become the first WFN-sponsored resident to enroll for the four-year career neurology training program in Cape Town. He will join 14 fellow neurology residents from South Africa, Uganda, Libya, Mauritus, and Tanzania on the rotation. Recent graduates from Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique have returned to practice neurology in their home countries, resulting in an active network of neurologists across sub-Sahara Africa centered on this RTC.

Groote Schuur Hospital

The Cape Town RTC training program is uniquely placed to provide trainees with an opportunity to diagnose and manage, under expert supervision, a broad spectrum of communicable and non-communicable neurological pathology, while providing comprehensive training in EEG, NCS, and EMG, which includes both “over the shoulder” and Web-based instruction. Over the past two years, more than 500 neurologists, neurology residents, and neurotechnologists from across Africa and beyond have enrolled for the intensive, six-month, EEGonline distance learning program developed at Cape Town’s RTC with seed funding from the WFN (http://studyeegonline.com).

Neurology residents

As from this year, in addition to career neurology resident training, Cape Town will offer one-year, self-funded or independently sponsored clinical fellowships in epilepsy (including epilepsy surgery), infectious neurology, stroke, and neuromuscular disease. These fellowships are primarily aimed at recently qualified neurologists from sub-Saharan Africa (http://www.neuroscience.uct.ac.za/noticeboard/opportunities).

 

Lawrence Tucker is head of the division of neurology at the University of Cape Town. Dr. Tucker has had three terms as President of the Neurological Association of South Africa and two terms as President of the College of Neurologists of South Africa.

Brain Health Initiative in India

By Drs. Chandrashekhar Meshram, JMK Murthy, Nirmal Surya and U. Meenakshisundaram.

The Tropical and Geographical Neurology Specialty Group of the WFN joined hands with the Indian Academy of Neurology (IAN) to celebrate the Brain Health initiative on Jan. 11, 2021, to raise awareness for the importance of brain health.

A public education and awareness activity in the form of a panel discussion was planned through virtual meeting. The theme of the session was brain health and what happens if brains are not healthy. Dr. Chandrashekhar Meshram, chief coordinator of the program, released the press note.

Dr. JMK Murthy, president of Indian Academy of Neurology and clinical director and chair of the Department of Neurology, CARE Hospitals Hyderabad, inaugurated the event.

Dr. Meshram, in his introductory remarks, emphasized the relevance of this initiative by the World Federation of Neurology. Dr. Sarosh Katrak, past president of IAN, explained the importance of the brain, explained its functions and discussed why brain health is the priority.

IAN Secretary Dr. U. Meenakshisundaram spoke about various brain diseases and when people should consult a neurologist. Dr. Subhash Kaul, past president of IAN, mentioned various risk factors for brain diseases and how a change in lifestyle is important for prevention of neurological disorders.

Marathon runner and neurologist Dr. Anuradha explained how regular physical exercises improve brain health. Dr. Meshram highlighted the misconceptions about diet and stressed the need to shift to a low carbohydrate diet. He said that wrong diet is responsible for the pandemic of metabolic syndrome all over the world.

Dr. Gagandeep Singh, past secretary of IAN, informed about the current status of COVID vaccine. Dr. Sudhir Kothari said that developing hobbies is a good idea to maintain brain health and suggested that there is no age bar to learning new things. Dr. Sudhir Shah explained the positive effects of meditation and yoga on brain health. Dr. Sumit Singh stressed the effects of air pollution on brain health and discussed the sources of air pollution.  Dr. Sudhir Bhave explained the need for sleep hygiene and the role of positive thinking.

The emphasis was on maintaining brain health and prevention of brain diseases.

Dr. Nirmal Surya, IAN president-elect, was the moderator, and he interacted with the panelists. Participants enjoyed the session and the opportunity to interact with the experts during the question-and-answer session. •

Selçuk University Hospital: One Year Later

By Ani-Osheku Ifeyinwa, Nigeria

Neurology Grand Rounds

In December 2019, I had the utmost privilege to spend four weeks at the neurology department of the Selçuk University in Konya, Turkey. It remains one of the most gratifying moments in my career as a young neurologist.

It has been over a year, yet the memories are ever so fresh. I clearly remember the feeling of excitement as I walked into the massive Selçuk University Hospital and made my way to the “nöroloji poliklinik” where I was greeted with so much warmth by the entire neurology staff. I met Prof. Şerefnur Öztürk, my supervisor, who provided me with the itinerary and a road map of what I was to expect in the coming weeks.

Indeed, it was a four-week period of intense learning in a relaxed and friendly environment. I had the privilege of exploring the world of the practice of neurology by the Turks under the able guidance and excellent mentorship of the neurology team of the Selçuk University Hospital.

Certificate presentation and the new year celebration.

Case after case, I witnessed the translational art of the pathological basis of neurologic diseases from therapeutic theorem to practical strategies using cut-edge technology and evidence-based medicine in the management of various neurologic conditions, including stroke, movement disorders, demyelinating disease (especially multiple sclerosis), neuromuscular diseases, and seizure disorders.

Prof. Öztürk shared with me priceless clinical pearls especially in the area of vascular neurology during the daily morning rounds in the neuro-intensive service as well as in the outpatient service. Her depth of knowledge combined with her wealth of experience has inspired me to push the limits of my career.

It was intriguing watching Prof. Gökhan Özdemir navigate stenosed and occluded vessels inserting stents and retrieving clots and ultimately achieving revascularization.

My experience with the neurophysiology laboratories left quite an impression on me that instinctively I knew I would pursue a fellowship in this area. I participated in carrying out and interpreting several EEGs, needle EMGs, and nerve conduction studies under the supervision of Profs. Gökhan Özdemir, Haluk Gümüş, and Dr. Hakan Ekmekci.

I learned the techniques of peripheral nerve blockade in the management of headaches and this service is one of the treatment modalities currently offered to patients with headache disorders in our neurology clinic. The ease of application coupled with the dramatic improvement has been a rewarding experience.

Lunch with neurology residents

I joined the neurosurgical team in the collaborative management of patients especially those with movement disorders, where I witnessed the usefulness of deep brain stimulation in advanced Parkinson’s disease.

One of the highlights of my stay was the opportunity to speak on “Nigeria, Its People, and Its Health Care System: A Focus on Neurological Diseases.” This lecture was delivered on Dec. 25,  2019, in the Dekanlik Donem 2 Amfisi, and I tagged it “A Christmas to Remember!”

The rich cultural heritage of the Turks makes the city a tourist’s delight. I savored the tastebud tantalizing Turkish foods and enjoyed the sceneries of some of the city’s famous sites, like the famous Mevlâna Museum and Alaaddin Cami.

Despite the numerous challenges the novel Covid-19 pandemic brought, redefining interactions in the health care sector along with restrictions in movements that put a hold on dreams for the physical quest in knowledge acquisition, I have continued to cascade the knowledge so acquired in my time in Selçuk in order to positively impact the lives of patients with neurological needs in Nigeria. I am currently working on various projects that include the transfer of skills acquired, especially relating to headache management and protocols for managing various neurology conditions.

Dr. Ani-Osheku Ifeyinwa giving a lecture

My profound gratitude to the WFN/TNS for this wonderful and innovative collaboration to give young neurologists like me the opportunity to experience the practice of neurology in an advanced society and a chance to improve our skills and broaden our horizons. Plenty of thanks to Mrs. Jade Levy and Mr. Burak for the seamless facilitation of my trip and stay in Konya. My deep appreciation to Selçuk University and  the dean of the College of Medicine for providing the enabling environment for my visit. To Prof. Şerefnur Öztürk, you inspire me in numerous ways to be the best version of myself. Finally, to the exceptional team at the Selçuk neurology department that showed me true friendship, generosity, and ensured I was well integrated, I say thank you!

I had the most amazing time in Konya and established alliances that I believe will go a long way. The lessons learned from my four weeks to Selçuk University will always be a reference point in my career development. •

Raad Shakir Named a Commander of the British Empire in the U.K. New Year Honors List

Citation was for “services to global neurology”

Commentary on the CBE Award for Prof. Raad Shakir by WFN President William M. Carroll

Prof. Raad Shakir has been a prominent figure in neurology in the United Kingdom for more than 20 years and was one of the key persons in the organization of the successful London 2001 World Congress of Neurology. His contributions to both neurology in the U.K. and to the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) have been witnessed by many.

He has provided dedicated service over many years aided by his multicultural education and experience. Together with his detailed understanding of the varied cultural sensitivities in the global neurological community, he has been a successful leader. Before being elected to the position of Secretary-Treasurer General of the WFN in 2009, he had assumed this position in 2007 on the unexpected retirement of the incumbent. He immediately displayed these skills and commitment in this new role. With then-WFN President Johan Aarli, he was able to negotiate an understanding with the Peoples Republic of China, which enabled the Chinese Neurological Society to join the WFN without fracturing the memberships of the Hong Kong and Taiwanese neurological societies. This was no easy task as two previous WFN presidents had been less successful.

His WFN presidency commenced in 2014 and was marked by a commitment to empower the regional WFN organizations. This was crowned by the establishment of the African Academy of Neurology (AFAN) in 2015 and its first Congress in Tunis in early 2017. Although Dr. Shakir did not instigate the WFN African initiative in 2006, there is no doubt his enthusiasm at the time and his subsequent leadership enabled the initiative to be transformed into the AFAN and for AFAN to take its place as an active regional affiliated WFN organization.

As WFN President, Dr. Shakir also led WFN support for the African initiative to develop two neurological training centers each in both Anglophone and Francophone Africa. An early limitation was the funding of these centers. Through his energy, enduring funding was established to the benefit of neurology in Africa. Such an outcome both freed up valuable WFN funds for additional educational projects and elevated the visibility and support for the WFN. The benefit of WFN’s increased recognition as leader in neurological education in one of the most difficult yet needful areas of the world will pay dividends for many years through elevating the standard of neurological care in Africa.

The development and establishment of the Pan American Federation of Neurological Societies also occurred in Latin America during Dr. Shakir’s presidency. His influence and guidance were fundamental in driving this successful outcome.

Dr. Shakir displayed the same dedication and skill in WFN dealings with the World Health Organization (WHO). Intimate involvement with WHO-related activities such as the Neurology Atlas of 2017 and in heading the neurology Topic Advisory Group for the revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) required enormous effort, patience, and skill over a considerable period of time.

The WFN and the global neurological and stroke communities are indebted to Dr. Shakir for his efforts. The interaction between the WFN and the WHO has led to a fundamental change in the way the WHO now views stroke (as a disease of the brain) and in the classification of neurological diseases in ICD-11. Both will be advantageous to the promotion of neurological care worldwide, and both are a direct result of his inspirational leadership and the respect in which he is held by all.

He is a worthy recipient of this prestigious award. •

Prospects for 2021

By William M. Carroll, president of the World Federation of Neurology

An Important Conjunction

William Carroll, MD

As this column goes to press in the first issue of World Neurology for 2021, it is surprising to see the energy and the activities the WFN will be involved in after such a trying 2020. I will enlarge on the role of the WFN in the COVID-19 pandemic, but first I wish to highlight two important events that occurred late last year and early this year.

The first was the adoption by the World Health Organization (WHO) of resolution WHA 73.10. As was communicated to all member societies in November and again in my column in December, this particular resolution was a landmark event. For the first time, neurological disorders were recognized by the WHO for what they are: a looming threat to individuals and societies, including both economic and personal burdens.

In common language, the WHO plans to develop an all-encompassing action plan to mitigate the effects of neurological disorders on brain health throughout life. This plan has become known as the Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) for epilepsy and similar neurological disorders.

Early in resolution WHA73.10, neurological disorders are described as “conditions of the central and peripheral nervous system that include epilepsy, headache disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke, neuroinfectious/neuroimmunological disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders and traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.” Subsequently, these disorders do occur as comorbidities of epilepsy and that many may benefit from similar public health measures to be developed for epilepsy.

Since this development, the WFN has been engaged with the International League Against Epilepsy, the International Bureau for Epilepsy, and the International Child Neurology Association in preparing the broader neurological fraternity, including members of the Global Neurology Alliance to be ready to contribute to the proposed plans if requested by the WHO.

The second important event has been the launch of the WFN Brain Health Initiative (BHI). The BHI arose through the perceived need to promote brain health more generally and more widely. This ambitious initiative is aimed at the global population and not just the WFN and its specialty constituents. Many members of the Global Neurology Alliance (GNA) have their own educational advocacy programs. Indeed, the WFN does this also through its biennial WCN and the annual disease specific World Brain Day (WBD), lately always partnered with a GNA member.

In this initial phase, the BHI will comprise five separate but sequential modules. The first two, titled “An Introduction to Brain Health” and “What Happens When Brains Are Not Healthy” were launched on Jan. 11 and the parallel webinar Feb. 17. The webinar also included contributions from each of the WFN regional organizations.

Modules 3 to 5 will follow soon with a launch webinar that will hopefully feature a wider collaboration from member societies.

The reason for highlighting the fortunate conjunction of these two crucial events is that there is an evolving momentum on the importance of brain health. Triggered in part by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study of 2016 showing neurological non-communicable disorders (nNCD) are the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death, a growing number of organizations and people are recognizing that brain health is not only a natural gift but that for some its attainment requires active, effortful participation as does the maintenance of optimum brain health.

It is hoped that along with improvement in health standards generally there will be increasing emphasis on the importance of brain health. People, societies, health care practitioners and governments need to advocate in concert for measures that reduce the risk of brain ill-health and injury.

Brain Health Initiative and COVID-19

From the above, it is clear that the WFN will be focusing its virtual efforts on brain health including the Brain Health Initiative.

It is opportune to compare the preparations for this challenge with that which the world has had to undertake for the challenge of COVID-19. Although over a much shorter time frame, the world has begun to introduce a viable response to the pandemic. With the same energy and commitment, the world will meet the challenge of the increasing burden of neurological disorders.

Through 2020, the WFN has participated with two groups developing means to capture, measure, and treat any neurological state generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both the WHO Global Forum on Neuro-COVID-19, headed by Tarun Dua (WHO Brain Health Unit) and the Neuro Covid-19 Coalition inaugurated by Andrea Winkler (University of Munich), have worked in parallel to assess the acute effects and the late effects of COVID-19 infection.

The development of the WHO Global COVID-19 Clinical Case Record Form (CRF) provides a uniform CRF that can be employed in the acute and importantly the post-infective stage of COVID-19 illness and will ensure as far as possible that the data collected from anywhere will be viable and informative. Thanks go to Richard Stark and Alla Guekht for their efforts on our behalf with these groups. It is envisaged that the WFN will continue to be associated with these two groups through 2021.

World Brain Day

Following on from the successful collaborations with the International Headache Society in 2019 and the International Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders Society through the peak of the pandemic in 2020, the WFN will likely partner with the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation in 2021.

The WFN decision on this topic was made only after careful consideration. Multiple sclerosis (MS) and other immune-mediated CNS inflammatory disorders have an important success story to disseminate, share a link with severe and often fatal COVID-19 disease, have caused concern among those with MS with regard to treatments and COVID-19 vaccination and highlight again the risk the pandemic poses to ongoing neurological management through the diversion of resources.

The success story for MS is that with the continuing development of effective therapies and the post-marketing observations, it has become evident that the accrual of disability from MS has been dramatically reduced and even more so if treatment is begun early. Furthermore, there are now therapies arriving that promise to slow the later, progressive phase of MS.

Communication

Thanks to the efforts of member societies and the London office staff of the WFN, we now have the ability to communicate rapidly and with high fidelity. Efforts now will be centered on maintaining this facility as is it clearly to the benefit of us all. Thanks also to those who maintain the WFN website, a never-ending task. The recent update of the homepage to accommodate the Brain Health Initiative is a case in point.

Needs Registry

Another crucial example of the benefits of reliable communications is the completion of the Needs Registry survey by some 115 of the 122 member societies. The data is now undergoing preliminary statistical evaluation, and it is hoped that this will be able to be shared with members soon. It is likely that the Needs Registry survey data will also be helpful for the IGAP.

World Congress of Neurology and Council of Delegates Meeting

Planning and organization of the 25th WCN will be a major effort through this year. Ryuji Kaji, chair of the WCN Congress Committee, reports on the progress of this WCN in this issue. At this time, it appears quite unlikely that this congress will be a wholly physical or face-to-face meeting. Kenes, the WFN professional conference organizer (PCO), has experience and expertise to hold a hybrid meeting or a totally virtual meeting, whatever eventuates. The WFN, the Society of Italian Neurologists and Kenes hope to hold off a final decision on the format of the WCN until April, some six months before the WCN. Given the uncertainties about the pandemic and the likelihood of a hybrid meeting, the trustees have determined to again conduct the scheduled elections electronically as was done successfully in 2020. In this regard, I draw your attention to the notice of elections and the call for nominations for those elections. •

From the editors

By Steven L. Lewis, MD, Editor,
and Walter Struhal, MD, Co-Editor

Steven L. Lewis, MD, Walter Struhal, MD

Welcome to the February 2021 issue of World Neurology. This issue begins with the news that Prof. Raad Shakir, immediate past president of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), has been made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the U.K. New Year Honors List, with a commentary on this remarkable honor provided by WFN President William M. Carroll.

Next. Dr. Carroll updates us on the many activities planned for the WFN in 2021, including plans with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WFN regional organizations, the Brain Health Initiative (BHI) and COVID-19, the WFN Needs Registry, the World Congress of Neurology (WCN) and the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Council of Delegates meeting COD meeting planned for WCN 2021.

With regard to the WCN, WFN Vice President Ryuji Kaji reminds all readers to submit abstracts to the WCN 2021 in Rome. Dr. Kaji also announces the creation of a new award for service to the WFN. In his column on the WFN Committees and Specialty Groups, WFN Secretary-General Wolfgang Grisold reports on the many activities of the WFN Tropical and Geographical Neurology Specialty Group and Standards & Evaluations Committee.

Drs. Chandrashekahr Meshram, JMK Murthy, Nirmal Surya, U Meenakshisundaram and Gagandeep Singh report on the many activities that recently occurred around National Brain Week in India, revolving around the theme of preventive aspects of the neurological diseases. Dr. Meshram also reports on the new monthly webinar series, “Inspiring People in Neurosciences,” with an exciting schedule of remarkable neurologists speaking about inspirational neurologists, a free educational series for which neurologists around the world and at all stages of their career should find of great interest.

In this issue’s WFN Training Center report, Drs. Olivier Kapto and Ratsitohara Santatra Razafindrasata, from Burkina Faso and Madagascar, respectively provide a nicely illustrated report of their successful year of specialty training at the WFN Training Center in Rabat, Morocco.

The history column by Peter J. Koehler provides his insights into the potential neurological origins of visions reported by a classic figure from the Middle Ages.

Finally, this issue also details the notice of elections for open positions in 2021 to be voted on at the AGM of the COD meeting at the WCN in October 2021.

Thanks to all readers for your interest in World Neurology. We look forward to continued submissions from neurologists and neurological societies worldwide to inform all neurologists about the remarkable variety of activities and opportunities available to enhance the field of neurology and our care of neurological patients around the globe. •

New Award for WFN Service

By Ryuji Kaji MD,
First Vice President, WFN

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) has the following awards given on a regular basis and presented during each World Congress of Neurology (WCN).

  • WFN Medal for Service to International Neurology (biennial)
  • WFN Medal for Scientific Achievement in Neurology (biennial)
  • Ted Munsat Award for Service to Education (biennial).

A Lifetime Achievement Award is made on an ad-hoc basis at the discretion of the trustees.

To recognize particular service of merit by members or employees of the WFN, the WFN Meritorious Service Award has been created. Two awards may be made at each WCN. There will be no honorarium. The guidelines for the Meritorious Service Award are detailed here:

  1. The WFN Meritorious Service Medal will be awarded to any member or employee of the WFN or WFN Member Society who has given exemplary service to the WFN.
  2. Nominations are to be submitted by a financial Member Society and accompanied by a statement of up to 300 words describing the meritorious service of the nominee(s).
  3. Two medals will be awarded at each World Congress, with due regard to gender diversity.
  4. Nominations will be accepted when submitted by a financial Member Society using the nomination form on the WFN website.
  5. Nominations can be submitted until June 30 in a World Congress of Neurology year. Calls for nominations will go out in the year of a World Congress.
  6. The WFN President will, with the aid of a subcommittee from the WFN Trustees, determine the awardees. •

Submit Abstracts and Join Us at WCN 2021 in Rome

By Ryuji Kaji MD, WFN First Vice President

As the chair of the Congress Committee, I cordially invite you to join the 25th World Congress of Neurology (WCN) to be held Oct. 3-7, 2021, in Rome, Italy. Since the pandemic of COVID-19 will not completely fade out by then, we are most likely to have a hybrid-type congress, providing you the option of attending in person or virtually. The committee has decided that we will remain flexible until the end of March as to what extent the meeting can be held online.

The world is now suffering from COVID-19, which is comparable to Spanish flu or the influenza pandemic that occurred 100 years ago. At that time, peculiar neurological conditions were reported. These included encephalitis lethargica or von Economo’s encephalitis, which is now hypothesized as a sequela of the pandemic. Similarly, there are various neurological manifestations of COVID-19, such as anosmia, stroke, so-called “brain fog” and others. Despite the difficulties of having WCN 2019 at this time, it is a unique opportunity to discuss various consequences of the pandemic not only scientifically but also in terms of its impact on neurological education and patients’ care during the crisis to put our best pieces of knowledge together.

We will have the most updated sessions on COVID-19 and the nervous system, including a plenary session, so that we can share the strategies to fight against the virus. Also, we welcome abstract submissions on any advances in the other subspecialties of neurology. Our strengths include the worldwide links among membership societies and research groups, and we expect a number of breakthroughs in neurology to be presented at this meeting.

On behalf of our Italian colleagues, we welcome those who will be physically able to visit Rome and enjoy the most historic place in Europe: Inspired by the past to build the future of neurology. For those who are unable to come, you will also be able to present your paper online.

Please submit your abstracts now. The deadline is April 5, 2021. •

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