Montreal Neurological Institute and Canadian Neurological Society

By Claudia M. Guío-Sánchez, MD
Photo by Juana Rubio

“The problem of neurology is to understand man himself.”  Wilder Penfield.

 

Caludia M. Guio-Sanchez, MD

This quote is the famous inscription I found the first time I entered the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (MNI), better known as “The Neuro”; four weeks later, I understood its meaning in a deeper way.

I am a young neurologist from Colombia who graduated three years ago. Since before my training in neurology, I have always had a genuine interest in patients with demyelinating diseases. Canada is a prevalent country with thousands of multiple sclerosis (MS) cases per year, in contrast to Colombia, which does not have a prevalent number of MS cases. I am currently working on the multiple sclerosis program at the Hospital Universitario Nacional in Bogota, with almost 400 patients to date. That is why I had the desire to see how MS clinics work in countries like Canada, with the firm purpose of improving my knowledge for patients with MS in my country.

When my professor, Dr. Gustavo Patino, told me about the opportunity to come to MNI through the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and the Canadian Neurological Society department visit program, my first thought was about the possibility to meet and exchange experiences with McGill University and the MNI MS clinic.

I therefore applied to this wonderful program with a special request to enjoy my visit in the MS clinic, and I had a positive response from Dr. Anne-Louise Lafontaine and Dr. Guy Rouleau, who allowed me to spend the entire month improving my skills in the MS field under the tutoring of Dr. Paul Giacomini.

My activities in the MNI MS clinic were:

  • Attending the MS clinic with the different specialists, Dr. Yves Lapierre, Dr. Alexander Saveriano, and Dr. Paul Giacomini, discussing the different cases coming to the clinic every day and covering a wide range of clinical aspects and MS treatment strategies.
  • Learning about the Canadian health system and the different guidelines of diagnosis and treatment of MS.
  • Meeting and understanding the need to have a multidisciplinary structure in the MS clinic, sharing experiences in the special care of these patients with MS nurses Vanessa Spyropoulos and Kathleen Savoy.
  • Attending the grand rounds of the MNI every Wednesday with the opportunity to share experiences with other neurologists and residents of the MNI staff.

My experience in the MNI MS clinic was great and allowed me to improve my academic, clinical, and social skills. Another aspect I learned in my stay at the MNI is the importance of the interaction of health care and research, which are closely integrated and provide mutual benefits. I strongly believe this is a key learning point for a middle-income country like Colombia.

The advantage of having done my visit in Montreal was meeting a lot of interesting people with different cultural backgrounds and nationalities, from the patients to the doctors and the rest of the staff; the cultural exchange for me was exceptional.

The MNI is a great place to perceive in a deep way how neurology is a powerful tool to understand the human being in all its dimensions, and the MS clinic taught me about the need to create a multidisciplinary center to support these complex patients in my country and encourage more study collaborations to increase research.

I am grateful for the time I spent with McGill University and the MNI MS clinic team: Dr. Lapierre, Dr. Saveriano, Dr. Giacomini, Vanessa, Kathleen, Maria, and Rose; every member of the team was friendly and open to teach me all the time.

Dr. Paul Giacomini was a great mentor and inspirational figure for me. I want to thank him especially for helping me to confirm my desire of pursuing my career in MS. I understood that despite working in a country with low MS prevalence, I had to keep the firm conviction of providing a more comprehensive care with better quality to patients with this disease in Colombia.

Furthermore, I was delighted to see how the women were encouraged to develop their careers in fields like demyelinating disorders. I felt that in the MNI the support from their male colleagues was strong and empowering. I think this is another point to keep in mind to improve in my country with its huge gender inequality.

I would also like to thank Carmen, Andy, and Angela, the administration staff of the MNI, for all the arrangements during my visit. Thank you to the WFN and the Canadian Neurological Society for this scholarship; I hope more people from South America will be motivated to apply to this outstanding experience.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my hospitals in Colombia, Hospital Universitario Mayor-Méderi and Universitario Nacional, with special thanks to Dr. Ernesto Ojeda and Simón Cardenas for supporting me during my absence. •

Montreal, Canada

By Natalia Herrera Marín

Natalia Herrera Marin

During my first week in Montreal, I was pleased to be at the Brenda Milner Centennial Symposium for cognitive neuroscience. It was amazing to see some of her students and listen to her. She has been teaching the core of mysteries of the brain and the exploration of senses, and every experience that I had there reminded me what she said all the time: “We are what we remember.”

I attended two specialized clinics by the movement disorders department and the epilepsy department. I also met nice doctors like Anne-Louise Lafontaine, Martin Veilleux, Eliane Kobayashi, and others from the movement disorder team, and fellows like Sophie Maltais, Sondos Al-Hindi, and Ali Naemi. I met the epilepsy staff and attended academic meetings with them.

Herrera Marin with colleagues at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital.

The meeting “Parkinson’s Disease: Our Common Fight” was held Sept. 18, 2018. They wanted to teach patients about motor and non-motor symptoms — how to face them, the necessary care, how to come back to the real world to work, sing, dance, etc. I was touched by a patient singing with a pianist; they showed that everything is possible with dreams and perseverance.

With this experience, I had the opportunity to interact with colleagues from different countries and see how they approach patients, no matter the culture, the religion, the language, or the technology that the country has. I learned that the most important thing is to listen to the patient, step by step. It is just to use the senses and to simplify the medicine that we explain to patients.

I would like to express my gratitude to Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital for welcoming me with their arms wide open. Every person was important for my learning.

Thanks to the World Federation of Neurology and the Canadian Neurological Society for choosing me and supporting me. •

 

Ege University, Izmir, Turkey

By Dr. Abiodun Hamzat Bello

I would like to start by thanking the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and the Turkish Neurological Society (TNS) for selecting me to visit the neurology department at Ege University in Turkey. It is a highly specialized department where advanced neurology care is given to patients.

My experience started with the kind support received from Jade Levy of WFN and Burak Tokdemir of TNS. They were both wonderful in helping me navigate through the initial documentations and travel plans.

On arrival at the neurology department, I was warmly welcomed by my amiable supervisor, Dr. Nese Celebisoy, who introduced me to other members of staff and took me around the department. On a daily basis, I had the opportunity of going to the outpatient clinics and the neurophysiology and neurosensory labs. I was primarily with her in the neuro-ophthalmology and neuro-otology outpatient clinics and the neuro-ICU. I had eye-opening experiences in the management of patients with optic neuropathy, ocular myasthenia gravis, and patients with vertigo, just to mention a few. We had daily morning rounds in the 12-bed neuro-ICU, where I had the opportunity to see ischemic stroke patients who had thrombolysis and thrombectomy, which are currently unavailable in my home. However, I saw patients being fed by pre-packaged, nutritionally-balanced liquid feeds via nasogastric tubes, and I find this to be locally adaptable.

In addition, I rotated through the neurophysiology lab, where I observed electroencephalography, electromyography, and nerve conduction studies. I was able to acquire new experiences that I can put to practice locally in my center.

I also participated in the movement disorder clinic, where I experienced firsthand patients on levodopa infusion gel and deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Ahmet Acarer was very helpful in explaining the procedures and also demonstrated botulinum injection techniques to me.

A major part of the program was the 54th National Neurology Congress of TNS, which took place Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, 2018, in Antalya. During that period, I met with and listened to top erudite scholars from TNS as they delivered their research work and lectures. I was particularly fascinated by the highly advanced neurology practice and research in Turkey.

I have to say that the department visit was very helpful to me as I was able to learn and experience neurology subspecialty practice at the highest level, and I found some of the areas practicable for me here in my center in Nigeria. Since my return, I have started putting measures in place to improve patient care in the area of neuro-ophthalmology and movement disorders.

Before I conclude, I once again thank WFN and TNS for the golden opportunity, and I look forward to others in the future. Let me also appreciate Jade Levy, Burak Tokdermir, Prof. Dr. Nese Celebisoy, Dr. Ahmet Acarer, Dr. Ayse Guler, Prof. Dr. Figen Gokcay, Dr. Kamran Samadli, and all other members of the neurology department who are too numerous to mention.

 

Hacettepe University Hospitals, Ankara, Turkey

By Dr. Temitope Hannah Farombi

As a beneficiary of the joint initiative of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and the Turkish Neurological Society fellowship, I was hopeful and expectant of the many opportunities this fellowship would offer. I was open to learning new skills as well as to improving on previously learned ones.

Ankara is a calm and serene city in Turkey with a mixture of old and modern outlooks. The people are warm, kind, and hospitable with smiles on their faces. Hacettepe University Hospitals sit at the center of the city with state-of-the-art neurological facilities. My mentor, Prof. Topcuoglu, introduced me to different units of neurology in the hospital. I had my first observership for 10 days at the neurophysiology lab under the supervision of Dr. Temucin and Dr. Gockem. Here I witnessed for the first time the clinical application of nerve conduction study, needle electromyography, and visual evoked potential protocols in the management of neurological disorders. Of note is a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome that was hitherto diagnosed as Bell’s palsy by the ENT surgeon.

During the second week, I attended the 54th annual Congress of the Turkish Neurological Society Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2018, in Antalya. The conference provided opportunities to network with other neurologists in Turkey, and I was exposed to different cutting-edge research and new frontiers in neurological practice. I was fascinated by the deep and rich culture of practice in Turkey and the willingness to collaborate with other neurological societies in the region. This experience was most gratifying as it provided avenues for learning in a fun-filled environment.

During my last week, I observed acute stroke care in the intervention radiology unit and neurointensive care unit, where thrombolysis and thrombectomy were carried out on stroke patients. I also had a series of teaching sessions on nonepileptic psychogenic seizures and video electro-encephalography protocol with Prof. Serap.

Overall, my experience has made me realize the knowledge and technology gap we face as neurologists from sub-Saharan Africa and has stirred up the determination to know more by constantly improving myself through skill acquisition training and also increasing the advocacy for improved neuro care in our community.

I am really thankful for this great opportunity offered by the WFN, the Turkish Neurological Society, and the neurology department of Hacettepe University Hospitals. •

Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz Neurology Department

By Salaheddine Mourabit

Thanks to the support of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) Education Committee and the German Society of Neurology, I was able to benefit from this program of visit during which I spent a month at the neurology department of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. During this period, I was able to get an idea about the function of a neurology service in Germany, to see new techniques, and to participate in different activities of the service (patient visits, admissions staff roles, and multidisciplinary staff roles).

With Dr. Dresel, I attended specialized consultations for abnormal movement, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS, which is still a rare and under-diagnosed pathology in Senegal). I also participated in a workshop on the use of botulinum toxin in the treatment of spasticity under the supervision of Prof. Gruppa and Dr. Dresel.

My visit to the neurophysiology department was informative, and I had the opportunity to work on devices of the last generation and to note a relative difference between the German and the French methodology that’s practiced here in Senegal.

The week I spent at the stroke unit was fruitful, because I was able to attend thrombolysis, the basis of stroke management in acute phase, which is common in Germany and not done in Senegal because of lack of funding. Thanks to Prof. Gruppa, I was fortunate to see for the first time in my life the practiced operation to implant a neurostimulator for deep brain stimulation, to understand the procedure, and also to see the device used for the calibration and regulation of stimulations.

In summary, I will say that my visit at the neurology department of Johannes Gutenberg University was rewarding, and I am satisfied with this experience that allowed me to see new techniques that I could put into practice here in Dakar.

Dear committee, I am thankful to you for giving me this great opportunity, and I would like to thank the German Society of Neurology, the entire team of the neurology department of Johannes Gutenberg University, and especially Dr. Dresel, whose help and guidance were invaluable to me. •

World Brain Day Celebration in India

By Chandrashekhar Meshram, Gagandeep Singh, and Sanjeev Thomas

Inauguration of World Brain Day. From left to right, Chandrakant Channe, Chandrashekhar Meshram, and Mohan Agashe

Like every year, World Brain Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm July 22 in different cities in India, under the aegis of the Indian Academy of Neurology. This year’s theme “Clean Air for Brain Health” has more relevance for developing countries.

Nagpur

Dr. Chandrashekhar Meshram organized the meeting of neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, and other social groups to plan the World Brain Day Celebration. The press announcement was released on July 21. The public education program on air pollution and brain health was arranged in an auditorium the same day.

The program was inaugurated by renowned actor and psychiatrist Dr. Mohan Agashe. Mr. Chandrakant Channe, noted artist and president of Basoli group of children, was the guest of honor. Nandatai Jichkar, mayor of Nagpur, also attended the event. Dr. Meshram delivered a talk on air pollution and the brain and highlighted the importance of World Brain Day and public education activities. He also explained the natural and manmade causes of air pollution and effects of air pollution on the brain. He mentioned that out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world, the first 14 are in India. He suggested that a nationwide campaign for clean air is the need of the hour. The event was attended by 500 people.

This was followed by screening of the national award-winning educational movie “Astu,” based on dementia. After the movie, Agashe, who was in the lead role in the movie, interacted with the audience and explained the finer details about dementia and the role of caregiver. Dr. Sudhir Bhave, psychiatrist, interviewed Agashe.

Dr. Meshram gave an interview on All India Radio, explaining various aspects of air pollution, including effects on the brain and means for reducing air pollution. World Brain Day posters were displayed in prominent places in the city, including in hospitals and clinics.

Print media had carried the campaign with great interest, and there were 14 publications in various newspapers in English, Hindi, and Marathi languages.

Nellore

Dr. Bindu Menon Foundation, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, and Jain Hub participated in World Brain Day July 22. The theme “Clean Air for Healthy Brain” was propagated. As automobiles contribute a great deal to air pollution, a cycle rally was organized which started from the main ground of Nellore VRC Center and went across the town.

A press meeting was organized prior to the cycle rally. Prof. Menon, senior neurologist, addressed the meeting and emphasized the need for clean air for a healthy brain. Among the various forms of air pollution, Dr. Menon emphasized that vehicle induced pollution is a major contributor for air pollution. He encouraged the public to use cycles, especially youngsters, and switch to pedal power. Clean air is essential to prevent several diseases, including brain, stroke and degenerative disorders.

More than 100 cyclists of all ages participated in the cycle rally. All wore T-shirts featuring the slogan, “Clean Air for Healthy Brain” and the WFN emblem. The cycle rally was a huge success. Print and electronic media covered the event.

Dr. Menon thanked all the participants of the cycle rally for making the event a huge success.

Ahmedabad

Dr. Shailesh Danri published the articles on air pollution and brain health in local newspapers in the Gujarati language.

Sholapur

Dr. Prasanna Kasegaonkar gave a detailed interview on All India Radio on air pollution and brain health.

Trichy

Tamil Nadu Pondicherry Association of Neurologists issued the press release and its president, Dr. M. A. Aleem gave a detailed interview highlighting the role of air pollution in stroke and degenerative brain diseases. •

Report on the 68th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe

Sept. 17-20, Rome, Italy

By Wolfgang Grisold

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) is a global non-state actor, and has the possibility to participate in the regional WHO meetings. As with last year in Budapest, the WFN was represented this year by Wolfgang Grisold in Rome.

Opening ceremony: choir sings Italian music, ending with Verdi`s Nabucco

The meeting took place in the governmental sector of Rome (Auditorium della Tecnica, Viale Umberto Tupini 65) and was opened by high ranking Italian politicians, including the prime minister and the health minister. The WHO was represented by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general, and Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO regional director for Europe.

The WFN was able to make a statement, this time on stroke. This statement can be found on the WHO website and was jointly made with the World Stroke Organization (WSO), the European Stroke Organization (ESO), and the European Academy of Neurology (EAN).

Opening speech with Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

An oral statement was also delivered by Francesca Pezzella, a representative from the ESO. It states the importance of stroke, as endorsed by four large specialist societies. This statement may be useful in the regional context for WFN member states to further emphasize the importance of stroke treatment.

The main program points were:

  • Affordability of medical services
  • Vector borne diseases and vaccination
  • Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
  • Men’s health
  • Budget program

In this report, the topics relevant for neurology will be discussed.

“No one left behind“ is a self-explanatory motto of this year to describe that all persons in European countries should have access to health coverage. Despite the fact that Europe is one of the richest regions in the world, a large disparity of out of pocket costs for patients exists. In summary, in those countries in Europe that are the poorest, the percentage of self payment and individual payment (out of pocket) is highest.

Whether people can afford to pay for health care is a question of growing importance, and varies greatly in European regions. It is alarming that some health costs, for example, dentistry, are not covered at all in some countries.

The wish and recommendation is the move toward a European health plan, with health coverage of EU citizens. Residual and out of pocket payment need to be reduced or ideally abolished.

An action plan to improve public health preparedness and response in the WHO European Region is on the way. Turkey was specifically mentioned in this WHO meeting. This country is providing free medical care for more than 3 million Syrian refugees, which was greatly acclaimed by the delegates.

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization: Realizing the Full Potential of the European Vaccine Action Plan

The issue of vaccination deficits in Europe has reached large dimensions. As all vaccinations need a herd immunity of 95 percent to be effective, the present trend to refuse or reduce vaccinations has a large impact. Worldwide, and in Europe in particular, individualist ideas and anti-vaccination activists have successfully undermined the vaccination strategies; subsequently, new threats from diseases that had been prevented, and seemed to have been extinguished by vaccination, reappear.

As an example, measles presents with 40,000-60,000 cases per year in Europe. Although it can be harmless, measles can be more severe, or even extremely severe as in measles encephalitis. Similar concerns can be expressed for polio, which is presently extinct in Europe.

The need for vaccination and protection needs to be on the agenda of European states. Also vaccination for personal health is an emerging issue, as non-vaccinated health professionals pose a risk for the dissemination of infectious diseases.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

The topic of NCDs is of growing importance, as they are the most frequent cause of death and disability. In addition to high income countries, NCDs are becoming increasingly important in low income regions of the world. Lifestyle and nutrition are the most important modifiable risk factors. The issue of NCDs will be the subject of further conferences, in particular the New York meeting at the United Nations on Sept. 27. (See the report on page 5.)

From the contributions, it seems that cardiology is very active and stressing the importance of cardiovascular disease. Despite our statement on stroke and success with the new ICD 11, neurology still needs to carefully watch the final implementation of the ICD-11, which will only be in 2021.

Other neurological NCDs, such as dementia, trauma, and neuromuscular disease were not included in the discussions and will also need more advocacy from the neurological community.

Environment

The important role of the environment on diseases is increasingly attracting attention. The WFN and its Applied Research Group on the Environment (Prof. Reis, France; Prof. Wasay, Pakistan) have already devoted the WFN World Brain Day 2018 to the environment. Also the WHO statement from 2017 in Budapest clearly defines the importance of environment for the risk of stroke.

As the environment is an increasingly important factor, the WHO will organize a conference dedicated to the environment and diseases in Geneva this year.

Summary

The WFN as a non-state actor is grateful to the WHO for cooperation and also to be able to participate at this high-level meeting. Many of the issues discussed are important for neurology, not only in Europe, but also worldwide. The experience and inclusion in this meeting enhances the awareness of regional and global aspects of the WHO. •

World Congress of Neurology Through the Years

The World Congress of Neurology (WCN) is the jewel in the calendar of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN). A just completed site visit to Rome and the final site visit for Dubai scheduled for December prompted the topic for this issue of the President’s column.  Until the 2011 Congress held in Marrakesh, Morocco, World Congresses had been held every four years. From 2011, the WFN recognized that with the increasing number of high quality neurology meetings the WCN was at risk of being made relatively invisible. The 2011 WCN was a test of a biennial Congress and one which proved most successful.

William Carroll, MD

Importance

To the WFN, the WCN is of paramount importance for a number of reasons.  First, it is the major educational effort of the WFN. All other educational activities undertaken by the WFN, including regional training centers, regional teaching courses, department visits, junior traveling fellowships and research grants may be of importance but they can never exceed that of the WCN. It comprises the end result of two years of intensive planning and the contribution of the world’s best experts for the topics selected for each WCN.

Kyoto, Japan, the site of the XXIII world congress.

Not only is it the flagship educational vehicle of the WFN, it also provides the major contribution to the lifeblood of the WFN. Without the income that the WCN generates, the WFN activities would be severely curtailed in what it could achieve each and every year. By being such a visible and important meeting, it highlights the emphasis with which the WFN promotes education in neurology.

It is fair to say that the WCN sets a high standard for a broad range of attendees through the structure and the content of its scientific and educational course programs. I will say more on this below.

History of the Early World Congresses of Neurology

Marrakesh, Morrocco, the site of the 2011 WCN.

The WFN WCNs grew out of the same desire of neuroscientists and neurologists to form an international organization and hold a regular internationally recognized meeting. Understandably, these meetings underwent some early evolution in format, structural organization and title before being recognized as the WFN’s WCN, which is evident below.

The First International Neurological Congress, known as the Sixth International Congress of Neurological Sciences, was held in Brussels in 1957, during which the WFN was founded. As former WFN President Johann Aarli, states in his book,  “The History of the World Federation of Neurology”1, the Sixth International Congress was more comprehensive in the neurosciences and effectively became the first International Neurological Congress. It was not until the following International Neurological Congress, the seventh, held in Rome in 1961, that the active participation of the WFN as an independent organization occurred. Nevertheless, as is shown below, the Brussels International Congress of Neurological Sciences became the Sixth World Congress of Neurology and the Rome International Neurological Congress became the Seventh World Congress of Neurology for ease of numerical sequencing. The 25th World Congress of Neurology, to be held in 2021, will be in Rome and will therefore be a special celebration for 60 years of World Congresses of Neurology. Indeed, only two other venues have held a WCN twice: Vienna in 1965 and Kyoto in 1981 which had the honor again in 2013 and 2017, respectively. Kyoto was the most successful to date in numerical attendees, and Vienna was one of the most profitable. It was not until the 1981 Congress in Kyoto that the appellation World Congress of Neurology appeared to be formally adopted and the meeting was known as the 12th WCN.

The Modern Era

The Cloud/La Nuvola, Rome, Italy, the site of the World Congress of Neurology in 2021.

From 2009, the frequency, venue selection and organization of the WCN changed. Congresses became biennial, rotated sequentially by global quarters (Asia, Africa and Middle East, Europe, and the Americas) and the WFN assumed overall responsibility for the WCN organization, and retained 60 percent of the profits, thus enabling less well-endowed regions and venues to be selected and so increase the “reach” of the WCN.

Dubai, the site of the XXIV world congress.]

Even though the local host society no longer acted on behalf of the WFN in the organization of the WCN with a 50 percent division of profits, the local host society retained for each WCN the essential and important “local” element which distinguishes a WCN from the other regular global meetings.

Also important for the development of the regional representative organizations was the ability for the local host WFN member society to enter into a formal cooperative arrangement with the regional organization to their mutual financial and developmental benefit. For example, the Moroccan Society partnered with the Pan Arab Union of Neurological Societies in the organization of the 2011 WCN and pledged a portion of their profits to the still emerging African Academy of Neurology.

World Congresses and Their Venues

The Sixth International Congress of Neurological Sciences was also known as the First International Neurological Congress. Brussels 1957

 

Seventh International Neurological Congress also known as the Second International Congress of Neurology. Rome 1961

 

Eighth International Congress of Neurology also known as the Third International Congress of Neurology. Vienna 1965

 

Ninth International Congress of Neurology also known as the Fourth International Congress of Neurological Sciences. New York 1969

 

10th International Congress of Neurology also known as the Fifth International Congress of Neurology. Barcelona 1973

 

11th International Congress of Neurology also known as the Sixth International Congress of Neurology. Amsterdam 1977

 

12th World Congress of Neurology Seventh International Congress of Neurology. Kyoto 1981

 

13th World Congress of Neurology. Hamburg 1985

 

14th World Congress of Neurology. New Delhi 1989

 

15th World Congress of Neurology. Vancouver 1993

 

16th World Congress of Neurology. Buenos Aires 1997

 

17th World Congress of Neurology. London 2001

 

18th World Congress of Neurology. Sydney 2005

 

19th World Congress of Neurology. Bangkok 2009

 

20th World Congress of Neurology. Marrakesh 2011

 

21st World Congress of Neurology. Vienna 2013

 

22nd World Congress of Neurology. Santiago 2015

 

Santiago, Chile, the site of the XXII world congress.

23rd World Congress of Neurology. Kyoto 2017

 

24th World Congress of Neurology. Dubai 2019

 

25th World Congress of Neurology. Rome 2021

A number of other aspects distinguish the modern WCN from earlier forms. First, these are the employment of a global professional conference organizer by the WFN, which ensures continuity of structure so that each congress does not have to learn from scratch the essentials of holding a WCN.

Second, the WFN Congress Committee is charged with overall responsibility for WCN oversight and reports directly to the trustees.

Third, the WFN has permanent Scientific and Teaching/Educational Committees with regularly rotating members and chairs determined by the president and trustees.

Finally, all of the members of the Global Neurological Alliance (see my last President’s Column) are asked to contribute to the program for each WCN. Altogether, these changes have resulted in a recognizable high quality product that is readily distinguishable from other global meetings and is a highly valued asset of the WFN and its member societies.

Dubai 2019 (Emirates Neurology Society) and Rome (Society of Italian Neurology) 2021 are both shaping up to be exciting and rewarding World Congresses and will be led by Presidents Suhail Abdulla Alrukn and Antonio Federico, respectively.

The process to select the site for the 2023 WCN is underway with strong bids lodged by Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Montreal and will be decided at the Council of Delegates meeting at the beginning of the Dubai WCN next year. •

Reference
Aarli Johann. The history of the World Federation of Neurology: the first 50 years. (2014) Oxford University Press

From the Editors

We’d like to welcome all of you to this issue of World Neurology. This issue begins with the well-illustrated report by Chandrashekar Meshram, Gagandeep Singh, and Sanjeev Thomas about the many festivities that occurred during World Brain Day in India. Next, WFN Secretary-General Wolfgang Grisold reports on the 68th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe that he attended in Rome this past September. Dr. Grisold also reports on the third high-level meeting of the United Nations on non-communicable diseases, which was held in September at the U.N. in New York City.

BY STEVEN L. LEWIS, MD, EDITOR, AND WALTER STRUHAL, MD, CO-EDITOR

In the President’s Column, WFN President William Carroll provides an overview of the history and venues of the WFN’s World Congresses of Neurology through the years, including the WCN XXIV in which will be held October 2019 in Dubai.  Fittingly, in this issue’s history column, Edward H. Reynolds provides background and historical details of the Second International Congress of Neurology that was held in 1935 in London, England. Also in this issue, WFN Treasurer and WCN Tournament of the Minds organizer and moderator Richard Stark has an exciting announcement about free registration for WCN 2019 in Dubai for Tournament of the Minds teams. Please see his article for important details.

This issue also features many reports from recipients of WFN Junior Traveling Fellowship awards from around the world, who presented the results of their research at high level neurology conferences around the world.

Finally, Martin J.B. Taphoorn and Martin J. Van Den Bent provide a heartfelt obituary on the life and passing of Dr. Charles J. Vecht (1947-2018), the founding father of Dutch neuro-oncology.

We hope you all enjoy the varied contributions from this issue by neurologists from around the world, about neurology from around the world, and for neurologists around the world. •

The Third High-Level Meeting of the United Nations on Non-Communicable Diseases

By Wolfgang Grisold, MD

“Time to deliver, leaving no one behind.”

The third high-level meeting of the United Nations (U.N.) on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) was held Sept. 27 at the UN in New York City. It scaled up multistakeholder and multisectoral responses for the prevention and control of NCDs in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The World Federation of Neurology (WFN), represented by Wolfgang Grisold, was able to participate in this high-level meeting through the support of the Austrian Society of Neurology and the Austrian Health ministry.

Mrs. Mandela speaking on health issues.

The meeting was attended by heads of state and government, parliamentarians, ministers of foreign affairs, finance, and health, heads or senior representatives of relevant United Nations entities, civil societies, the private sector, philanthropic foundations, academia, medical associations, indigenous leadership, and community organizations. The meeting highlighted the importance of non-communicable diseases for the WHO.

Non-communicable diseases such as stroke, dementia, other degenerative diseases, brain cancer, and neuromuscular diseases are an important part of neurology. In particular, stroke and the recent modifications of the ICD-11 classification, aim toward an improvement of the care of stroke patients worldwide. To continue this important development is a critical task of the neurological community.

WHO Secretary General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The meetings follow a structured pattern, with openings, plenaries, and various dedicated side meetings. There were key speakers, and following these, many speakers from states around the world illuminated the multitude of aspects of NCDs. The efforts are directed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goals 3 and 4.

There were several interesting keynote speakers, such as Mr. Bloomberg, Mrs. Mandela, director general of the WHO Tedros Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and several ministers of health, who gave key speeches on the importance of preventing diseases, including the influence of modern lifestyle, the need to reduce sugar content in food, the adaptation of nutrition, excess of sodium, and the recreational abuse of tobacco and alcohol. These changes are spreading fast around the world, making the prevention of NCDs a high priority.

U.N. building, where the meeting took place.

The greatest attention was directed toward diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, and also the issue of vaccination. The issue of dementia and other neurological diseases was mentioned by only a few speakers and countries, and it will be a mission of the neurological WFN community to act on their local and international level on behalf of the recognition of neurological disease. The worldwide need for palliative care was only mentioned by one speaker (Somalia), although it is an important issue worldwide.

However, stroke was included in the list: The heads of state and government committed to 13 new steps to tackle non-communicable diseases, including cancers, heart and lung diseases, stroke, and diabetes, and to promote mental health and well-being.

Another important side meeting was directed toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in emergencies. This is an important aspect and should provide help for persons in need following an emergency such as catastrophes, but also outbreaks of diseases such as ebola. The need for this was emphasized by Director General Tedros from the WHO.

“Leaving no one behind” is applicable for the prevention and treatment of NCDs and needs to be available universally in medical emergencies.

This meeting not only acknowledges the need for further care of NCDs and highlights the problems worldwide, but also clearly reveals that the advocacy for neurological diseases needs to be increased.

In all sessions, speeches were allowed from countries as well as a few organizations such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The meeting allowed listening to a worldwide representation of speakers who gave presentations of their local health systems and also of their efforts to take active measures against NCDs. •