A neurology fellowship is offered by the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco, and the Neurology Department at Yale University (position can be filled at either location) through the NeuroHIV Cure Consortium, which operates numerous neurological research studies in acute HIV infection and cure strategies in Thailand and Africa. The Consortium is a research collaboration directed by Victor Valcour, MD, PhD (UCSF), Serena Spudich, MD (Yale University), and Jintanat Ananworanich, MD, PhD (U.S. Military HIV Research Program).

The NIH-funded work gives a neurologist opportunities to conduct research. The fellow will provide at least six months of neurological expertise at research sites in Thailand, including neurological evaluation of subjects and lumbar punctures, while developing a personal research portfolio. The incumbent will be expected to actively participate in manuscript preparation and analyses for publication as lead author, and apply for awards and other funding to support continued involvement.

The Consortium leaders have extensive experience as career and research mentors and will provide guidance and assistance in data analysis and preparation of presentations and manuscripts, as well as in independent fellowship and grant applications. The position is for one year, with opportunities for extension. The fellowship may be combined with a neurobehavioral fellowship at UCSF.

For more information: www.inhcc.net/opportunities.html.

Wray SH (2014) Eye Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice. New York NY: Oxford University Press.

By Steven L. Galetta, MD

Eye Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice is written by a legend in the field of neuro-ophthalmology, Dr. Shirley H. Wray. The book is a wonderful compendium of the common and challenging disorders of ocular motility. Chapters are organized topographically beginning with the cortical control of eye movements, followed by chapters on the eyelids, the extraocular muscles and nerves, disorders of horizontal and vertical gaze, dizziness, the cerebellum and ocular oscillations.

Each chapter begins with a generous discussion of the relevant anatomy and physiology of a particular area of the brain. The key anatomical points are then summarized in a box to distill the critical information that is about to be given clinical relevance in the remainder of the chapter. Chapters in this book take some of the most complicated neuroanatomy and make it come to life with beautiful figures, clear discussions and key references. After the anatomy and physiology are reviewed within each chapter, the reader is then taken to cases where the history and examination are dissected, with an emphasis on how signs and symptoms are localized and correlated. Each case has a great video attached to it. The videos are of outstanding quality and clearly demonstrate the ocular motility disturbance. In fact, many cases are the best examples that I ever seen of the eye movement disorder. One minor criticism would be that the videos often do not point out the exact findings as you are taken through the standard neuro-ophthalmological examination. Nonetheless, such findings are summarized in the text and the reader is provided ample guidance on what to look for.

From the video section, the reader is taken back to the text for further discussion of localization, differential diagnosis, testing and treatment of the problem, emphasizing the importance of neuro-ophthalmological signs in managing the patient. The learning experience is then supplemented by special explanatory notes; these break down the problem and often provide some historical context to the findings.

The beauty of this book is its redundancy; the reader is never left to struggle with a single description of the neuro-ophthalmological topic. This is a great feature for both the novice and the expert and makes each case even more memorable.

It was a real pleasure to read this book. There were many moments when I could not put it down because it was fun to read such an organized and a logical approach to eyelid and ocular motility disorders. The chapters on the cortical control of eye movements and the cerebellum are true masterpieces; they take some of the most complicated anatomy and disorders of ocular motility and make them easy to understand. Another feature that makes this book so special is the simple way in which the examination is explained, and how symptoms are emphasized as a guiding factor in what the examiner should look for. I often found myself taking notes on the side, and trying to remember all the gems being offered.

Eye Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice is a keeper! I would recommend it to neurology and ophthalmology trainees and senior clinicians alike.

Guenther Deutschl

By David B. Vodušek and Guenther Deutschl

The European Academy of Neurology (EAN) was founded on June 3, 2014, in Istanbul by joint efforts of the two parent societies at their (first and last) Joint Congress of European Neurology, the congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) and the European Neurological Society (ENS)¹. (See also Grisold W, WFN Newsletter http://www.worldneurologyonline.com/article/ens-efns-ean/).

The society is established according to Austrian law, the main goal being to promote “excellence in neurology in Europe.” EAN is a new and vigorous society, which is taking over the good program, functions and initiatives from both parent societies along with the previous EFNS head office in the prestigious Museum District in Vienna, a fine centrally situated “Pentagon” of European neurology, assuring frictionless functioning of the diverse EAN organs.

The bulk of the new group of governing officers, the EAN Board, was elected in June by the hybrid Assembly of Delegates from 45 National European Societies (previously constituting EFNS) and 45 delegates from individual members (elected by the ENS in spring 2013). Prof. Günther Deuschl from Kiel, Germany was elected as president, and the other members of the EAN Board are:

• Vice President: Prof Franz Fazekas, Graz, Austria
• Secretary General: Prof Didier Leys, Lille, France
• Treasurer: Prof Marianne de Visser, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Chair Liaison Committee: Prof David B. VoduÅ¡ek, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Chair Scientific Committee: Prof Antonio Federico, Siena, Italy
• Member at large: Prof Per Soelberg Sørensen, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Board has taken up the reins immediately, and after a call for applications, Dr. Hannah Cock from London, UK, was chosen as chair of the Education Committee, and Prof. Paul Boon from Gent, Belgium, as Chair of the Congress Programme committee. All committees were replenished with committee members by October 2014, with some members continuing from the previously active EFNS/ENS Committees of same name, and a strong representation of new names from all over Europe.

David B. Vodusek

Europe needs strong leadership in the field of neurology. A recent analysis has found the annual costs for neurological diseases in Europe to be  greater than 300.000 Mio €², and this will increase in the years to come as in Europe the population above 65 years as a fraction of those below 65 years will rapidly increase from less than 25 percent in 2015 to more than 52 percent in 2060 ³. The threat of increasing the burden and the costs of disease is the stimulus for politicians to make plans to find solutions, and a chance for EAN to step in and help. The European Commission and the European Parliament have developed programs to support research and development, and over time the amount of money has been steadily increased. The term for the next program “Horizon 2020”⁴ has begun. The amount of money for Horizon 2020 is almost 80 billion €. Of this money 8 billion € are reserved for health research. EAN is ready to help the 19,000-plus European neurologists to meet the challenges of the burden of neurological diseases and to increase their research efforts to fight them.

EAN is aware of the different national schools of neurology, which have also been exported in the last two centuries to many countries worldwide. These different cultures of practicing neurology will be respected and integrated in EAN. We consider such diversities of neurological cultures to be a strength of European neurology. On the other hand, we move forward together to improve quality of care within all countries, and also to establish minimal standards that can objectively be defined on the basis of sound scientific evidence. Thus, the member societies can use them to negotiate for appropriate financial resources in their respective countries.

It is EAN’s purpose to bring European neurologists together. Berlin 2015 will be our first congress, the program is ready and we believe it will aptly demonstrate the richness and quality of European neurology. Participants from all over the world are most welcome, of course! We will hold our EAN congress annually and all new developments in the field of science and healthcare development as relates to neurology will be covered during these congresses. From 2016 in Copenhagen on, each congress will be dedicated to a certain theme. The scientists of Europe and from all over the world will present new insights and we will recruit our best teachers to have the latest knowledge transferred into clinical practice in the teaching courses.

EAN is reinforcing ties to member societies and is paying much attention to increase individual membership, striving to involve neurologists as individual contributors to developing neurology. EAN has already established closer links to the European Association of Young Neurologists and Trainees (EAYNT), and will make sure that the future generations of neurologists feel represented within the society.

EAN is aware of the important cooperation with UEMS, the representative body of all European specialists at the level of European Union, and is cooperating with its Section of Neurology. The main aims of UEMS are harmonization of postgraduate education, ensuring quality control of education, and delivering care to patients all over Europe. One of the great past achievements of the cooperation between the professional  body (Section of Neurology, UEMS) and the scientific society (at that time EFNS and ENS) has been  the organization of the European board examination in neurology, which EAN will continue to support.

EAN has also kept the ties previously established by EFNS to the leading voice of neurological patients in Europe, the European Federation of Neurological (patients’) Associations (EFNA), and is already planning coordinated actions aimed at improving patient care across Europe.

Looking back at the short interval since the establishment of EAN much has already been achieved in the past months, thanks to the good preparatory efforts of the parent societies in the past and the ambitious team leading the European Academy of Neurology.

References:

1. Bassetti C L, R Hughes. The European Academy of neurology is founded: a fundamental step linking the glorious past with our future challenges. Eur J Neurol. 2014 Jun;21(6):809-813
2. Olesen J, Gustavsson A, Svensson M, Wittchen HU, Jonsson B. The economic cost of brain disorders in Europe. Eur J Neurol. 2012 Jan;19(1):155-62
3. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/.
4. COUNCIL DECISION of 3 December 2013 establishing the specific programme implementing Horizon 2020 – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) and repealing Decisions 2006/971/EC.

By Dr. Pamela Noella Correia

I am a young neurologist from India and have just finished my training. I have a keen interest in the field of cerebrovascular disease. It was possible for me to attend the World Stroke Congress in Istanbul in October 2014, due to the World Federation of Neurology Junior Travelling Fellowship. The conference was held at the Halic Congress Centre, very scenically located at the Beyoglu, “The Golden Horn.”

I presented my abstract “Correlation of prothrombotic markers with genetic markers of hypercoagulability in ischemic stroke” under the genetics subsection at the Congress. I also took teaching courses on acute stroke treatment and uncommon causes of stroke. The lectures on translational stroke research and global stroke policies offered a good retrospective. The session on challenges in acute stroke trials also addressed some very important issues that are relevant in the implementation of any trial.

Participation in the WSC presented a unique opportunity to discuss my research in stroke genetics with many delegates from different nationalities from around the world. Such conferences help us to perceive that the world community must stay united across frontiers in search of solutions to problems that we all have: implementation in acute stroke care and improving stroke awareness globally. At the cusp of the matter though, is to address the issues of timeliness of action, intervention and holistic treatment thereby paving the way toward a fuller life after stroke.

It was very encouraging to listen to the results of the MR CLEAN trial (Multicenter Randomized Clinical trial of Endovascular treatment for Acute ischemic stroke in the Netherlands), which were announced on the last day of the congress, and gave new hope in the field of endovascular stroke treatment.

They say that education is never complete without traveling, and so I managed to squeeze in some time into my itinerary to soak up a fair glimpse of the city of Istanbul. The Minia Turk, which was located very close to the congress venue, is a nice park displaying many historical Turkish locations in a miniature form—with cryptic details to encapsulate the significance—so as to flip through a moment in this cradle of civilization. I could traverse the memory lanes of time past: of monuments like Hagia Sofiya and the magnificent Blue Mosque. In the evenings we savored a few delicious Turkish specialties in Taksim.

Overall it was an enthralling experience for me—getting an impetus at the right time in my career and providing me with a better world view of the field of stroke neurology.

As inhabitants of this planet we all have a shared responsibility in the welfare of our fellow beings; as medical professionals, in true Hippocratic traditions, we have a commitment to alleviate the rigors of suffering humanity anywhere and everywhere with our combined resources, knowledge and skills. In this sense I am very grateful to the World Federation of Neurology for their initiatives, graciousness and support.

By Mohamed Albakaye, MD

Left to right: W. Grisold, K. Al Zemmouri, M. Albakaye, C. Hicham, and El Alaoui M at the Maghrebian Congress of Neurology in Agadir, Morocco, November 2014.

I was delighted to be selected for the first WFN training program at Rabat Center. The program is for 10 months of clinical neurophysiology training, from September 2014 to June 2015, in the Department of Neurology at the Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.

Before starting my training, I was given a precise program regarding my training in electromyography and electroencephalography. In September, I began my training in electromyography full time. I examine patients admitted for EMG and then review the EMG examination under the supervision of a teacher.

I also attend the multidisciplinary consultation on myopathies with Prof. Nazha Birouk, who has taught me diagnostic approaches and treatment guidelines for these diseases.

I also participate in various weekly meetings organized in the Hà´spital des Spécialités: the neurophysiological conference,  where cases involving neuromuscular disease or epilepsy are discussed, and the conference on general neurology, where I presented my first case—epilepsy associated with cerebral cavernoma.

In December, with the support of the Moroccan Society of Neurology, I had the opportunity to participate to the Maghrebian Congress of Neurology in Agadir, where for three days I attended high-level scientific conferences and teaching courses.

I thank Prof. Mustapha El Alaoui Faris, Prof. Rida Ouazzani, and all the neurophysiological team for the welcome and mentoring that they have provided for me. I also thank the WFN for supporting my training. I hope that many African neurologists will have the opportunity to enjoy this high-quality scientific training in Rabat.

Russian meeting’s attendance doubles from previous year

By Vladislav Voitenkov, MD, Ph

A large scientific event was held by the Scientific Research Institute of Children’s Infections of Federal Medical-Biological Agency of Russia this November. Clinical Neurophysiology and Neurorehabilitation 2014 (November 25-26) took place in Mosckovskye Vorota Congress Center in St. Petersburg. This event attracted 330 registered participants. Both the attendance and the scale of the scientific program were significantly larger than that of previous year, which attracted 170 registered delegates. This may highlight the growing interest of the neurophysiologists and neurorehabilitation specialists in the event.

The scientific program was organized around specific themes and methods in neurophysiology and neurorehabilitation, which were covered by the plenary lectures and seven symposia. Plenary lectures included such themes as diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in paraneoplastic syndromes (presented by Prof. W. Grisold, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for NeuroOncology, Vienna) and the role and place of classic neurophysiologic methods in modern medicine (presented by Prof. V. Gnezditskiy, Scientific Center of Neurology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow).

Themes of the symposia were scientific and clinical aspects of electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), diagnostic and therapeutic magnetic brain stimulation (TMS) and evoked potentials (EP), neurorehabilitation techniques in children and adults, neuroorthopedics, clinical aspects of functional state of CNS in children with systemic diseases, neurophysiologic monitoring, and ultrasonography of the brain. Ninety-three speakers presented their data on topics listed above. Symposia included talks from leading Russian and overseas speakers, and presentations from early-career researchers whose material had significant impact in their field.

Speakers for the conference were selected from a wide a geographical spread, with no domination of a single institution in any of the symposia. There were four master-classes: EMG, TMS, micropolarization and taping techniques.

There were 143 abstract submissions from authors from Russia and abroad. The distribution across themes is comparable to the distributions of symposia.

Delegates came from more than 100 locations. About 290 delegates were from Russia, and 40 came from locations outside it: Belorussia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria and Germany. This is the first time that so many of international delegates have attended a conference on this topic in Russia. It should be noted that some of the “local” delegates came from far away parts of the country: Far East (Vladivostok) and Siberia (Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, etc).

Feedback from the delegates and speakers about organization of the event was quite positive. The planning process for the next event is underway; we are keen to repeat what was done right, and eager to make it even better. The third conference will take place in St. Petersburg at the end of November 2015.