Document Download: World Neurology - February 2021

Published by Ascend Integrated Media LLC, Kansas, USA

From the editors

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

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. •

Highlights

President's Column

• Prospects for 2021
  

  By William M. Carroll

  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.

From the WFN

• Notice of Elections for 2021

  This October, at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Council of Delegates (COD), elections will be held for the following positions: President, First Vice President, and One Elected Trustee.

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

  Commentary 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 organisation 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.

• New Award for WFN Service
  

  By Ryuji Kaji MD, First Vice President, WFN

  To recognise particular service of merit by members or employees of the WFN, the WFN Meritorious Service Award has been created

• Submit Abstracts and Join Us at WCN 2021 in Rome
  

  By Ryuji Kaji MD, First Vice President, WFN

  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.

• Standards & Evaluations Committee and the Tropical and Geographical Neurology Specialty Group
  

  By Wolfgang Grisold

  The important task of the WFN Standards & EvaluationsCommittee is to evaluate applications from international or national neurological congresses and any other scientific meetings in neurosciences in classical forms and as virtual meetings, that apply for WFN accreditation and endorsement.

  The Tropical Neurology Specialty Group is the oldest WFN research group established in 1961.

History

• Visions or Auras? - A case study from the High Middle Ages
  

  By Peter J. Koehler

  In a newly founded monastery (1150), texts had been written and the music composed by the abbess founder, an extraordinary woman, who had entered the Benedictine monastery at the age of eight (1206) and became magistra in 1136. She experienced visual disturbances from age 3 that, years later, she interpreted as sacred visions.

Department Visit

• Report From Morocco Trainees in 2020

  By Dr. Olivier Kapto and Dr. Ratsitohara Santatra Razafindrasata

  We are both interested in clinical neurophysiology and are happy to have benefited from the World Federation of Neurology's (WFN's) one-year fellowship at the neurophysiology unit of Ibn Sina Teaching School in Rabat, Morocco. Many learning activities are usual in the department: EEG staff with review of clinical cases, interpretation and literature review every Wednesday morning; general staff to discuss EEG-video cases for epilepsy surgery and electroneuromyography review of weekly cases about clinical, technical, and interpretation aspects every Thursday afternoon.

Around the World

• National Brain Week 2020 in India
  

  By Chandrashekahr Meshram, Jmk Murthy, Nirmal Surya, U Meenakshisundaram and Gagandeep Singh

  Taking inspiration from the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), the Indian Academy of Neurology has been organising public education and awareness programs on brain health and brain diseases during National Brain Week for the last seven years with Chandrashekhar Meshram as the convener. The activity is held with the academy's Foundation Day, which is Dec. 16.

• Inspiring People in Neurosciences
  

  By Chandrashekahr Meshram

  After the hugely successful educational neuro-infection series with 16 fascinating sessions, the World Federation of Neurology's Tropical and Geographical Neurology Specialty Group in collaboration with the Indian Academy of Neurology is organising a new series. "Inspiring People in Neurosciences" explore legends who have done great work in the field of neurosciences.