Document Download: World Neurology - Winter 2019

Published by Ascend Integrated Media LLC, Kansas, USA

From the editors

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

We would like to welcome all of you to this issue of World Neurology, the official newsletter of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), and the first issue since returning from the very successful 24th World Congress of Neurology (WCN) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the end of October 2019. As such, much of this issue is devoted to highlighting the many activities of this remarkable Congress, including the detailed report/President's Column from WFN President Dr. William Carroll, who also highlights and details the many outstanding plenary sessions that the thousands of delegates who attended the WCN were privileged to attend, as well as the press releases and activities that informed countless others around the world. Dr Richard Stark, WFN Treasurer, provides his report of the exciting and highly attended Tournament of the Minds that culminated in a nailbiting final event that occurred just prior to the closing ceremony of the Congress. We've also chosen some representative images of the many activities that occurred during the WCN in a photo montage that we hope provides a flavour of the breadth of this important and remarkable international neurologic event.

With regard to other recent neurologic meetings, Drs Sergei V. Lobzin, V. Goldobin, and N. Tcinzerling report on the many activities, and the historical significance of, the 21st Davidenkov Readings Neurological Congress that was held in St. Petersburg, Russia in September 2019. Dr Martin Krenn and WFN Secretary-General Wolfgang Grisold report on the Oxford Muscle Symposium, highlighting the historically significant presentation by Dr. Ikuya Nonaka on neuromuscular diseases in Japan and their discovery. In addition, Drs Gagandeep Singh, Satish Khadilkar, and Sita Jayalakshmi provide their detailed report of the 27th Annual Meeting of the Indian Academy of Neurology held in early October 2019 in Hyderabad, India.

This month's history column, by Dr. Peter Koehler, focuses on the history of the concept of the localization of vital neurologic functions, especially related to concepts regarding this localization to the cerebellum versus the medulla. Also in this issue, Drs Jon Stone, Alan Carson, and Mark Hallett announce the creation of a new international organization devoted to functional neurologic disorders, and invite interested neurologists worldwide to join.

In concluding, it was wonderful seeing so many neurologists from around the globe (and of all stages of training and career) in Dubai, and we want everyone to start "saving the date" for the next WCN that will be held in Rome in early October 2021. Planning is already underway for what promises to be another highly attended and highly successful international meeting of the minds for all neurologists from across the globe. •

Highlights

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

By William Carroll

• XXIV World Congress of Neurology in Dubai

  The Dubai World Congress of Neurology (WCN) was held Oct. 27-31 and was an outstanding success. On behalf of the organizing committees, I congratulate all those who worked so hard to ensure it was a successful congress and all those who participated in it to share and contribute to the success.

• Tournament of the Minds

  The Tournament of the Minds was held at the 2019 World Congress of Neurology (WCN) in Dubai and was an outstanding success. Fifteen teams participated in the initial round, which was a record.

• The Sights from WCN 2019

JUNIOR TRAVELING FELLOWSHIPS

• Announcement: Junior Traveling Fellowships 2020

  By Steven Lewis, Chair of the WFN Education Committee
  
  The WFN is offering Junior Traveling Fellowships for young neurologists from countries classified by the World Bank as low or lower-middle-income to attend approved international meetings.

• The Future of Neurology in India

  By Gagandeep Singh, Satish Khadilkar, and Sita Jayalakshmi
  
  The 27th Annual Conference of the Indian Academy of Neurology took place Oct. 3-6 in Hyderabad, India. The event, the most exalted professional event for the over 2,000 strong neurologists' community in India, lasted for four days. READ MORE

THE FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER SOCIETY (FNDS)

• A New Organization for an Old Disorder

  By Jon Stone, Alan Carson, and Mark Hallett
  
  Functional symptoms and disorders should be familiar to any practising neurologist. The patient has a genuine and disabling symptom, such as limb weakness, tremor, blackouts, or dizziness, but the clinical history and examination shows positive evidence that the symptom is a disorder of function, not structure.

• XXI Davidenkov Readings Neurological Congress: St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

  By Sergei V. Lobzin, V. Goldobin, and N. Tcinzerling
  
  The XXI annual Davidenkov Readings Neurological Congress took place on the Sept. 26-27 in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. The meeting is named in honour of the prominent Russian neurologist Prof. Sergei Davidenkov (1880-1961), who made substantial contributions to the development of neurogenetics and neuromuscular diseases.

HISTORY

• Early Ideas on the Localization of Vital Functions

  By Peter J. Koehler
  
  Nowadays, physicians know that spontaneous or (rarely) traumatic cerebellar haemorrhage may be lethal by causing hydrocephalus or brainstem compression. In the past, these observations were interpreted in a way that the cerebellum was considered an organ of vital importance.

• The Nonaka Lecture at the 2019 Oxford Muscle Symposium

  By Martin Krenn and Wolfgang Grisold
  
  The Oxford muscle symposium is an annual meeting of muscle specialists under the leadership of David Hilton Jones and Monika Hofer. This year's meeting took place July 12-13 in Worcester College in Oxford, United Kingdom. READ MORE