World Federation of Neurology News

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and The Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (The Neuro), together with the Canadian Neurological Society (CNS), are pleased to invite two colleagues from Central or South America, and one neurology trainee or junior faculty from Africa to visit the Neurology Department of The Neuro at McGill University in Quebec, Canada.

The issue begins with the President's Column, where WFN President Dr. Wolfgang Grisold updates on many of the current and evolving global activities, major events, and projects that the WFN is involved in. Kimberly Karlshoej, WFN strategy and program director, updates us on the Intersectorial Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurologic Disorders (IGAP) 2022-2031 and its recent adoption by the World Health Assembly.

In this month’s Neurology and COVID-19 review, we’ve included several topics that have arisen in the literature and news, including new updates regarding long COVID/PASC and neurologic outcomes of infants born to mothers with COVID-19.

Post-acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) or long COVID continues to be a puzzling entity; however, numerous new studies are underway to help better understand the nature of this syndrome and the mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis, including neurologic aspects. This month, the initial findings from the University of San Diego NeuCOVID longitudinal cohort study was published, describing the neurologic manifestations in two cohorts: patients referred to the  Neurology department after recovering from COVID-19, and patients with pre-existing neurologic disorders who subsequently were diagnosed with COVID-19.  In this cohort of 56 patients, fatigue was the most commonly reported symptom at baseline (89.3%), followed by headache (80.4%), insomnia (66.1%), and memory impairment (64.3%).

The adoption of IGAP results from years of work and consultations with WFN, other members of the Global Neurological Alliance, the WHO Secretariat and the Member States.