Title of the project: “Clinical utility of electric source imaging of ictal and inter-ictal signals in pre-surgical evaluation of patients with epilepsy”.
I completed Dr. DB Gupta/EAN research experience fellowship 2016 in the Epilepsy center (Epilepsihospitalet) Filadelfia, Dianalund, Denmark under Professor Sandor Beniczky. It was my first ever visit to abroad which gave me the learning experience of all the processes apart from successful completion of the project. The fellowship was for the 6 months but was modified in two visits of 3 months (at least 6 months apart) due to technical issues related with Danish visa. However, this modification favored me to collect 1-year outcome data and strengthened my project.
This fellowship is a wonderful joint initiative by EAN/Lupin for the Indian medical professionals. I acknowledge the fact that EAN had not only been the body to select and fund the project but had also been supportive to solve the technical problems faced by me from application process to obtaining visa. I extend my sincere gratitude to EAN and specially Dr. Hannah Cock for providing me the links to contact various places in the European union to complete the application process. I got acceptance letter from Dr. Sandor Beniczky from Denmark who was also kind enough to edit my project which I could submit in time. Later, I received acceptance from Neurology, medical university Innsbruck, Austria too. I thank Dr. Gerhard Luef for considering my project, though I could not work with him. It was a joyful moment to me upon hearing from EAN about my selection on 27.07. 2016. The EAN again helped me in getting Danish visa by granting necessary documents upon my request. I thank a lot whole EAN team.
I have interest in epilepsy and electrophysiology hence I wanted to carry out a project on electroencephalography. The electric source imaging from EEG was new and fascinating to me. I found in Dr. Sandor a great teacher with sound knowledge of the subject, a masterly expert in electrophysiology whether it is cerebral or neuromuscular and a very gentle human being who was always ready to discuss and sort out project related issues or personal problems despite his very busy schedule of every day. I saw well equipped electrophysiology labs along with high density EEG recording unit in the electrophysiology center there. I worked with Dr. Sandor on electric source imaging from low density as well as high density EEG data. I used to read EEGs with him and spent a lot of time in reading EEGs during my first visit. Also, I used to attend teaching classes held at the center time to time apart from working on the project. My first 3 months visit involved collection of data, tabulations and analysis and 2nd visit involved collection of 1-year post surgery outcome data, few pending data of intracranial EEGs and manuscript writing. I found all the other faculty members – Dr. Jørgen Alving, Dr. Elena Gardella, Dr. Daniella Terney and Dr. Pirgit Meritam very friendly and supportive during my whole stay. Although, I spent time mostly working on the project with Dr. Sandor but I could see good EEG cases with Dr. Elena and Dr.Deniella too. I still remember the very interesting case of Jeavons syndrome illustrated and taught by Dr. Jørgen Alving. The other members of the electrophysiology center were also very humble and cooperative and made me feel like home away from home. I thank all of them from my core of heart.
Finally, I would like to say that it was a successful research fellowship which ended up with submission of the manuscript for the publication before me leaving Denmark. I thank the Electrophysiology center Epilepsihospitalet, Filadelfia, Dianalund, Denmark and EAN/Lupin for the same and extend best wishes to the future fellows.
