EAN Congress news

Prof. Bruno Bonaz from Grenoble discussed the role of vagal nerve in the context of the gut-brain axis. It is very well known that the vagal nerve belongs to the parasympathetic nervous system and is a major component of autonomic nervous system. The vagal nerve has a dual role in the anti-inflammatory gut-brain axis with its afferent fibres via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and its efferent fibres via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.

A common and well-defined language/ontology is needed to consistently build and communicate new knowledge. The EEG literature has for many years been confounded by different classification systems hampering progress in the field. Standardized Computer-based Organized Reporting of EEG (SCORE) and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society’s standardized critical care EEG terminology have established a platform facilitating progress in EEG diagnostics.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a promising treatment option for multiple sclerosis (MS). The premise of the treatment is that the self-reactive immune response is eradicated by chemotherapy, and that the immune system is "reset" after reinfusion of autologous hematopoietic stem cells, producing an immune system that is less self-reactive.

Urgent need for new treatment strategies in epilepsy About one third of all epilepsy patients are not seizure free. This has not improved much over the last 50 years despite nearly 30 new antiepileptic drugs. It is therefore an urgent need for new treatment strategies.

This plenary symposium captured the overarching theme of the Congress. Professor Vezzani from Milan began by discussing neuroinflammatory pathways as treatment targets and biomarker candidates in epilepsy. There is evidence for oxidative stress and neuroinflammatory responses in various forms of epilepsy, from animal models and surgical resection specimens, with microglial activation, extravasation of albumin, and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 1-beta.

The Brain Prize Lecture: The prodromal cellular phase of Alzheimer’s disease (AD): toward a novel understanding of the disorder Charles Edouard Brown-Séquard Lecture: Do we need to reinvent translational cerebrovascular research? The Moritz Romberg Lecture: Translational neuroscience to improve outcomes for MND: are we winning?

The Charles Edouard Brown-Séquard Lecture at EAN 2019 was delivered by Prof. Ulrich Dirnagl, who had a chat with EAN eCommunciations Board Co-Chair, PD DR. Tim von Oertzen about his work.

Prof. Claudio Bassetti, President Elect of EAN, met with Prof. Bart de Strooper winner of the Lundbeck Foundation's Brain Prize 2018

Following her lecture at EAN 2019 in Oslo, Dr. Tom Jenkins, EAN eCommunciations board member and incoming editor-in-chief of EANpages, spoke to Prof. Dame Pamela Shaw following her Moritz Romberg Lecture at EAN 2019.

Prof. Anne Hege Aamodt discussed the perspective of challenges in Neurology in Norway. She is the President of the Norwegian Neurological Association and Consultant at the Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital. She has 2 children. She highlighted the importance to organize some specific neurology rota during the residency for female colleagues.

Prof. Hugh Willison from Glasgow discussed the pathogenesis of immune-mediated neuropathies, focusing especially on GBS. New inputs are the uptake of GM1 antibodies into spinal cord/motor roots, glycoarray techniques to detect antibodies against gangliosides -complexes, and neuropathies related to immune check-point inhibitors.

The joint special session of the corresponding members to EAN and AFAN was dedicated to “Intractable epilepsies”. The session was chaired by Prof. Jean-Michel Vallat (Limoges, France) and Prof. Erich Schmutzhard (Innsbruck, Austria).

Professor Schneider spoke about metabolic movement disorders using a treatment-based approach, with Wilson’s disease, PKAN, GLUT1-spectrum disorders, Gaucher and GBA-associated Parkinson’s disease as examples.

Biomarkers in degenerative dementia: news and views from the European Dementia with Lewy Body (DLB) Consortium This symposium was co-chaired by Flavio Nobilli, from Genova, and Dag Aarsland, from London.

In this session, excellent speakers reviewed the past, present and future of headache treatment, starting from headache pathophysiology and explaining where do the different therapies act specifically.