European elections: developments in EU institutions Even though summer has arrived in Brussels, activities have not slowed down at EU level and there have been significant changes in leadership announced. Below is an overview of the main developments in the ‘EU Bubble’ following the EU Elections of last May

31 July 2019: Alzheimer Europe' adds new trials to its Clinical Trials Watch resource

In 2018, EBC launched a wide range of events, projects and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting brain research and addressing the disease burden of mental and neurological conditions.

It was a great honor for me to be awarded with the European Academy of Neurology Research Experience Fellowship. During my Fellowship I was for six months (January 2019 to June 2019) at the Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany to perform the project “Transorbital Sonography in patients with Optic Neuritis”.

Please find below recent articles from Swiss authors that have been published in the European Journal of Neurology.

 “SILENTLY LOSING THE BRAIN – The enigma of small vessel disease” Come to Copenhagen for the next Brain Prize Meeting in November 2019. With international keynote speakers, including the 2019 prize winners, the Lundbeck Foundation Brain Prize Meeting aims to bring a broad range of researchers to discuss why small vessel disease has emerged as a major contributor to dementia, migraine and stroke worldwide.

Founded in1996, the European Institute of Women’s Health (EIWH) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and registered charity. The Institute uses an evidence-based approach to advocate for equitable, sex- and gender-sensitivity in health policy, research, promotion, treatment and care.  It also promotes biomedical and socio-economic research that addresses sex and gender-based differences to ensure access to quality treatment and care for women across their lifespan. 

It is my pleasure to introduce the backbone of our society, the Scientific Panels, to you in my role as the Scientific Committee Chair. EAN Scientific Panels cover a wide range of subspecialties and play a significant role in the EAN everyday activities. These member-led groups are a perfect opportunity to network with colleagues

For September 2019, we have selected two scientific papers with a common theme: Goadsby et al., Trial of galcanezumab in prevention of episodic cluster headache NEJM 2019; 381: 132-41, and Lipton et al., Rimegepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, for migraine NEJM 2019; 381: 142-9.

Switzerland is a beautiful country in the heart of Europe, stretching east to west from the lake of Constance to the lake of Geneva, and north to south from the river Rhine to the lago maggiore. Switzerland encompasses wonderful sceneries in the Alps, the middle lands and the Jura, which offer all kinds of outdoor activities in summer and winter, but also countless cultural events in his small but also metropolitan cities. Switzerland is a successful example that a multilingual and multicultural country can work. German, French, Italian and Roman are the national languages, and, with a population of 8.42 million inhabitants, Switzerland hosts more than 25% of foreign inhabitants from all over the world, all contributing to a beautiful, colorful and multicultural country, which regardless is deep-rooted in his traditions of independence, liberty, and direct democracy.

The European Medicines Agency has recommended that the multiple sclerosis medicine Gilenya (fingolimod) must not be used in pregnant women and in women able to have children who are not using effective contraception. If a woman becomes pregnant while using Gilenya, the medicine must be stopped and the pregnancy will have to be closely monitored. This is because the active substance in Gilenya, fingolimod, can harm the unborn baby and may cause birth defects.

Cognitive functioning and multimodal neuroimaging in narcolepsy type 1

During the Assembly of Delegates at the Oslo Congress, Professor Deuschl acknowledged Professor Hannah Cock’s longstanding tribute to EAN and her outstanding achievements in the Education Committee.

The Scientific Committee is fully committed to a great mission: To increase and share the best clinical knowledge and the cutting-edge information from translational research in all neurological fields. Main actions are i) to facilitate exchanges and synergies with the Scientific Panels ii) to support the Guideline Production Group (update and diffusion of expertise and best clinical practice), iii) to interact positively with other scientific societies with reciprocal exchanges and liaise with the European Affairs sub-Committee to increase the awareness of Neurology in Europe.

The purpose is to support training and experience for European Neurologists in any area of basic or clinical or applied research in neuroscience. The research work must be carried out at a European academic neurological department outside the country of residence. All applications should demonstrate experience/training of clear value to the home department/individual beyond that available in their own countries/institutions.