EPNS Research Meeting 2012 14 / 15 Dec 2012

EPNS Research Meeting 2012
14. / 15. Dec 2012
Beuggen – Rheinfelden Germany, near Basel

Main topics for talks:
Epilepsy
Ataxia
Research groups:
ADHD
Ataxia
Autoimmune-inflammatory diseases
Developmental Neurology
Epilepsy
Neonatal Neurology, Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection 
Neurometabolic diseases 
Neuromuscular diseasesDear Colleagues

We are very happy to invite you to the 3rd Research Conference of the EPNS in joined organization with the Statuskonferenz der Gesellschaft für Neuropädiatrie. We will meet from 14/15th of 
December 2012 in Beuggen, a nice cloister close to Rheinfelden/Basel. We hope that this  environment will stimulate international collaborations and research in Paediatric Neurology. 

There will be again eight different working groups: 

1. Ataxia
2. Autoimmun-inflammatory diseases 
3. ADHD (new)
4. Developmental Neurology
5. Epilepsy
6. Neonatal Neurology, Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection
7. Neurometabolic diseases
8. Neuromuscular diseases

The leaders of these working groups have put together a short description of their respective themes and goals, which you can find in the latter part of this invitation. If you would like to participate actively in the preparation of a specific working group, feel free to contact your chair person!. We also hope that it will be possible for you to encourage young colleagues to join us for this meeting. It would be a unique opportunity for them to join a research group or to start their own project within the field with some support from an experienced researcher in the field. As usual there are also three plenary sessions, which this year will be organised from the group of 
ataxia and epilepsy. In these talks we try to give you an insight into hot research topics in the field.  At the final discussion each group will present their working group summary. There will again be an award of the EPNS research prize for the group with the most outstanding and innovative ideas for future research.

Concerning housing we have the possibility to accommodate 62 persons for sleeping in the cloister and additional rooms in a nearby hotel. This will be in one bed-, two bed- and some multi-bed rooms at a reduced rate. Please indicate your preferred type of accommodation (and room sharing) on the registration form. Room reservation will work on a first come-first serve basis. 

We hope that we succeeded in putting together an interesting and stimulating program for all of us and that we will see many young as well as advanced researchers over these two days in Beuggen. 

We are looking forward to meeting you again.
Sincerely yours,

Prof. Dr. med. Barbara Plecko-Startinig 
Prof. Dr. med. Bernhard Schmitt Prof. 
Dr.med. Maja Steinlin

PROGRAM

PROGRAM PAEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Beuggen, Germany, December 14-15, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
12.00-13.00 Arrival Registration Lunch
13.00-13.15 Welcome
13.15-13.45
Plenary Lecture Ataxia
Cerebellar and brainstem malformations: news form the Italian Registry
Enza Maria Valente, Rom (I) 
13.45-14.15 Genetics of ataxia in children: update from recent research
Andrea Nemeth, Oxford (GB) 
14.15-15.30 Working groups 1-8
15.30-16.00 Coffee Break
16.00-19.00 Working groups 1-8
19.30 Get together and Dinner
Followed by
Informal discussions over a glass of wine
Saturday, December 15, 2012
08.30-09.30 Working groups
09.30-10.00 
Plenary Lecture Epilepsy
Sleep, Epilepsy and Cognitive Function 
Reto Huber, Zürich (CH)
10.00-10.30 Neuromics Research Project
Volker Straub, Newcastle upon Tyn (GB)
10.30-11.00 Coffee Break
11.00-13.00 Presentations and Discussions of working groups 1-8
13.00-13.30 Final discussion 
Award of the EPNS Research Prize
13.30 Lunch/Farewell

Working groups and their topics - see also special flyers of different working groups!

Neonatal Neurology, Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection 
Chair: Regina Trollmann (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
The discussion will cover newest research data on models of perinatal brain hypoxia and ischemia, their effects and their contribution to clarify the pathophysiology of hypoxic ischemic brain injury.You are welcome to bring your own ideas, to inform about your own model, to get help in choosing an appropriate model for your own research questions. Information on neuroprotective strategies will be shared and possible joint research on neuroprotectives in asphyxia will be discussed.

Metabolics
Chairs: Linda De Meirleir (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Barbara Plecko (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

This year the metabolic group will focus on basal ganglia diseases. Following two invited lectures on  neuroimaging as well as Leigh Disease, the group will try to work on guidelines for pattern recognition and a standardized metabolic and genetic work-up. Participants are kindly invited to present unsolved cases and to found a collaborative network for unclear basal ganglia disease of probable genetic background.

Ataxia
Chair: Peter Baxter (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Results of the validation of the SARA scale by Deborah Sival will be presented. Instructions on SARA scale will be given, followed by discussion on how to proceed for validation within different countries (cultures) and also interrater viability. Update on the Eurataxia database – and information on how to join the database from different centres. 

Developmental Neurology
Developmental Neurology comprises traditionally two focuses:
1.Systemic Neurology / Clinical Neurophysiology / Functional Imaging

Chair: Volker Mall 
(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
The focus of this group are techniques of advanced imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation (and other techniques of clinical neurophysiology), evaluation of neuronal plasticity, early brain (re-)organisation and the context of brain structure and function. Further clinical issues of cerebral palsy are a focus of this group, especially quality of life evaluation, hip development as well as epidemiology.

2.The more classical Developmental Neurology (evaluation, outcome and intervention in 
Developmental Disorders)
Chair: Joachim Pietz (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
A key issue of infant and developmental neurology are the best methods to investigate infants and toddlers. It has been recognized that many classical and well-established parts of neurodevelopmental examinations unfortunately exhibit only low prognostic values. We will present some new developments and results in the area of infant assessment, and hope to share it with other groups working in this field. 

Neuromuscular group
Chair: Volker Straub (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
The Neuromuscular Working Group aims to discuss the latest research developments and plans relevant for the diagnosis, care and treatment of paediatric neuromuscular diseases. The discussion will focus on the application of new omics approaches, current and future clinical trials andinternational neuromuscular projects funded by the EU. The working group session will also provide an opportunity for scientists and clinicians to present own research ideas and results.

Autoimmune inflammatory diseases
Chair: Kevin Rostasy, Banu Anlar, Martin Häusler (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
"Participants of the autoimmune / inflammatory working group will have the opportunity to present 
own projects. The working group will also work on one specific scientific topic which remains to be 
defined. Proposals are still welcome."

Epilepsy
Chair: Alexis Arzimanoglou (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Helen Cross (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
During the epilepsy working group meeting, new international research projects as well as the progress on previously presented projects can be discussed. There will also be an update on the EPNS epilepsy registry (a prospective database collecting clinical data in children presenting with epilepsy below the age of 1 year) , recently launched and involving already now more than 25 centers throughout Europe. More specifically, there will be a last review of the most important items in the database before a final European launch in January 2013. Two other European projects, coordinated by the Utrecht Group (Time to Stop Trial on discontinuation of AEDs following epilepsy surgery and a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial on Treatment of Electrical Status Epilepticus in Sleep – ESES) will be presented and discussed.

Attention Deficit Disorder (new working group!)
Chair: Manuel Antonio Fernandez (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

In this new working group will try to bring together professionals from different areas to share experiences and work on developing unified programs of assistance, research and teaching in various 
aspects of interest in ADHD. Will address the main issues of interest including genetics, neuroimaging, new technologies in clinical care and seek to join forces to ensure better diagnosis and treatment of these patients. All stakeholders are invited to participate actively in this group with the intention of creating a network of experts to standardize the criteria for ADHD care in different countries

If you would like to participate actively in preparation of your workshop or if you would like to present something during your workshop please get into contact with the chair of your working group directly.On the homepage of the EPNS and GNP more detailed programs of some working groups will be updated on a regular base as the information is provided by the chairs of the working group.

http://www.epns.info/ http://www.neuropaediatrie.com

This information will be updated on a monthly base till November 2012.

Organization committee
Prof. Dr. med. Barbara Plecko-Startinig
Extraordinariat Neuropädiatrie
Kinderspital Zürich
Universität Zürich 
Steinwiesstrasse 75
8032 Zürich 
Tel.: +41 44 266 73 30
Fax: +41 44 266 71 63
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Prof. Dr. med. Bernhard Schmitt
Leitender Arzt 
EEG/Epilepsie Abteilung
Kinderspital Zürich
Universität Zürich
Steinwiesstrasse 75
8032 Zürich
Tel +41 44 266 75 92
Fax +41 44 266 71 65
bernhard.schmitt kispi.uzh.ch

Prof. Dr.med. Maja Steinlin
Abteilungsleiterin 
Abteilung Neuropädiatrie, Entwicklung und 
Rehabilitation
Universitätsklinik für Kinderheilkunde
Inselspital
3010 Bern
Tel +41 31 632 94 24
Fax +41 31 632 95 00
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Secretary
Marianne Probst
Abteilung Neuropädiatrie, Entwicklung und Rehabilitation
Universitätsklinik für Kinderheilkunde
Inselspital
3010 Bern
Tel +41 31 632 94 24
Fax +41 31 632 95 00
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.