Commission On Neurobiology

International League Against Epilepsy/ Neurobiology Commission

2002 Report

Commission Members:

Annamaria Vezzani
Asla Pitkanen (co-chair)
Astrid Nehlig
Brian Meldrum
Claude Wasterlain
Dan McIntyre
Esper Cavalheiro (co-chair)
Jerome (Pete) Engel Jr.
John Jefferys
Luisa Rocha
Massimo Avoli
Michael Gutnick
Pavel Mares
Phillip Schwartzkroin
Roberto Spreafico
Solomon (Nico) Moshe
Uwe Heinemann
Yoshiya L. Murashima

Activities:

2nd LatinAmerican Epilepsy Congress, Iguazu Falls, Brazil, May 2002

The Commission organized 2 workshops linking basic and clinical aspects of epilepsy:

1. Genic therapy in epilepsy
2. Epilepsy and hormones: new therapeutic strategies

A mini-WONOEP devoted to young researchers from Latin America was also organized.

The attendance to all activities was highly expressive.

5th European Meeting on Epileptology, Madrid, Spain, October 2002

A 2-h symposium entitled "Neurobiological basis of drug-resistance and novel therapeutic approaches", coordinated and chaired by Dr. Annamaria Vezzani, was organized. The symposium was very successful with a full auditorium.

Neurobiology Commission Meeting, Madrid, Spain, 8 October 2002

The major focus in the agenda was in the forthcoming WONOEP meeting in connection of the main ILAE meeting in Tunis. Also, proposals for courses/symposia for the main meeting in Tunis were prepared.

Neurobiology Commission Meeting, Seattle, USA, 9 December 2002

Among several topics, members presented at the meeting expressed their concerns about Tunis/Tozeur as appropriate places for the next IEC/WONOEP meeting. The idea of an International Brain Bank was also discussed and a proposal is being prepared by Roberto Spreafico, Asla Pitkanen and Pete Engel.

Future activities

WONOEP 2003

The next WONOEP, to be held some days before the forthcoming International Epilepsy Congress, is being organized by Roberto Spreafico and Christophe Bernard. A homepage with appropriate information (thematic, venue, deadline, etc) was prepared by the organizers.

Activities during the next IEC in Tunis

The following activities were suggested by the Commission and approved by the Scientific Committee of the next IEC:

1. Young Investigator Course

2. Workshop: Metabolic and neuronal coupling during status epilepticus and chronic epilepsy

3. Workshop: Benchmarks for epilepsy research from CURE

2004 Regional Congresses (Latin American and European)

The participation of our Commission in regional meetings is already being prepared by Luisa Rocha (Latin American) and Annamaria Vezzani (European).

Annual Report 2002 Table of Contents