Commission On Neurobiology

Neurobiology - 2002 Report

Commission Members

Annamaria Vezzani
Asla Pitkanen, Co-Chair
Astrid Nehlig
Brian Meldrum
Claude Wasterlain
Dan McIntyre
Esper Cavalheiro, Co-Chair
Jerome Engel, Jr.
John Jefferys
Luisa Rocha
Massimo Avoli
Michael Gutnick
Pavel Mares
Phillip Schwartzkroin
Roberto Spreafico
Solomon Moshé
Uwe Heinemann
Yoshiya L. Murashima

Activities
2nd Latin American Epilepsy Congress, Iguazu Falls, Brazil, May 2002

The Commission organised two workshops linking basic and clinical aspects of epilepsy:

• Genic therapy in epilepsy
• Epilepsy and hormones: new therapeutic strategies

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

The attendance to all activities was highly expressive.

5th European Meeting on Epileptology, Madrid, Spain, October 2002
A two-hour symposium entitled "Neurobiological basis of drug-resistance and novel therapeutic approaches," coordinated and chaired by Annamaria Vezzani, was organised. The symposium was very successful with a full auditorium.

Neurobiology Commission Meeting, Madrid, Spain, 8 October 2002

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

Neurobiology Commission Meeting, Seattle, USA, 9 December 2002

Among several topics, members present 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 organised by Roberto Spreafico and Christophe Bernard. A homepage with appropriate information (thematic, venue, deadline, etc.) was prepared by the organisers.

Activities during the next IEC in Lisbon

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

• Young Investigator Course
• Workshop: Metabolic and neuronal coupling during status epilepticus and chronic epilepsy
• 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).

Mid-2003 Report

Commission Members

Annamaria Vezzani
Asla Pitkanen, Co-Chair
Astrid Nehlig
Brian Meldrum
Claude Wasterlain
Dan McIntyre
Esper Cavalheiro, Co-Chair
Jerome Engel, Jr.
John Jefferys
Luisa Rocha
Massimo Avoli
Michael Gutnick
Pavel Mares
Phillip Schwartzkroin
Roberto Spreafico
Solomon Moshé
Uwe Heinemann
Yoshiya L. Murashima

Activities
WONOEP 2003

Following the ILAE-IBE decision of moving the IEC from Tunis to Lisbon, Portugal, the ILAE Neurobiology Commission devoted its activities for preparing the next WONOEP in a place near Lisbon. WONOEP will be held 8-10 October 2003 at the Hotel Villa Gale in Ericeira. As at the last WONOEP in Iguazu, in addition to the plenary sessions, there will be a poster session devoted to the young investigators. Roberto Spreafico and Christophe Bernard have selected the speakers for the three-day meeting.

IEC - Lisbon

The Neurobiology Commission proposed to the Scientific Committee of the next IEC the organisation of three workshops devoted to the basic aspects of epilepsy. Two of them were accepted, one organised by Nico Moshé and another organised by Uwe Heineman. The course for young investigators will be held on Sunday, 12 October. Topics for this course were selected by Roberto Spreafico and Christophe Bernard.

3rd Latin American Epilepsy Congress

A first meeting was held in Mexico City (May 2003). It was decided that the meeting will possibly occur in July 2004. Topics were selected and Luisa Rocha, our representative in LA meetings, prepared a mini-WONOEP "Neuroplasticity and Epilepsy" (as in the II LA Congress) and one workshop devoted to "Experimental Epilepsy." These suggestions were submitted to the Scientific Committee and we are still waiting for a positive answer. In addition, Luisa Rocha will chair one of the main sessions on Pharmacogenetics & Pharmacoresistance.

6th European Meeting on Epileptology, Vienna, Austria, May 2004

Annamaria Vezzani is responsible for the main symposium in Basic Science. As in recent previous meetings, the ILAE Neurobiology Commission will organise a Neurobiology Symposium chaired by Gynther Sperk on "Antiepileptic Peptides." Speakers include Sperk (Austria), Dournaud (France), Kokaia (Sweden), Vezzani (Italy), and Beck-Sickinger (Germany).

Future Activities

We are planning a meeting of the Neurobiology Commission to occur in Lisbon during the next IEC. As soon as we have the date and place for this meeting, we will spread this information among the members.

Date: 5 August 2003
Report by: Esper Cavalheiro