We'd like to welcome all readers to the October-November 2024 issue of World Neurology. In this issue's President's Column, Prof. Wolfgang Grisold provides his updates on several ongoing activities, such as the outcome of the Council of Delegates (COD) meeting in September, including the results of the trustee election, and the addition of Ghana as the 125th neurologic society in the World Federation (WFN). The President's Column also details the recent changes to the WFN bylaws.
Prof. Grisold also reports on the status of the recent WFN Digital Neurology Updates (WNU), the ongoing Global Advocacy and Leadership Program (GALP) with the WFN and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and other current global initiatives.
This issue also includes early reports of the activities that surrounded World Brain Day 2024, including a report from Tunisia by Prof. Riadh Gouider, co-chair of the WFN Education Committee, and personal reflections about World Brain Day from World Brain Day co-chair, Prof. TissaWijeratne. In a related story, a protégé of Prof. Wijeratne, high school student Sarah McPartland from Victoria, Australia, outlines World Brain Day activities achievable in the secondary school and community level with excellent mentorship and support.
In this issue's History column, Dr.Peter Koehler describes the fascinating history of organ-based extracts, including the pineal gland, for therapeutic interventions for disorders of the nervous system. Dr. Aida Suárez-González, Prof.Morris Freedman, Prof. Manabu Ikeda, Dr. Yutaka Tanaka, Prof. Masaru Mimura, and Prof. Suvarna Alladi chronicle the many activities at the biennial meeting of the WFN Aphasia, Dementia, and Cognitive Disorders Specialty Group that took place in April in Nara, Japan. This issue also includes exciting announcements by Prof. Carlos N. Ketzoian for two upcoming international courses on neuroepidemiology, sponsored by the WFN Specialty Group on Neuroepidemiology.
Also in this issue, Prof. Raad Shakir, on behalf of the WFN Nominating Committee, presents an important call for nominations for the WFN positions that will be elected in 2025. Dr. Dilraj Singh Sokhi describes a neurology teaching course in two centers in Uganda as an example of international collaboration. Thanks to all neurologists and neurologic trainee readers in all regions of the world for their interest in the WFN and World Neurology. We look forward to continuing to share more details about the many upcoming activities for neurologists worldwide in upcoming issues. •
By Steven L. Lewis, MD, Editor, and Walter Struhal, MD, Co-Editor
Published by Ascend Integrated Media LLC, Kansas, USA
Highlights
President's Column
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WFN Digital Update and a Recap of the Council of Delegates Meeting ⧉
By Wolfgang GrisoldThe World Federation of Neurology (WFN) now has 125 members, as we welcome our latest addition, Ghana. The WHO has 194 member states, which leaves 69 more members to become part of WFN. The WFN owns several publications, including World Neurology (WN), which has an estimated readership of 25,000. WN focuses on news from the scientific societies, updates on developments, regional issues, and historical content, among other topics.
The WFN Committees and Specialty Groups
- World Federation of Neurology Election 2025 ⧉
By Raad Shakir CBEThe World Federation of Neurology (WFN) is truly global with 125 member societies. The organization is run by seven elected trustees. Four of them are termed officers: the president, vice president, secretary general and treasurer, with three others termed elected trustees. It is crucial to point out that the WFN is run by all the trustees with equal voting rights. In case of a tie, the president casts the deciding vote. The WFN operations depend on the quality and fair representation of the seven trustees. When deemed appropriate, two additional non- elected trustees can be co-opted for one year at a time. The composition of the trustees in turn depends on the good judgment, sense of fairness, and equity of member societies to pursue and elect trustees who will represent this global organization to further its goals and to clearly reflect geographic and gender diversity.
- First Caucasus Region Course of Neuroepidemiology ⧉
By Carlos N. Ketzoian
The First Caucasus Region Course of Neuroepidemiology will take place Dec. 8-14, 2024, in Yerevan, Armenia. It will be the first time the course has taken place in the Asian-Oceania region of the WFN Member Societies. For years, the Specialty Group on Neuroepidemiology of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) has promoted specialty courses aimed at young neurologists and health professionals in their first years of training. These high-level, full-immersion courses allow participants to share five days of training, exchange experiences, and establish professional collaborations that go beyond the course.
From WFN
- Brain Health and Cherry Blossoms ⧉
By Dr. Aida Suárez-González, Prof. Morris Freedman, Prof. Manabu Ikeda, Dr. Yutaka Tanaka, Prof. Masaru Mimura, and Prof. Suvarna AlladiThe attendants for the 2024 biennial meeting of the WFN Aphasia, Dementia, and Cognitive Disorders Specialty Group (ADCD SG) arrived in Nara, Japan, about the same time as the sakura ( Japanese cherry trees) reached full bloom. This served as a timely metaphor to usher in the four vibrant days of all things cognitive neurology that followed, elegantly wrapped in the most exquisite Japanese hospitality.
World Brain Day
- World Brain Day From 2014-2024 ⧉
By Prof. Tissa WijeratneThe annual World Brain Day (WBD) campaigns from 2014 to 2024 have significantly advanced global awareness and advocacy for neurological health. Each year, the campaign has focused on a specific theme, addressing critical neurological issues and fostering global collaboration among health care professionals, policymakers, and the public.
- World Brain Day 2024 in Tunisia ⧉
By Prof. Riadh GouiderThe Tunisia World Brain Day event, held on July 10, 2024, in Tozeur under the patronage of the Minister of Health, focused on the prevention of disability which, along with stroke, was theme of the event. The purpose of this event was to advance understanding and practices related to telethrombolysis and its critical role in stroke care and preventing disability. Speakers included many heavyweights in neurology.
Around the World
- Making a Difference Down Under ⧉
By Sarah McPartlandWas inspired by Prof. Tissa Wijeratne, co-chair of World Brain Day, to develop a template for how our school community could raise awareness about the 10 vital steps ("Life's Ten") to good brain health through the "Brain Health and Prevention" campaign. This initiative served a dual purpose: educating our student body and uniting us in a fun and meaningful way to not only learn but also raise funds for this important cause.
- A Neurology Teaching Course in Uganda ⧉
By Dilraj Singh SokhiThe dire lack of neurologists in Africa has been well documented over the decades. However, the situation has, unfortunately, scarcely changed. Uganda has six neurologists for a population of 47 million. Although there are growing multifaceted movements on the continent to address this workforce gap, it would take generations to reach levels stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO). There are a handful of postgraduate neurology training centers in the region, but only one in East Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) and none in Uganda. Education about the nervous system needs to continue and expand in the region, especially given its disproportionately large burden of neurological disease. Innovation is thus required in delivering this education, and we outline here one such successful endeavor in Uganda.
History
- Organ Extracts for Diseases of the Nervous System ⧉
By Peter J. KoehlerIn the subsequent 150 years, there were lively discussions between physicians, who were proponents and opponents of this idea. The finding of stones in this organ played an important role.
- Prof. Marco Tulio Medina Recognized ⧉
Award given for contributions to epilepsy in Latin America.
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