Document Download: World Neurology - July/August 2019

Published by Ascend Integrated Media LLC, Kansas, USA

From the editors

Steven L. Lewis, MD, Editor, and Walter Struhal, MD, Co-Editor

This issue includes three well-illustrated articles from around the globe reporting from each country's involvement and activities surrounding World Brain Day 2019, including reports from Turkey, Pakistan, and the report from Cameroon where the World Brain Day theme (Migraine: The Painful Truth) is also used as a thoughtful analogy to the author's view of the current situation in the country.

In the President's column, WFN President Prof. William Carroll updates us on important issues at hand to be decided at this year's Council of Delegates (COD) meeting that will be held during the upcoming XXIV World Congress of Neurology (WCN) Oct. 26 in Dubai. Regarding these important issues to be decided at the COD, this issue features the statements from the three cities/countries vying for the site of WCN 2023, to be held within the Americas (in alphabetical order by city): Mexico City, Mexico; Montreal, Canada; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Statements from the candidates for WFN Treasurer and Elected Trustee also appear in this issue.

In the History column, Prof. Peter Koehler discusses two important 17th-century figures in the history of the science of the brain who provided critical insights beyond that that had been well accepted at the time.

This issue also features a thank-you note from a neurologist from Nigeria to his teachers from Austria who dedicated their time to provide him with the benefit of their experience and skills in nerve conduction studies and electromyography.

Finally, we look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming WCN Oct. 27-31, 2019 in Dubai. Please note the reminders in this issue for WFN member societies to field teams of four—with free registration—for this year's sure-to-be-exciting Tournament of the Minds.

Highlights

From the WFN

• WFN Treasurer: Richard Stark

  It has been a great privilege to be treasurer of WFN since 2015. During this time, I have been delighted to see the finances of the federation become even stronger.

• Statement for Elected Trustee
  Steven L. Lewis, MD

  It has been a tremendous privilege serving as elected trustee of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN). In my current roles as WFN trustee, chair of the WFN Education Committee, and editor of World Neurology, I am indebted to this organization and the opportunities it has provided me to help achieve its mission to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide via the promotion of global neurologic education and training.

President's Column

• The Importance of WFN Council of Delegates Meeting

  As all who receive the World Neurology publication know, the XXIV World Congress of Neurology is almost upon us. It will commence Oct. 27 in Dubai. The World Congress will showcase the most topical subjects in neurology, facilitate the learning experience of all attendees, and provide a forum for wide-ranging discussion of these.

WCN 2023 Host City Candidates

• Candidate City Statement for WCN 2023: Brazil

  With 95 certified residency programs in neurology, offering 375 PGY-1 annually, and 4,300 affiliated members, Brazil is a strong candidate to host the World Congress of Neurology 2023.

• Candidate City Statement for WCN 2023: Mexico

  It is a pleasure and an honour to present Mexico's candidacy to host the WFN World Congress in 2023. Mexico represents the 15th largest economy in the world and the 15th largest exporting power.

• Candidate City Statement for WCN 2023: Montréal

  Montréal tops the rankings of host cities in the Americas for most international conferences1. Its attractions and qualities have made it a go-to location for business and leisure travellers.

World Brain Day

• Migraine: The Painful Truth – World Brain Day 2019 in Pakistan
  By Dr Abdul Malik, MD, DCN, PGDN, MBA

  The Neurology Awareness and Research Foundation (NARF) in Pakistan organized countrywide activities to mark the fifth Annual World Brain Day, with the theme Migraine: The Painful Truth. Migraine affects one in seven people and, together with other headache disorders, is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

• World Brain Day in Turkey
  By Prof. Serefnur Ozturk

  The Turkish Neurological Society has been celebrating World Brain Day since 2014. Every year, we follow WFN guidelines and create public awareness by organizing meetings, public service announcements, and newsletters.

• Migraine in Cameroon: From the Painful Truth to the Powerful Tribute
  By Alfred Kongnyu Njamnshi, MD, MA, DMS, FMH

  In 2008, when then-president of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) Prof. Johan A. Aarli set foot in Yaoundé for the 18th Congress of the Pan African Association of Neurological Sciences, (PAANS), Cameroon—fondly referred to by its citizens as "Africa in miniature"—was a peaceful, prosperous, powerful, and promising nation of the central African sub-region.

Department Visit

• Memoirs of Austria: Echos of Kindness
  By Osigwe P. Agabi, MBBS (BENIN), MWACP, FMCP

  Undertaking my residency training in neurology in Nigeria had its advantages. I got to learn and practice in a culture where my expertise would be deployed, and the diversity and sheer number of neurological cases and conditions enabled me to hone my clinical skills.

History

• Critical Minds on the Brain in the 17th Century
  By Peter J. Koehler

  A number of medical students of human and animal bodies in the 17th century demonstrated a critical attitude toward the knowledge that was taught in books and by their teachers. Although inspired by the new mechanistic or iatrophysical physiology of René Descartes (1596-1650), they not only questioned the anatomical and physiological views of previous generations of anatomists and physicians (including Thomas Willis), but also Descartes' own ideas. In this essay, I will discuss two of these critical young men.