All this week I will be video blogging, text blogging and twittering from ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS) in Dusseldorf, Germany.
For the real-time video feeds, please visit www.neurologique.org or http://www.msworld.org/html/ectrims09.htm or http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ectrims+2009+kantor&search_type=&aq=f
In ECTRIMS, more than at American meetings, there are "satellite" programs, which are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies in an attempt to discuss a specific topic. An example would be a company that is developing an oral medication for MS, to sponsor one of these symposia.
MS Forum is an educational organization with educational grants from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. The program was fairly non-product specific, except maybe for a heated debate concerning the role of neutralizing antibodies (Dr. Barry Arnason believes that neutralizing antibodies to beta interferon may actually be beneficial and could perhaps be developed into a treatment for MS, while Prof. Reinhard Hohlfeld disagrees and thinks that patients should be tested for NAbs).
Prof. Ludwig Kappos discussed the role of neuropsychological testing. He highlighted the need for testing for cognitive difficulties and he pointed out that fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) studies show that MS patients recruit larger networks to compensate* and perform the same cognitive tasks as those without MS, but then if further cognitive decline occurs, less areas of the brain will be functioning.
This is further evidence why we need to develop more therapies that can delay, not only physical diosability, but cognitive dysfunction as well.
How many out there have been told "but you look so good?"
For the agenda from the MS Forum program, please visit:
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:ruQ-IVZiGhcJ:allaroundexperience.com/Programme_MSForum_ECTRIMS2009.pdf+ms+forum+bayer+ectrims+2009&hl=en
* This over-recruitment of neural networks occurs in other neurological diagnoses as well.
Medical Director
Neurologique
info@neurologique.org
www.neurologique.org
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