MDS-ES Chair
Evžen Růžička, MD, DSc, FCMA
Professor
Charles University Prague
Prague, Czech Republic
MDS-ES Chair
May 2018
The spring of 2018 is going fast and here we have another opportunity to share news from MDS-ES with you.
What's new this year? At the beginning of January, we met with the entire Executive Committee during the MDS-ES Strategic Retreat in Prague, in the historical premises of Charles University. These meetings, repeated every two years, help us assess the past and plan activities for the future. I am grateful for the active participation of all committee members and guests, led by Prof. Claudia Trenkwalder as President-Elect of MDS.
Also this year, our symposia, schools and live courses have been continuously disseminating knowledge about movement disorders in all corners of Europe. In the first half of 2018, MDS-ES has held the following courses:
- 7th Winter School for Young Neurologists in Bordeaux, France (February 2- 4)
- Chorea and Related Disorders in Poznan, Poland (May 25-26)
- 11th Summer School for Young Neurologists in Copenhagen, Denmark (June 6-8)
- Infusion Therapy for Advanced Parkinson's Disease: Team Management in Tallinn, Estonia (June 28-29)
- 2nd Speech and Swallowing in Parkinson's Disease School in London, United Kingdom (July 6-7)
An additional six (6) educational courses will be presented in the MDS-ES in the second half of the year on a range of topics including Neuroscience of Movement Disorders; Advanced DBS and Neuromodulation; Movement Disorders in Children and Young Adults, and continuation of schools for Nurses and Physiotherapists working with patients with Parkinson’s disease. Visit the MDS-ES Education webpage for additional information on upcoming MDS-ES live courses. Many thanks to the Education Committee and especially to Prof. Pille Taba, for their relentless efforts in planning and organizing all educational events.
In addition to the MDS-ES live courses, we are collaborating with the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) on the EAN Spring School in Staré Splavy, Czech Republic (May 10-13); EAN Autumn School in Loutraki, Greece (November 8-10); and the EAN 10th Regional teaching Course in Sub-Saharan Africa in Antananarivo, Madagascar (October 24-27).
Another important activity that we are developing in cooperation with the EAN is the preparation of European neurological guidelines. Parkinson's disease was selected as one of the first guidelines to be developed, and will serve as model for other diseases. The PD guideline working group first met in Vienna in early April 2018 under the direction of Profs Werner Poewe and Angelo Antonini.
I cannot forget the activities that our members organized during the World Parkinson's Day on April 11th under MDS auspices. These activities are raising public awareness of Parkinson’s disease and thus help our medical, scientific and supportive efforts. This year, there were “MDS for Parkinson’s Disease” events in Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Russia, and Turkey.
Finally, I would like to mention that we are preparing for the largest European meeting this year to be held at the EAN Congress in Lisbon, Portugal from June 16-19, 2018. As usual, MDS-ES has largely contributed to the planning of all movement disorders sessions of the program. I believe we will witness the strong active participation of our members in the whole Congress.
I am looking forward to meeting you in Lisbon!