Highlights from the MDS-EAN Joint Sessions at the 11th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology

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In June, the annual Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) was in Helsinki. As in previous years, the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society-European Section (MDS-ES) co-curated a full movement disorders track. Over four days, MDS-ES convened focused workshops, symposia, teaching courses, controversies, and interactive sessions — branded #MDSatEAN — as part of a special collaboration between the two organizations. 

The movement disorders program began early on Saturday with a packed day of sessions. At 8:00, a focused workshop, “Normal pressure hydrocephalus and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin,” was moderated by Dr. Giovanni Palermo, junior representative of the EAN Movement Disorders Scientific Panel. Also on Saturday, the symposium “New and future treatments for Parkinson’s disease and related disorders” featured updates on the management of early and advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) from Prof. Wassilios Meissner and Prof. Marina Picillo, followed by Prof. Joaquim Ferreira on future therapeutic strategies in PD and Prof. Iva Stankovic on disease-modifying treatments in atypical parkinsonism. Later that day, a teaching course on the approach to, differential diagnosis of, and treatment for ataxic disorders was led by Prof. Alexander Tarnuzer. The headline event was the annual MDS-ES European Basal Ganglia Club special session, featuring the C. David Marsden Award Lecture delivered by Prof. Enza Maria Valente. 

From Sunday to Tuesday, additional sessions took place. On Sunday, MDS-ES led a case-based workshop on the diagnosis and management of functional movement disorders, chaired by Prof. Gül Yalçın Çakmaklı, and a teaching course on the classification, genetics, diagnosis, and treatment of dystonia, chaired by Professor Sylvia Boesch. 

On Monday, a focused workshop on genetic movement disorders — covering updates in the genetics of Parkinson’s disease, hyperkinetic disorders, and ataxias— was moderated by Dr. Francesca Magrinelli. The interactive session “Emergencies in Movement Disorders,” chaired by Prof. Maira Fiorella Cantarino, addressed both hyper- and hypokinetic emergencies, as well as complications of device-aided therapies. The day also featured the first-ever joint session of the EAN-RRFS and the MDS Young Members Group: A trainee-focused forum, “Movement disorders in daily practice.” 

Finally, on Tuesday, the Congress concluded with the Highlights session, where Prof. Alessandro Tessitore presented the Movement Disorders Highlights. 

Session content is available on demand on the myEAN platform for EAN members until the end of 2025.