Czechoslovak Conference on Paediatric Neurology

T he general theme of the 12th Annual Czechoslovak Conference on Paediatric Neurology (Mariánské Láznê, 25–26 May 1972) was 'Muscular and Neuromuscular Disorders in Childhood'. The programme was divided into two sessions with papers and discussions on (1) the latest data on anatomy and physiology of muscle fibres, and (2) diagnostic and clinical problems in patients with muscular disorders. Both sessions were opened by Professor Lesný.     

The first Catalan Neurological Societies and their protagonists

Introduction

Little is known about the first Catalan neurological societies. Our aim was to analyse them from the formation of the pioneering Society of Psychiatry and Neurology of Barcelona founded in 1911.

Development

We performed a literature search using MEDLINE using the key words: neurological societies, using the doctoral thesis of MG Fabregas: «History of Neurology in Catalonia: from 1882 to 1949» and original historical bibliographical sources of the Library of the Academy of Sciences Mèdiques de Catalunya i Balears. The presence of neurological societies in Catalunya is relatively recent. The first society was established a century ago, and was the Society of Psychiatry and Neurology of Barcelona, founded by Artur Galcerán i Granés in 1911. This became the Catalan Society of Neurology and Psychiatry in 1934 under the presidency of Belarmino Rodriguez Arias. With the civil war, the society broke up and reappeared under the name Association of Psychiatry and Neurology presided over by José Córdoba Rodríguez (1941), emerging in 1968 as the Association of Neurological Sciences with Lluís Barraquer Bordas as President. In 1973 it assumed the current name of Catalan Society of Neurology under Agustí Codina Puiggrós.

Conclusions

The Society of Psychiatry and Neurology of Barcelona founded in 1911 by Galcerán i Granés was the first neurological society and was a precursor of the Catalan Society of Neurology. It should be highlighted that in 2011 it will be 100 years since the founding of the first neurological society in Catalonia and Spain.     

Corrigenda

T he general theme of the 11th Annual Czechoslovak Conference on Paediatric Neurology (Brno, 15–16 June, 1971) was 'Social factors influencing disorders of the nervous system in childhood'. While only a few factors could be discussed in detail during the two days, the conference did help to define the problems to which further study must be given. The programme was divided into four sessions, each concerned with a particular aspect of the general theme, and discussions followed the presentation of each paper.     

中国亚急性联合变性诊治共识

亚急性联合变性由维生素B12缺乏导致,该病可以做到早期诊断和治疗,从而逆转临床症状。为了指导我国亚急性联合变性的规范性诊疗,在中华医学会神经病学分会的领导下,中华医学会神经病学分会周围神经病协作组、肌电图与临床神经电生理学组和神经肌肉病学组专家共同合作编写该共识。     

Current state of research funds and research facilities of the members of the Japanese Society of Child Neurology

The state of research funds and research facilities was analyzed by a questionnaire sent to members of the Council of the Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Research funds were most frequently about 5 million yen, and only 10% of the responder received 10 million yen or more. Still, many of them replied that they were satisfied with their research funds. Research funds of the Japanese Society of Child Neurology are considered to be in a critical condition. Most of the responders wanted information about research funds and a campaign to raise them organized by the Society.     

Core curriculum for training in behavioral neurology & neuropsychiatry

Recognizing the fundamental congruence between behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry, the Joint Committee on Subspecialty Certification of the American Neuropsychiatric Association (ANPA) and the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology (SBCN) assert that these historically separate but parallel disciplines can be merged into a single subspecialty area of medicine: Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry. The authors first describe the historical background for the development of this medical subspecialty. Second, the goals and objectives for training in Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry are outlined. Finally, a core curriculum for fellowship training in Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry developed by SBCN and the ANPA is presented.     

Report of study on transitional medicine for epilepsy: questionnaire survey of pediatric neurologists

We conducted a questionnaire survey to investigate the situation of transitional medicine for epilepsy. Among the epilepsy patients cared by pediatric neurologists, 27% were adult patients including some elderly epilepsy patients. Seventy-six percent of the pediatric neurologists felt some difficulties in providing care for adult epilepsy. The main issues were psychiatric/psychological co-morbidity, medical co-morbidity, and a lack of in-patient facilities in the vicinity. This survey demonstrated that the lack of the transitional medicine for epilepsy in Japan is a profound problem, and the factors that hamper transfer of epilepsy patients to adult specialties should be resolved. To solve this problem, it is imperative that the Japanese Society of Child Neurology and Japan Epilepsy Society conduct collaborative activities with three relevant societies; Societas Neurologica Japonica, the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology, and the Japan Neurosurgical Society.     

Postgraduate education in psychotherapy

In the first part the author summarizes views of 95 Czechoslovak psychiatrists as regards the position of psychotherapy in the Czechoslovak health services and the position as regards psychotherapeutic training. From the summary ensues that the number of specialized departments does not correspond to the needs of our health services and the author emphasizes the need of better organization of psychotherapy in practice. At present there are opportunities of training in psychotherapy in particular in the psychotherapeutic section of the Psychiatric Society of the Czech Medical Society and in the Institute for Postgraduate Medical and Pharmaceutical Training in Prague. Both alternatives comprise compulsory participation in psychotherapeutic training groups. To make psychotherapeutic training more available, the author informs in the subsequent part of the paper on the possibility of education and training of health workers in psychotherapy. In this connection the author emphasizes the selection of participants, the principles of group psychotherapy training and the demand of selection of experienced supervisors and tutors. Training in psychotherapy should be differentiated to make differently oriented programmes possible; e.g. the programme for specialists in psychotherapy and another programme for doctors working in clinical medical branches. Finally the author deals with the perspective problem of specialization examinations in psychotherapy and indicates problems associated with institutionalization of psychotherapy.     

Society of British Neurological Surgeons

The 66th meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons was held in Warsaw and Cracow from 27 to 29 September 1962 in conjunction with the Neurosurgical Section of the Polish Society of Neurology and Neurosurgery. The Chair was taken at alternate sessions by Mr. G. F. Rowbotham and Professor Adam Kunicki.     

Social support by an academic meeting

This report is made for the Japanese Society of Child Neurology to determine the social problems regarding handicapped children and youngsters. In 2002, Social Activity and Public Relations Committee was organized in the Society, and immediately pointed out some social problems, such as medical care for severely handicapped children in special schools.     

History of Neurology in China

In 1921, the first independent department of neurology was established in Beijing. Before 1949, all over China only 12 professional doctors lectured neurology in medical colleges. Only 30 medically trained personnel were engaged in the neurological departments. The neurological departments contained roughly 200 beds. The thesis on stroke was written by Zhang Shanlei and published in 1922. Author discussed the cerebral stroke on basis of Chinese traditional medicine and European medicine. The first Textbook of Neurology in China was written by Professor Cheng Yu-lin and was published in 1939. In 1952, the Chinese Society of Neurology and Psychiatry of Chinese Medical Association was established. In 1955, the first issue of the Chinese Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry was published.     

History of the Boston Society of Psychiatry and Neurology

A summary of historical events from 1880 to 1980, in the Boston Society of Psychiatry and Neurology, one of the oldest medical societies in America is presented.     

Meeting of Liguria Section of the Italian Society of Neurology, Genoa, 20 March 2010

Abstracts

Meeting of Liguria Section of the Italian Society of Neurology, Genoa, 20 March 2010     

The Cerebellar System and What it Signifies from a Biological Perspective,by Professor Christofredo Jakob (English Translation)

The paper is an English translation of Christofredo Jakob’s 1938 lecture on cerebellar neurobiology, rendered from the original Spanish text. Communicated at the special sessions of the Society of Neurology and Psychiatry of Buenos Aires, December 1938.     

Towards the establishment of a postgraduate training program of neurology--in the case of Tokyo Medical and Dental University]

The training as neurologist in Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University has mainly been performed through 3rd to 5th year after the graduation. It includes training for neurophysiology, neuroradiology and neuropathology as well as clinical neurology. Neurophysiology training has the separate 3 months course where trainee residents study exclusively neurophysiology but neuroradiology and neuropathology were learned during training for clinical neurology in general. The major problem of our training program is that the quota is so small to prepare enough trainee's positions. This appears also true in many institutes in Japan according to a questionnaire survey by this workshop. The number of neurology staff should be increased to accomplish better training for Neurology in each institute. The Japanese Society of Neurology should support this effort in each institute.     

Informed consent,dementia and clinical research

The problem of informed consent in clinical research involving demented patients is more and more vexed. Together with an historical review of the most authoritative international statements taken since Nuremberg till today, the document on this topic recently published in the Italian Journal of Neurological Sciences and prepared by members of the Bioethics and Neurology Working Group of the Italian Society of Neurology (including the author) is further commented.The critique on distinction between therapeutic and non-therapeutic research and the recommendations of the Group in relation to the different phases of pharmacological research are among the subjects dealt with.     

Serum myoglobin in primary and secondary skeletal muscle disorders

Summary Serum myoglobin was measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay in healthy controls and patients with primary and secondary skeletal muscle disorders. The results indicate that serum myoglobin is a useful parameter in the assessment of muscle damage.Supported by the German Society of Neurology, ALS-Fond     

A global perspective of neurology in Japan]

The Japanese Society of Neurology, founded in 1960, gained momentum after the 12th World Congress of Neurology held in Kyoto (1981) and currently enjoys an indisputable reputation as a major contributor in the field of neuroscience. Clinical training, however, has fallen behind research achievements with a shortage of teaching staff. This necessitated the traditional, but now obsolete, tie to internal medicine. It is high time to seek the sovereignty of neurology as an independent discipline to further promote this field of medicine as advocated by the World Federation of Neurology. We must also participate in global affairs with confidence despite a perceived language barrier. It is said that science speaks English, which is now used universally as the official language, but from my vantage point, science actually speaks "broken" English in the spirit of international cooperation.     

Severity of sports-related concussion and neuropsychological test performance

Concussion severity grades according to the Cantu, Colorado Medical Society, and American Academy of Neurology systems were not clearly related to the presence or duration of impaired neuropsychological test performance in 21 professional rugby league athletes. The use of concussion severity guidelines and neuropsychological testing to assist return to play decisions requires further investigation.     

Italian neurology: past, present and future

This short history of the Italian Society of Neurology focuses on its founders and leading personalities. The article also considers the present and the future of Italian neurology, emphasising in particular the scientific impact of Italian neurological research on the main international journals and the activities undertaken to increase the role of neurologists.