For those who are not familiar with this yearly gathering, ECTRIMS stands for European Committe for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis. This year the conference in being held in Sweden, and it takes place later this week. This conference is the big deal in MS research, and is well-attended by neurologists
In past years, Dr. Zamboni was allowed to present a poster for display on his research of CCSVI in MS and iron deposition in MS brains, as it related to chronic venous disease. He has never been invited to speak before. Dr. Zamboni will be presenting his research along with Dr. Zivadinov in the Main Auditorium as part of the Charcot Foundation presentation, as they go up against Dr. Omar Khan, co-author of the first negative opinion piece in the Annals of Neurology: To say that this is a big deal is an understatement. I've included the schedule of presentations for you all below:
http://www.congrex.ch/ectrims2010/welcome/welcome.html
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:35 - 12:45 European Charcot Foundation Chronic cerebrospinal venous Insufficiency. Relation to multiple sclerosis? (Main Auditorium)
CCSVI: from hypothesis to reality P. Zamboni (Ferrara, IT)
12:45 - 13:00 European Charcot Foundation Chronic cerebrospinal venous Insufficiency. Relation to multiple sclerosis? (Main Auditorium) CCSVI: relation to multiple sclerosis R. Zivadinov (Buffalo, US)
13:15 - 13:30 European Charcot Foundation Chronic cerebrospinal venous Insufficiency. Relation to multiple sclerosis? (Main Auditorium) Questions on CCSVI in multiple sclerosis O. Kahn (Detroit, US)
On Thursday, Dr. Zivadinov is presenting results from the BNAC MRI studies -
Thursday, October 14, 2010 15:30 - 17:00 Imaging 1 MRI results of blinded chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency study in patients with multiple sclerosis, healthy controls and patients with other neurologic diseases P 318
R. Zivadinov, G. Cutter, K. Marr, M. Ramanathan, R.H.B. Benedict, M. Elfadil, N. Bergsland, C. Morgan, E. Carl, D. Hojnacki, E. Yeh, L. Willis, M. Cherneva, S. Hussein, J. Durfee, C. Kennedy, M. Dwyer, B. Weinstock-Guttman (Buffalo, Birmingham, US)
Also being presented is the genetics research now completed at BNAC
15:30 - 17:00 Genetics/transcriptomics 1 Associations of HLA DR*1501 status and chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis P 265
B. Weinstock-Guttman, R. Zivadinov, G. Cutter, M. Tamano-Blanco, D. Badgett , K. Marr, E. Carl, M. Elfadil, C. Kennedy, M. Ramanathan (Buffalo, Birmingham, US)
Dr. Zamboni presents results from his endovascular treatment study-
15:30 - 17:00 Therapy disease-modifying - Others 1 Endovascular treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis. A longitudinal pilot study P 508
P. Zamboni, R. Galeotti, B. Weinstock-Guttman, G. Cutter, E. Menegatti, A.M. Malagoni, D. Hojnacki, M. Dwyer, N. Bergsland, M. Hiennen-Brown, A. Salter, C. Kennedy, I. Bartolomei, F. Salvi, R. Zamboni (Ferrara, IT; Buffalo, Birmingham, US; Bologna, IT)
On Friday, a negative study is being presented by another Italian team who found no CCSVI in CIS patients.
Friday, October 15, 2010 09:45 - 10:00 Platform presentation of selected abstracts I (Congress Hall) No evidence of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis 81
C. Baracchini, P. Perini, M. Calabrese, F. Causin, F. Farina, F. Rinaldi, P. Gallo (Padua, IT)
Then Dr. Zivadinov will present on how the visibility of lower brain vasculature ties into CCSVI severity as shown by MRI
10:00 - 10:15 Platform presentation of selected abstracts I (Congress Hall) Presence and severity of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency is related to lower brain parenchyma venous vasculature visibility on susceptibility-weighted imaging in patients with multiple sclerosis 82
R. Zivadinov, G. Poloni, C. Schirda, C. Magnano, E. Carl, N. Bergsland, D. Hojnacki, C. Kennedy, F. Parker, M. Dwyer, B. Weinstock-Guttman (Buffalo, US)
Dr. Simka's research on endovascular treatment of CCSVI will be presented
15:30 - 17:00 Therapy disease-modifying - Others 2 Safety and complications related to endovascular treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis patients P 914
M. Simka, T. Ludyga, M. Kazibudzki, M. Hartel, M. Swierad, J. Piegza, P. Latacz, L. Sedlak, M. Tochowicz (Katowice, Zabrze, PL)
Dr. Zivadinov's research on utilizing MRV to visualize the jugular veins after angioplasty-
15:30 - 17:00 Imaging 2 Use of magnetic resonance venography for visualisation of the internal jugular veins in patients with multiple sclerosis diagnosed with chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and treated with percutaneous angioplasty P 773
A. Lopez-Soriano, R. Zivadinov, R. Galeotti, D. Hojnacki, E. Menegatti, C. Schirda, A.M. Malagoni, K. Marr, C. Kennedy, I. Bartolomei, C. Magnano, F. Salvi, B. Weinstock-Guttman, P. Zamboni (Buffalo, US; Bologna, IT) 15:30 - 17:00 Clinical assessment tools 2
BNAC's correlation of CCSVI to MS
Clinical correlates of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis P 653
B. Weinstock-Guttman, G. Cutter, K. Marr, D. Hojnacki, M. Ramanathan, R.H.B. Benedict, C. Morgan, E.A. Yeh, E. Carl, C. Kennedy, J. Reuther, C. Brooks, M. Elfadil, M. Andrews, R. Zivadinov (Buffalo, Birmingham, US)
Dr. Simka's correlation of severity of CCSVI with severity of MS
15:30 - 17:00 MS symptoms 2 Correlation of localisation and severity of extracranial venous lesions with clinical status of multiple sclerosis P 641
M. Simka, T. Ludyga, M. Kazibudzki, A. Adamczyk-Ludyga, J. Wrobel, P. Latacz, J. Piegza, M. Swierad (Katowice, PL)
A Beirut study that says CCSVI does not cause MS
15:30 - 17:00 Pathology 2 Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency is an unlikely cause of multiple sclerosis P 663
B. Yamout, A. Herlopian, Z. Issa, R.H. Habib, A. Fawaz, J. Salameh, H. Wadih, H. Awdeh, N. Muallem, R. Raad, A. Al-Kutoubi (Beirut, LB)
Dr. Zivadinov's study showing increase of iron in gray matter of MS/CCSVI
15:30 - 17:00 Imaging 2 Multiple sclerosis patients with chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency present with increased iron concentration on susceptibility-weighted imaging in deep-grey matter P 774
R. Zivadinov, M. Heininen-Brown, C. Schirda, C. Magnano, D. Hojnacki, C. Kennedy, E. Carl, N. Bergsland, S. Hussein, M. Cherneva, L. Willis, M. Dwyer, B. Weinstock-Guttman (Buffalo, US)
And finally, the German neurological doppler study where they claim they found no CCSVI, but Dr. Zamboni says their results actually PROVE CCSVI.
15:30 - 17:00 Diagnosis & differential diagnosis 2 No evidence for cerebro-cervical venous congestion in patients with multiple sclerosis P 579
F. Doepp, F. Paul, J.M. Valdueza, K. Schmierer, S.J. Schreiber (Berlin, Bad Segeberg, DE; London, UK)
And of course, the pharmaceutical companies will be there, presenting all their positive findings, sponsoring lectures and discussions and hosting dinners and events. What fun!
I actually wish I could go, but it's too far away, and too much going on at home. I hope we can get some reports from attendees, and I promise to link to those and any other news that comes out of the conference. I really wish we could all be flies on the wall as Dr. Omar Khan "questions" Dr. Zamboni.
Joan