News

 Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have pinpointed variants in the WDR26 gene to a rare syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, seizures, an abnormal gait and distinctive facial features. In a study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics Deardorff, first author Cara M. Skraban, MD, also of CHOP, and co-authors from medical centers in six countries reported on 15 individuals now known to have this recognizable syndrome. Prior to this it was not even listed in some of the most commonly used databases. The affected individuals ranged from two years old to 34 years old. All the patients had...

The International Child Neurology Association (ICNA) is deeply saddened to hear the passing of Isabelle Rapin, MD. Dr Rapin, a true giant in the field of child neurology has helped found the International Child Neurology Association and has been a staunch supporter of its activities and ICNApedia all her life. Dr Rapin was a member of the first executive board of the ICNA (1973–1975) and Chairman of the Program Committee for the first ICNA Congress October 6–10, 1975 held in Toronto.She was also the recipient of the ICNA Frank R. Ford Award in 1990 and...

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to submit proposals for symposia for the 15th International Child Neurology Congress that will take place in the enchanting city of Mumbai, India, November 15-18, 2018. The theme for the Congress is "Protecting the developing brain and preventing disability". The ACON is the local organizer and host of the Congress, in which Child Neurologists from all over the world will meet at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Mumbai.  We invite you to submit proposals for Symposia. All proposals must be submitted through this website in the period from...

Prof Lieven Lagae, ICNA Executive Board Member &  Director of the Childhood Epilepsy Program at the KUL University Hospitals is the recipient of "Cures within Research" 5th Annual Global Health Repurposing Awards. Prof Lagae has been awarded the new Industry Patient Impact Clinical Award. Award recipients will be recognized at the Global Health Repurposing Awards on June 27, 2017 at the 6th Annual...

A randomized, double-blinded trial has shown that pitolisant, a drug that targets a specific histamine receptor, can reduce cataplexy, a very disabling symptom of narcolepsy. Cataplexy is a sudden and uncontrollable muscle weakness or paralysis that comes on during the day and is often triggered by a strong emotion, such as excitement or laughter. The loss of muscle tone in cataplexy occurs because of the inability to regulate sleep and awake states -- meaning that elements of each can overlap. During normal rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, there is a natural loss of muscle tone. In the case of cataplexy, that characteristic...

​Researchers have linked Nodding syndrome, a devastating form of pediatric epilepsy found in specific areas of east Africa, to a parasitic worm that can cause river blindness. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that the mysterious neurological disease may be caused by an autoimmune response to the parasitic proteins. "This study identifies a cause of Nodding syndrome. But more broadly, these findings provide a novel perspective on epilepsy and suggest that some forms of this neurological disorder may be autoimmune in nature," said Avindra Nath, M.D., clinical director of the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders...

Following a prolonged epileptic seizures  neural connections of the brain may be rewired in an incorrect way. This may result in seizures that are difficult to control with medication. Mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not entirely known, which makes current therapies ineffective in some patients. In a study, published in the Annals of Neurology, researchers at the Neuroscience Center of the University of Helsinki have shown a role for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a main neurotransmitter in the brain, in the glutamatergic network rewiring in the brain. Rewiring of excitatory glutamatergic neuronal circuits is a major abnormality in epilepsy. After...

​Conference Title: 8th National Conference of the Association of Child Neurology " Bridging Advances and Basics in Child Neurology " Location: New Delhi, India Date: Feb. 3-5, 2017 Hosting Society: Association of Child Neurology Local Hosts: Dr. Rekha Mittal, Dr. Suvasini Sharma, Dr. Rakesh Jain Type of meeting: National Conference Participants: The 8th National conference of the Association of Child Neurology hosted approximately 400 attendees including 275 delegates (child neurologists, adult neurologists, pediatricians and trainees) plus 90 faculty. The delegates originated from all regions of India and included a few delegates from Bangladesh...

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in infants with older siblings with autism, researchers from around the country were able to correctly predict 80 percent of those infants who would later meet criteria for autism at two years of age. The study, published today in Nature, is the first to show it is possible to identify which infants – among those with older siblings with autism – will be diagnosed with autism at 24 months of age. This first-of-its-kind study used MRIs to image the brains of infants, and then researchers used brain measurements and a computer algorithm...

A unique meeting on "Brain Plasticity in Epilepsy" will be  held in Leuven, Belgium, May 13 – 16, 2017. Our goal is to provide a highly interactive forum for clinical practitioners and researchers with a focus on brain reorganization in epilepsy and how brain plasticity affects motor, cognitive and imaging aspects. We are very honored to be hosting an expert faculty of distinguished international speakers on the following topics: brain networks in epilepsy epileptogenesis and functional plasticity brain reorganization in epilepsy: motor, cognitive and imaging aspects disconnection in epilepsy neuromodulation prediction of seizures and outcomes We encourage you to submit...