Vienna, 19 May 2015
A brighter future for 80,000 children in Austria
International neuropaediatrics congress
From 27-30 May more than 1,000 top international paediatric neurologists will
meet at the Austria Center Vienna for the European Neuropaeditric Congress
(EPNS). The latest advances in foetal neurology, computer-assisted
rehabilitation and innovative gene therapies are hoped to give children and
teenagers improved organ function, and with it, better quality of life and access
to a brighter future.
Paediatric neurology – a well established discipline in its own right
Neurological disease and injuries with long-term consequences are far from rare in children
and teenagers. If the different subgroups are brought together, a clearer picture emerges of
just how common they are. “In Austria alone, between 3 and 5 percent of the 1.6 million
children and teenagers in the country are affected – that’s 48,000-80,000 young people,”
estimated Günther Bernert, medical director at Vienna’s Gottfried von Preyer’sche Children’s
Hospital, and chair of the 2015 EPNS Congress. The most common conditions are infantile
cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular disease and movement disorders. Once taboo, public
opinion on these conditions is now shaped by a much more open and informed approach.
The EPNS Congress hosted by the European Paediatric Neurology Society in Vienna – the
birthplace of neuropaediatrics – brings together around 1,000 leading international specialists
to discuss the latest scientific findings coming out of this particular area of medicine.
New scientific territory charted by by Freud and Rett
Austrian pioneers, faculties and hospitals still play a leading international role in researching
and developing treatments for paediatric neurological disease.
While Sigmund Freud is primarily known for his groundbreaking research in psychiatry and
psychotherapy, prior to that he had already made a name for himself with a number of
publications on infantile cerebral palsy having started his medical career as the chief
resident of a neuropaediatrics unit. It is now known that infantile cerebral palsy, the umbrella
term used to describe a group of conditions that affect control of movement and posture, is
caused by prenatal, perinatal and postnatal damage to or abnormal development of the
central nervous system. Causes include genetic mutations, lack of oxygen during birth or
brain damage in underdeveloped premature babies. Currently around two to three out of
every 1,000 newborns are affected by the condition, with varying degrees of severity.
However, advances in prenatal diagnostics, birth monitoring, timely Caesarian sections and
neonatal care mean that today the rate of babies born with the condition is gradually falling.
The EPNS Congress will present new early detection methods in a plenary session on foetal
neurology and therapy as part of the computer-aided rehabilitation (robotics) meeting, and at
the symposium on new applications of botulinum toxin therapy.
In the mid-1960s another Austrian pioneer, paediatric surgeon Professor Andreas Rett,
noticed that a number of the baby girls in his care were showing symptoms of a condition
that had until then been diagnosed as autism. Almost exclusively present in females, the
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mystery disorder would later be named Rett syndrome. His decisive and public approach
ushered in a new era of contemporary and research-based care for the patients under his
supervision. A change in cerebral metabolism transmitted via the X chromosome led to
delays in mental, social, linguistic and motor development and manifestation of hand
stereotypies. In 1998 an American team in Houston succeeded in isolating the specific gene
responsible for the syndrome. Work on decoding the full function of the gene and the
mechanisms that trigger the syndrome continues to this day. Updates from this research
activity will be presented in a central plenary meeting.
Austria research groups leading the way internationally
Today, national and international research networks with specific focuses on individual areas
of medicine hold the key to scientific progress. The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit research group
at Vienna General Hospital’s paediatrics department, led by Professor Martha Feucht, is
setting new international standards in neurosurgical intervention for epilepsy patients. These
techniques are used when conventional medicines fail to deliver the desired outcome. In
Austria 10-15 children per 1,000 have epilepsy.
The Gottfried von Preyer’sche Children’s Hospital and the working group led by Dr. Bernert
in Vienna specialises in neuromuscular conditions – disorders of the peripheral nervous
system and muscular system. A series of international trials are currently exploring the
effectiveness of various gene therapy treatments. Studies also encompass other potential
treatment options for muscular conditions, as well as radical new therapeutic approaches
being explored in collaboration with basic research.
EPNS – a knowledge exchange platform for 1,000 top international specialists
The latest findings surrounding these conditions and advances in foetal neurology and
neurorehabilitation are among the central topics under discussion at this years EPNS
Congress. Core questions include which imaging techniques can be used at what stage of
foetal development so that meaningful conclusions can be drawn on the functioning of the
immature nervous system. Elsewhere, new computer-aided rehabilitation techniques and
the use of botulinum toxins will be a central topic in this year’s neurorehabilitation talks. A
presentation of the first approved gene therapy targeting muscle atrophy promises to be
one of the highlights of this year’s congress.
No cure, but better organ function and quality of life
“Even though many of the disorders affecting the juvenile nervous system are still incurable,
effective therapies are now available. All of these therapies are designed to improve quality
of life, bring about enhanced organ function for young patients and give them the opportunity
to take their rightful place in society,” explained Dr. Günther Bernert. Duchenne muscular
dystrophy – a recessive muscle-wasting disorder linked to the X chromosome that affects
boys – is a case in point. Cortisone is able to slow the progress of muscular degeneration,
while physiological therapies help to maintain patient mobility for longer. Nocturnal, noninvasive ventilation gives children the necessary recovery phases, and individual gene
therapies are on the horizon. “The boys have significantly longer life expectancy and are
given fresh hope. Having seemingly given up on themselves, a number of them express a
desire to return to school. Many end up obtaining their school leaver’s certificate and some
have even gone on to study at university. For me, this comes as the clearest indication that
our continued efforts and the intensive exchange of information at the EPNS Congress
makes sense, as it is giving these young people hope for the future,” Bernert concluded.
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About EPNS
The EPNS Congress is the annual meeting of the European Paediatric Neurology Society,
which represents more than 1,000 neurologists worldwide. For the first time this year the
EPNS Congress 2015 (27-30 May) will directly follow the International Symposium on
Advances in Neuromodulation in Children (25-26 May).
About the Austria Center Vienna
The Austria Center Vienna is operated by Internationales Amtssitz- und Konferenzzentrum
Wien, Aktiengesellschaft (IAKW-AG), which is also responsible for maintaining the Vienna
International Centre (VIC). The Austria Center Vienna is Austria’s largest conference centre,
with 24 halls, 180 offices and meeting rooms, and some 42,000 square metres of event
space (including 22,000 square metres of exhibition space), and is one of the top players on
the international conference circuit. IAKW-AG and the Austria Center Vienna are headed by
Chief Executive Officer Susanne Baumann-Söllner. www.acv.at.
Contact
IAKW-AG – Austria Center Vienna
Claudia Reis MA
Press contact
Tel:
+43 (0)1 26069-331
E-mail: [email protected]
www.acv.at
PR contact EPNS Congress
Verena Bittner
Human Touch PR
Tel: +43 (0)650 7101373
[email protected]
www.epns.info
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