Third International Forum on Advanced Parkinson’s Disease
22 April 2008 16:50
Solvay's Third International Forum on Advanced Parkinson's Disease took place in an unseasonably wet Seville, yet this did not dampen delegates’ spirits. Attendance was up again on last year with more than 200 people from 24 countries, from as far afield as the US, Russia and Australia: approximately double the number who attended the first forum in Portugal, two years ago.
EPDA President Stephen Pickard (Belgium) opened the proceedings, updating the audience about the projects underway at the Association to help involve patients in the decision-making process surrounding their own treatment.
Next, Jose Obeso (Spain) treated delegates to an early lesson in Parkinson's pathology and the evolution of the disease, followed by Mary Baker (UK), who presented an overview of the challenges posed by brain diseases and how to meet them in the 21st century. The next two talks elaborated on the themes from the morning.
Richard Dodel (Germany) capably tackled the boring, but very important subject of health economics in PD; and then Mariella Graziano (Luxembourg) gave a refreshing talk about simple yet effective physiotherapy interventions and coping strategies for people with PD, which ranged from riding a scooter to dancing the tango.
The post-prandial session is always the toughest to digest, given that one is already digesting lunch, but Patricia Limousin’s (UK) dissection of deep brain stimulation therapy and its effect on quality of life kept everyone’s attention. Her talk was complemented by Johan Samanta's (USA) presentation, which concerned the quality of life associated with levodopa infusion therapy – particularly with respect to motor fluctuations and dyskinesias.
Wrapping up a very interesting day with personal experiences and studies of Duodopa in Spain and Germany, respectively, were Francesc Valldeoriola and Jens Volkmann. Although some long-term data is missing, due to the fact that Duodopa is available only for a few years, both speakers also confirmed the effectiveness of this therapy. The day was completed with a relaxing evening in typical Andalusian style, with dancing horses, a flamenco troupe, and fine food and wine.
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