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World's Leading Neuroscientists Unveil Research on COVID-19's Impact on the Brain, Understanding Migraine Pathophysiology, Solving the Mystery of Sleep, Biomarkers in Traumatic Brain Injury and More at 25th Biennial World Congress of Neurology from October 3-7

LONDON, Oct. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The impact COVID-19 has on the brain, understanding migraine pathophysiology, solving the mystery of sleep by "Lighting Up the Brain," blood biomarkers for traumatic brain injury and more groundbreaking research will be unveiled by the world's leading neuroscientists at the 25th Biennial World Congress of Neurology (WCN) on October 3 through 7, 2021, presented by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN).

Originally scheduled for Rome, Italy, the WCN 2021 will be entirely virtual for the first time. The conference, attended by global members of 122 WFN member societies, is organized in association with The Italian Society of Neurology (SIN). With 3,000 members, SIN is Italy's largest association of neurologists, providing a constantly growing number of education and training activities.

"By engaging in a fully virtual conference this year, we are able to reach more people and further our mission to foster the importance of brain health and quality neurology worldwide. We are proud to be supported by The Italian Society of Neurology as we bring together medical professionals, public health officials and media representatives from all over to discuss the latest and greatest research on the brain and nervous system," said Prof. William Carroll, AM, MB BS, MD, FRACP, FRCP(E), president of the World Federation of Neurology.

On supporting the WFN to co-host the WCN 2021, Prof. Gioacchino Tedeschi, president of the Italian Society of Neurology, said, "The World Congress represents a fundamentally unique  opportunity for comparison and collaboration on a global level between the various neurological skills and knowledge, an opportunity for networking between specialists who can thus work in synergy to respond to the challenges common to all countries, such as COVID-19."

During the conference, the WCN 2021 is hosting two press conferences. The first will detail World Brain Day 2021 and the second will feature a global panel discussion on the WFN's Brain Health Initiative, "The Vital Role of the Neurologist and Advocacy."

PRESS CONFERENCE — Stop Multiple Sclerosis: Highlights from World Brain Day 2021
On July 22, 2021, people all over the world joined the World Federation of Neurology and Multiple Sclerosis International Federation in recognizing World Brain Day, which was dedicated to multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological disease that affects 2.8 million people of all ages globally. During World Brain Day, experts from around the world shared the key steps required to stop MS: earlier diagnosis, the effectiveness of life-changing therapies and access to them as well as advocating for improved quality of life for those living with MS and their caregivers. WFN will present a special press conference with experts in multiple sclerosis discussing WBD 2021's impact, which will be available on demand through the WCN 2021 portal.

PRESS CONFERENCE — Brain Health Initiative: The Vital Role of the Neurologist and Advocacy
On October 6, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. CEST, the World Federation of Neurology will hold a press conference to highlight its global Brain Health Initiative (BHI) awareness campaign. BHI was built to change the global mindset regarding neurology and public health. It highlights important elements of brain health, explaining global factors that impact brain health and highlighting inequities in brain health around the world. The fifth part of the series, "The Vital Role of the Neurologist and Advocacy" will be the focus of the press conference, and feature Dr. Wolfgang Grisold, Dr. David Dodick, Dr. Augustina Charway Felli, Dr. Allan Ropper, Prof. William Carroll and other top neurologists. They will discuss the critical role neurologists play in changing the way society approaches brain health as a whole.

During the WCN 2021 from October 3 through 7, these are key clinical highlights that will be presented by world-renowned scientists and faculty:

  • New Directions in Blood Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury presented by Henrik Zetterberg, Professor of Neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Gene Therapy in Hereditary Neuromuscular Disease presented by Francesco Muntoni, Professor of Paediatric Neurology at the UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, England
  • Lighting Up the Brain presented by Gero Miesenböck, Waynflete Professor of Physiology at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Oxford, England
  • Bench to Bedside, Understanding of Migraine Pathophysiology presented by Dr. Peter Goadsby, Professor of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, United States
  • Special Lecture on Neuro COVID presented by Ettore Beghi, Professor of Neuroepidemiology at the University of Milan, Milan, Italy

"The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges never imagined for global health, and the medical community has responded to these challenges with great urgency, finding new innovations and approaches to care and launching groundbreaking research. I hope this conference serves as a beacon of hope in dark times, proving that through collaborative scientific research and concerted combined action the world can find the answers amid crisis and provide the required protection," said Prof. Carroll.

The Congress is poised to bring the world's leaders in neuroscience to accelerate the pace of change around the globe. Additional breaking news releases will be distributed during the week. Media are welcome to attend online or request interviews at media@yakketyyak.com.

About the World Federation of Neurology
The World Federation of Neurology represents 122 neurological member societies around the globe to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide by promoting neurological education and training with an emphasis on under-resourced areas of the world. WFN supports the spread of research and clinical information in the pursuit of improvements in the field of neurology. With support from member organizations around the globe, WFN unites the world to allow patients greater access to brain health. For more information, please visit the WCN 2021 website at www.wfneurology.org, find our live stream press conferences on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wfneurology/, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wfneurology or by searching using the tag #WCN2021.

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SOURCE World Federation of Neurology