Masatoyo Nishizawa

Congress President
56th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Neurology
Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University

 The 56th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Neurology will be held from May 20th (Wednesday) to 23rd (Saturday), 2015. The main venue will be Toki Messe in Niigata City.

 April 2015 also marks the 50th anniversary of the Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University. Dr. Tadao Tsubaki was appointed as the first professor in April 1965, and our ward of neurology was opened in May. At the same time, Minamata disease was also found in Niigata. In September 1970, Prof. Tsubaki reported that quinoform is the cause of subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy. In this way, the Department of Neurology, Niigata University, has had profound connections with our society since its founding.

 In Japan, neurological disorders are increasing due to population aging. Neurologists carry out specialized neurological examination and treatment for diseases of the nervous system, especially cognitive impairments, cerebrovascular diseases, common nervous diseases such as seizures, headache and dizziness, and intractable diseases including Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis and so on. Moreover, neurologists also conduct initiatives for rehabilitation and prevention of the nervous diseases. We work in close cooperation with other care-giving professionals to provide comprehensive support to patients with nervous diseases and their family. Needs for adequate neurological assessment, treatment, and care are constantly increasing in the society.

 Based on these social changes and the historical background of our Department of Neurology, the main theme of this Congress in Niigata is “Neurology in today’s society - How can we contribute to society?” We hope this Congress will be a good opportunity to take a look at social roles played by neurology in a super-aging society. In society, we believe that neurologists have to respond to various issues that are related to neurological disorders. For instance, these difficult challenges include persons with cognitive impairments who go missing when wandering about, the operation of automobiles by patients with seizure disorders, and the withdrawal of artificial ventilation in incurable neurological diseases. We also hope this Congress will be a chance to create collaborative relationships with other professionals of related fields. In addition, we will hold events over successive days to provide education about neurology.

 The World Congress of Neurology (WCN) will be held in Kyoto in 2017. We have to promote the internationalization of our Society. Accordingly, we plan to continue holding sessions in English and making further efforts for the internationalization at the Niigata Congress. We are also considering programs so that neurologists working in hospitals—who comprise approximately two thirds of our society—can more effectively absorb various aspects of expertise at the Congress, from information that is useful in everyday clinical situations to cutting-edge research results. Moreover, the Congress will also encourage young physicians, residents, and medical students who will be in charge of neurology in the future.

 Late May is the most wonderful season in Niigata, so we hope everyone will come and enjoy its beautiful nature. We are making earnest preparations to ensure you can feel greatly refreshed while also learning about the true essence of neurology.  We look forward to seeing you in Niigata next May.



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