The international congress of the “International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society” has taken place this year in Nice, in the south of France.
Monika Benson and I decided to cover this event by holding a booth for Dystonia Europe and Amadys together.
This congress is one of the biggest for international neurologists and movement disorders, and has attracted this year some 6 000 neurology specialists from all over the world together.
It is a real opportunity to raise dystonia awareness to neurologists or other specialities (physioherapists, nurses…) from Europe or from other continents, to talk about treatments, patients care, rehabilitation, patients’ organizations if any, etc.
We have been able to propose English and French documentation or flyers at the same dystonia meeting point (J.P. Bleton’s rehabilitation guides for cervical dystonia, B. Girard’s blepharospasm books, flyers for the International Dystonia Symposium in Dublin in June…).
We have had the opportunity to meet some well-known specialists such as Pr M. Relja, Pr M. de Koning-Tijssen, Pr M. Vidailhet, Pr E. Moro, Pr J.C. Corvol, Dr J.P. Bleton, Dr C. Vial, our David Marsden Award winner 2017 Dr N. Mencacci and many others. There were also visitors from across Europe and various countries such as Taiwan, Algeria, Israel, Guatemala, Iran, India, Brazil, USA…
The evening before the start of the congress there was a charity walk: The Movement Disorders Awareness 5KCharity Run/Walk along the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice, to raise funds for the French Neurologist’s Movement Disorder Society “SOFMA”. The event was organized by Boston Scientific and DE had a stand with information material. Monika had performed the walk successfully! It was fun and great to see all these professionals, from every generation, running or walking together, despite the rain.
One of the next “must be” places will be again in France and Paris, in May next year, for the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) with some 8 000 expected specialists!
Edwige Ponseel
Dystonia Europe Vice President and Amadys President
