 
Neuromodulation News: August 2021
President's Message l INS 15th World Congress in 2022 l Increased Journal Impact Factor: 4.722 l INS Innovative Research Grant Program Begins l Radiation Safety Education l Thank You to Volunteers & New Content l e-INS Sept. 2-4, 2021 l Ways to Get Involved
A Message from the President
 As my INS presidency comes to a close, I reflect on the unprecedented time during which I have served. Around the world, we are approaching two full years of the Covid-19 pandemic which, as of August 10, 2021, includes about 205,000,000 infections, over 4,320,000 deaths and unknown numbers of people negatively impacted. With the current wave of new delta variant infections, infection and hospitalization rates are higher than ever in the United States and the end of the pandemic is nowhere in sight.
It is truly remarkable, in light of these horrific numbers, that the International Neuromodulation Society, its leaders, its members and its sponsors have worked together harder than ever to educate about and promote the use of neuromodulation therapies and provide access for our patients to these important treatment options.
Within the INS, we have been particularly productive in establishing and launching several programs that will further the mission of our global society.
(1) Conflict of Interest Policy
The process began first with addressing the foundational issues which have hindered the field of neuromodulation in the past. Though dynamic collaboration between physician experts and the medical device industry has propelled the evolution of our understanding of disease states and the therapies we use to relieve suffering, we cannot allow commercial bias or favoritism to impact our research, educational and clinical missions. To better align the INS’s policies with the best practices of other major medical organizations, we went through a two-year process involving our members, our other stakeholders and consultants to develop a forward thinking and widely accepted conflict of interest (COI) policy. This is meant to ensure our society maintains commercial independence in its governance and programs. Starting with the umbrella COI of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) Code for Interactions with Companies, we produced a policy document including the specific issues relevant to the field of neuromodulation. This policy underwent successful legal review and was endorsed first by our Executive Board of Directors and then the full INS Board of Directors. Our new COI statement is a living document which establishes the INS at the forefront of COI policy.
(2) Building Strong Collegial Relationships with All Industry Sponsors
In part due to our new COI policy and its enforcement and in part due to intensive work on the part of our Society Manager, Tia Sofatzis, and me, the relationship between the INS and all of our industry partners has consistently improved. We have met often with the presidents and key leaders of the medical device companies to provide transparency and openness and, as a result, look forward to their strong future support of the INS.
(3) INS Innovative Research Grants Program
Over the past decade, beginning with Dr. Simon Thomson’s presidency, the INS has expressed the desire to foster research and education in neuromodulation by initiating a program providing financial grants to support innovative research. With the goal of training INS members how to better perform research in the field of neuromodulation and helping them to secure outside funding following this pilot work, and with input from the members of the INS Research and Education Committee, I have been working to develop the framework and funding for such program. I am happy to announce that the INS Innovative Research Grants Program has been initiated this month. I encourage all to explore this program linked to the INS website. I would like to acknowledge the tremendous support, thus far, of Boston Scientific and Medtronic, Inc., and request the future support of INS members and all of our industry partners.
(4) INS Monthly Webinars
In light of the elimination of world-wide face to face neuromodulation meetings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I initiated the INS Monthly Webinar Program. For the past year, the INS has held monthly webinars highlighting recent important basic and clinical research in our field. Moderated by me and subject experts in the field, these programs have been remarkably well subscribed. They allow us to bring together members of the neuromodulation community in a virtual format to learn about new and exciting neuromodulation technologies, approaches and applications. As of this year, the INS Monthly Webinar series has been funded by unrestricted grants from industry and provide continuing medical educational credit (CME) for INS member attendees. This program has been so well received that it will continue as a service of the INS in perpetuity.
(5) INS Monthly Journal Clubs
Again, in response to the absence face to face neuromodulation meetings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the members of the INS’s Young Neuromodulators Committee and I have also initiated the INS Monthly Journal Club. For the past year, the INS has held monthly journal clubs, presenting and critically reviewing recent important basic and clinical articles in our field. While most have been published in our journal, some important articles have been culled from other journals in this area. Moderated by me and section editors of our journal, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, these programs have again been remarkably well subscribed. They allow us to bring together members of the neuromodulation community in a virtual format to present and discuss important articles in the neuromodulation literature. Unique to these journal clubs is the fact that the articles are presented and reviewed first by trainees in the INS Mentorship Program and then discussed by the articles’ authors. The articles are then held open to critical discussion to our INS virtual audience. The INS Journal also provide continuing medical educational credit (CME) for INS member attendees. This is another program has been so well received that it will continue as a service of the INS and benefit of Society membership for the future.
(6) Neuromodulation Centers of Excellence Program and INS Neuromodulation Curriculum
From the beginning of my presidential term, I have considered it essential to develop the Neuromodulation Centers of Excellence Program. This is a multistage process, beginning with definition of such a program, developing the criteria, and then establishing the framework for its initiation and enforcement. Its goal, of course, is to provide safer and more effective neuromodulation therapies to our patients while, at the same time, making neuromodulation therapies easier to access. Such a program also will provide objective definitions of outcomes, complications and their quantification. It is hoped that these exercises will lead to widespread certification programs and avoid governmental and regulatory interference in our field.
The task has been more difficult than I originally expected, although we have made significant process. With the great help of the members of the INS Centers of Excellence Committee, Education and CME Committee and our INS consultant, Sarah Staples, the definitions of these programs and the criteria for this program and creation of a corresponding curriculum in the areas of spinal cord stimulation, deep brain stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, dorsal root ganglion stimulation and sacral nerve stimulation have been established. The formal documents for Centers of Excellence and the neuromodulation curriculum in these areas are currently being written. This ongoing process should reach clinical implication in the near future with the support of the upcoming INS leadership.
(7) Upcoming INS Meetings
2nd Meeting of the European INS Chapters, Paris, France
Despite the devasting Covid-19 pandemic, work has continued for our upcoming live, face-to-face INS neuromodulation meetings. As a result of the tremendous work of Philippe Rigoard and his team, the 2nd meeting of the European chapters of the INS will be held in Paris from September 2nd through 4th, 2021. Despite the ongoing pandemic, there have already been several hundred registrations for this meeting in Paris. We encourage all vaccinated INS members to attend as the program for the meeting is exciting and promises to be an important update to our field.
3rd Interim INS Meeting, Mumbai, India
Sponsored by the Neuromodulation Society of India, the 3rd Interim INS meeting has been developed due to the hard work of Professor Paresh Doshi, chapter president and his team. This exciting program bridges the gap between sophisticated neuromodulation technologies practiced in the West and the potential important impact of Eastern medicine. The meeting is being postponed until November 11-13, 2022 due to the pandemic. Further details will be provided in the near future.
15th World Congress of the INS, Barcelona, Spain
Postponed from its original date in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 15th World Congress of the INS will take place in Barcelona, Spain from May 21st to May 26th, 2022. To be held at the Barcelona Convention Center near the water’s edge, this comprehensive program has been developed to highlight novel groundbreaking work in the neuromodulation field. With strong basic science, engineering and clinical science sections, the program spans the breadth of our rapidly growing field of neuromodulation. This promises to be the most important international neuromodulation meeting in years and we encourage all to attend.
15th World Congress of the INS, 2024
After Barcelona, the next World Congress of the INS will be held in 2024, allowing for the usual two-year interval between meetings. Work has already begun on this future facing program, and its location will be announced during the Barcelona conference.
(8) Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface
During my presidency, our journal has demonstrated significant growth and development. Our impact factor has grown to 4.722, placing it in the upper quartile of all journals in Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Neuromodulation is now regarded as the leading journal in this field. As President of the INS, I have worked tirelessly with Dr. Robert Foreman, Acting Editor-in-Chief, to maintain the quality and impact of our important journal. We all owe Dr. Foreman our tremendous gratitude for his efforts on behalf of the journal for the past few years.
As a result of this growing impact and quality, the journal has been approached by several publishers to help further develop our journal. After a year-long negotiation process, the INS has accepted an offer from Elsevier to become our journal publisher. With their significant international resources, Elsevier promises to help move Neuromodulation to the next level of medical journals. Their offer significantly improves our ability to provide high level content and wide distribution and we look forward to this important new partnership.
The INS guideline and best practices documents have proven to be the most impactful papers published in our journal, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. Under the leadership of Dr. Timothy Deer and with the assistance of Sarah Staples, the next wave of Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Conference (NACC) and Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (PACC) articles are being completed or under review. Please look forward to the 2022 versions of several upcoming NACC and PACC articles to be published early next year.
(9) INS Organizational and INS Journal Strategic Planning Process
Several years ago, I initiated a biennial strategic planning process for our journal. This has proven to be an important part of improving the workflow, quality and impact of our journal. Our next strategic planning meeting for the journal will be this December.
In light of the success of this strategic planning process and especially in light of the continually changing leadership of our organization, I have initiated a similar strategic planning process for the INS itself. This will occur at the time of the Paris meeting next month and will continue for the foreseen future of the INS.
Finally, I would like to thank the membership of the INS for the opportunity to serve as its president. It has been an honor to serve and I look forward to the upcoming term of our next president, Dr. Marc Russo. I would like to acknowledge the many of you worldwide who have become my strongest supporters, closest collaborators and dearest friends. Immediately upon stepping down from the president’s office, I will assume again the position of Editor-in-Chief of our journal and will continue to serve on the INS Executive Board of Directors as both Editor-in-Chief and Immediate Past President and, in those roles, will continue to work tirelessly to support and grow the International Neuromodulation Society.
Robert M. Levy, MD, PhD
INS President
INS 15th World Congress - May 21 to 26, 2022 - Abstract Submissions Now Open
We are looking forward to greeting you at the INS 15th World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, from May 21 to 26, 2022, when we can meet again in person. Please save the date and follow updates at the INS 15th World Congress website, https://ins-congress.com/ .
Abstract submissions are now welcome and we invite you to submit your work by Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, 23:59 CET. The five best abstracts will be selected for special recognition.
Start making your plans now. The venue is the state-of-the-art Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) a centrally located site that overlooks the beach near a wide selection of hotels and restaurants. The destination itself has plenty to offer, with nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, memorable cuisine, and an enchanting ambiance. The weather in May averages a balmy 23° C or 73.4 F, with lengthening days providing plenty of sunlight until sunset around 9 p.m. Meanwhile, sightseeing attractions are less crowded than in peak season later in the summer.
The scientific program committee put together an impressive preliminary program highlighting the theme “Neuromodulation: From Scientific Theory to Revolutionary Therapy”. With the progression of scientific research, we believe the program in 2022 will be an outstanding and memorable event. The 3.5-day congress offers extensive learning and networking opportunities for clinicians, scientists, engineers, and device developers at all levels of experience.
The scientific sessions will be preceded by a preconference on noninvasive brain stimulation and an educational event open to the general public that is being developed by the local organizing committee, led by Committee Chair Gloria Villalba Martinez, MD, in consultation with Congress Chair Carlos Tornero, MD, PhD and Co-Chair David Abejon, MD, PhD. In addition, a preconference daylong session is planned on Innovations in Neuromodulation. The Local Organizing Committee in collaboration with the Spanish Chapter and INS is also planning a hands-on cadaver workshop for Sunday, May 22.
Presentations in 2022 promise to offer powerful plenary talks by leaders in the field, insightful parallel-track scientific sessions, and exciting findings in oral abstracts and poster presentations. Topics range from new and evolving neurostimulation methods, options, and guidelines, including closed-loop deep brain stimulation and bioelectric medicine, to existing and emerging indications, such as movement disorder, spinal cord injury, COVID-19 intervention, cardiovascular conditions, genitourinary issues, chronic neuropathic or mechanical low back pain, the context of opioid use or dependence, depression, memory loss, and cognitive concerns. There will also be a neuromodulation workshop specifically for nurses, psychologists and physiotherapists.
We look forward to seeing you in 2022 in Barcelona!
Increased Journal Impact Factor
We are pleased to announce the 2020 Impact Factor for Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface has risen to 4.722 -- up from 4.029 -- bringing it to rank 54/208 in Clinical Neurology.
Sincere thanks for this success are due to everyone involved: the editors, editorial board members, reviewers and authors. As always, we invite you to be part of this continued success, and submit your work to Neuromodulation.
Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for updates regarding the submission process as Neuromodulation starts to transition to being published by Elsevier in January 2022. The transition under this new publisher will still retain the current hybrid subscription model, in which members receive both online access and hard-copy mailed editions of the journal.
The INS Innovative Research Grant Program Begins
By Robert M. Levy, MD, PhD
INS President
August 2021
Introduction
The concept behind the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) Innovative Research Grant Program was introduced by Dr. Simon Thomson, then INS President, in 2013. Over the past several years, the INS has worked to develop the infrastructure and funding to initiate this important project. As one of the crowning achievements of my presidency, I am honored to announce the final development and initiation of this critical project. The chair upon which this program sits has several legs: one, to provide an early research experience to junior neuromodulators, whether they be health care providers, clinical researchers, scientists or engineers. Second, this program hopes to provide the opportunity to create initial findings which lead to external funding and development of a long-term research program. Third, through interaction with a research mentor, the program hopes to teach INS members the critical skills required to evaluate neuromodulation science and to begin a career that involves high quality neuromodulation research. Finally, the program hopes to provide scientists, clinicians and our patients with important new findings that lead to improvements in safety and efficacy in our field.
All INS members are eligible to apply to receive up to $30,000 in seed money for innovative pilot studies. Applications from fellows and early career neuromodulators are particularly encouraged. A panel of judges will review the submissions, and awardees will be announced at the next INS Congress.
Key dates:
- Pre-proposal Deadline: November 1, 2021
- Notification of Candidates for Final Application: December 1, 2021
- Final Submission Deadline: February 1, 2022
- Committee Decisions Announced: March 1, 2022
For further information about the application process, please see the overview on the INS website.
Critical Changes Are Required in Radiation Safety Education and Implementation
David A. Provenzano, MD1, Samuel A. Florentino, BA2, Jason S. Kilgore, PhD3
1. Pain Diagnostics and Interventional Care, Sewickley, PA, USA
2. University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
3. Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA, USA
Fluoroscopic guidance is typically used for visualization during neuromodulation procedures. Unfortunately, when utilizing this form of visualization, the healthcare practitioner, the patient, and the assisting staff are exposed to direct and scatter radiation which can result in both early and late stochastic (probabilistic) and nonstochastic (deterministic) effects. Examples of serious radiation-induced stochastic events include cancer and genetic effects. Deterministic effects include erythema, blood changes and cataract formation. Most practitioners are exposed to chronic cumulative low-dose exposure which can result in a high level of lifetime radiation exposure. International (e.g., International Commission on Radiological Protection; ICRP) and national (e.g. National Council on Radiation Protection; NCRP) organizations have called for improvements in radiation safety training.1-4 In addition, deficiencies in radiation safety education have been identified in multiple specialties, including cardiology, orthopedics, and urology.5-8 However, little was known regarding interventional pain specialists, including individuals who perform neuromodulation-based procedures, on their perception of radiation safety and their understanding of basic radiation principles and mitigation strategies to lower exposure.
In 2019, through the assistance and engagement of multiple societies, including American Academy of Pain Medicine, Association of Pain Program Directors, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, European Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy, International Neuromodulation Society, and the North American Neuromodulation Society, a 49-question web-based survey was distributed to examine current radiation safety practices and knowledge among interventional pain physicians and compared to evidence-based recommendations. The survey results were published in March 2021.9 Over 700 international physicians from different practice locations responded to the survey, which resulted in several important insights. First, 93% of reporting physicians were concerned about the health effects of radiation exposure. Despite this high level of concern, unfortunately, there was a low level of education with only 63% of the physicians having ever received radiation safety training, with only 30% having training for greater than two hours. Most (65%) of the institutions in which physicians practiced did not require annual education, and only 37% had an examination requirement. These training parameters do not meet the NCRP’s recommendations (Report 168).10
Based on the reported low level of education, we were not surprised by significant deficiencies in the implementation of evidence-based practices and knowledge gaps in radiation safety. For example, only two of the 15 survey questions examining evidence-based radiation safety practice recommendations were answered correctly by ≥ 80% of physicians. Zero out of the 10 survey questions examining physician knowledge of radiation principles were correctly answered by ≥ 80% of physicians. Unfortunately, the survey also raised the concern for the Dunning-Kruger effect (i.e., cognitive bias in overestimating ability).11
We are profoundly grateful to the physicians who spent the time to answer the survey, which demonstrated substantial educational gaps in radiation safety. We refer the INS members to the survey publication for detailed information specific for geographical regions, educational levels, and practice types that may be used to further tailor radiation safety education to remedy these educational deficiencies.9 We all have responsibility to patients, ourselves, and assisting healthcare staff to mitigate the risks of radiation exposure from fluoroscopically-guided procedures. Multiple evidence-based strategies can be utilized to significantly reduce risk without impeding visualization levels. We would urge all members to advocate and participate in the improvement and deployment of radiation safety practices and education. Small changes could result in “life-changing” results.
References
1. Vañó E, Rosenstein M, Liniecki J, Rehani MM, Martin CJ, Vetter RJ. ICRP Publication 113. Education and training in radiological protection for diagnostic and interventional procedures. Annals of the ICRP. 2009;39(5):7-68.
2. Cool DA, Kase KR, Boice JD. NCRP Report no.180-management of exposure to ionizing radiation: NCRP radiation protection guidance for the United States. Journal of radiological protection: official journal of the Society for Radiological Protection. 2019;39(3):966-977.
3. Rehani MM, Ciraj-Bjelac O, Vañó E, et al. ICRP Publication 117. Radiological protection in fluoroscopically guided procedures performed outside the imaging department. Annals of the ICRP. 2010;40(6):1-102.
4. Valentin J. Avoidance of radiation injuries from medical interventional procedures. Annals of the ICRP. 2000;30(2):7-67.
5. Hirshfeld JW, Jr., Balter S, Brinker JA, et al. ACCF/AHA/HRS/SCAI clinical competence statement on physician knowledge to optimize patient safety and image quality in fluoroscopically guided invasive cardiovascular procedures: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association/American College of Physicians Task Force on Clinical Competence and Training. Circulation. 2005;111(4):511-532.
6. Falavigna A, Ramos MB, Iutaka AS, et al. Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Radiation Exposure Among Spine Surgeons in Latin America. World neurosurgery. 2018;112:e823-e829.
7. Nugent M, Carmody O, Dudeney S. Radiation safety knowledge and practices among Irish orthopaedic trainees. Irish journal of medical science. 2015;184(2):369-373.
8. Friedman AA, Ghani KR, Peabody JO, Jackson A, Trinh QD, Elder JS. Radiation safety knowledge and practices among urology residents and fellows: results of a nationwide survey. Journal of surgical education. 2013;70(2):224-231.
9. Provenzano DA, Florentino SA, Kilgore JS, et al. Radiation safety and knowledge: an international survey of 708 interventional pain physicians. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2021;46(6):469-476.
10. NCRP No. 168. Radiation Dose Management for Fluoroscopically Guided Interventional Medical Procedures. Vol Report 168: National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements; 2010:1-339.
11. Pennycook G, Ross RM, Koehler DJ, Fugelsang JA. Dunning-Kruger effects in reasoning: Theoretical implications of the failure to recognize incompetence. Psychonomic bulletin & review. 2017;24(6):1774-1784.
Thank You to Our Volunteers for New Educational Content - Including Translations
International Neuromodulation Society volunteers stepped up during the global pandemic to continue to keep our presence and community interactive and involved with the field and educational offerings, despite our days of physically distanced isolation and adjustment to new precautions and evolving risk assessments due to the pathogen.
We thank the volunteers for contributing to these programs:
Monthly Journal Club
For the past year, the Young Neuromodulator and International Women in Neuromodulation committees have presented INS Virtual Journal Club webinars in which CME credit is available for members who attend the live event. Monthly sessions are announced over email, in social media, and on the INS Global Events Calendar.
Article Presenters: Angela Chia, MBBS, FANZCA, FFPMANZCA; Yuri Gordin, MD; Antonio Gioia, MD; Magdalini Poriazi, MD, PhD; Antonio Ojeda, MD, FIPP; and Michael J. Jung, MD, MBA; Heather Pinckard-Dover, MD; Chirag Solanki, MBBS, MS, MCh; Shabari Girishan, MBBS, MS, MCh; Tulsi Singh, MD; Behnum Ali Habibi, MD; Ketan Chopra, MD; Marissa Dombovy-Johnson, DO; Dr. med. Mareike Müller; Preet Patel, MD; Mansoor Aman, MD; Archana Gundigi Venkatesh, MD; and Roopa Gawarikar, MBBS, FRANZCR, FFPMANZCA.
Article Authors: Ganesan Baranidharan, MD, MBBS, FRCA, FFPMRCA, PG Dip (anaes); Simon Thomson, MD, MBBS, FRCA, FIPP, FFPMRCA; Philippe Rigoard, MD, PhD; Joseph Buwembo, MB-ChB, FCS(SA), MMed, FRCSC; Michael Stanton-Hicks, MBBS, Dr. Med; James FitzGerald, MA, BM, BCh, FRCS(SN), PhD; Jan Vesper, MD, PhD; Marie Krüger, MD; Bryan Howell, PhD; Kenneth B. Chapman, MD; Frank Huygen, MD, PhD; Julie Pilitsis, MD, PhD; Richard L. Witkam, MD-PhD candidate; Rui Duarte, MSc, PhD; Peter Staats, MD, MBA; Andre P. Boezaart, MD, PhD; and Richard Rammo, MD.
Moderators: Robert M. Levy, MD, PhD; Sean Li, MD; Konstantin V. Slavin, MD; Ashish Gulve, FFPMRCA, FFPMCAI, FCARCSI, MD; Jeffrey E. Arle, MD, PhD, FAANS; Alexios Carayannopoulos, DO, MPH; and Moein Tavakkoli, MD, FRCA
Webinars
In May 2020, the International Neuromodulation Society began offering monthly 90-minute webinars for members. The webinars offer CME credit and feature renowned experts reviewing the latest research, therapies and best practices and offering guidance on patient safety, patient selection and device selection to optimize treatment outcomes and reduce adverse events – all of which are of paramount importance in the field of neuromodulation.
As a reminder, all members can see CME information and view recordings of past webinars by logging in and visiting the Member's Webinar Page.
The webinars are listed at www.neuromodulation.com/ins-webinars and announced via email, social media, and the INS Global Events Calendar.
The next webinar takes place Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 on Neuromodulation for Peripheral Neuropathic Pain. Register: /bit.ly/nm-pNP
Moderators
Robert M. Levy, MD, PhD and Marc A. Russo, MBBS DA (UK) FANZCA FFPMANZCA
Faculty and Topics
Basic Science / Animal Models of Neurostimulation for Peripheral Neuropathy Pain – Elbert Joosten, PhD
Meta-analysis of the Literature for Neurostimulation for Peripheral Neuropathy Pain – James FitzGerald, MA, BM, BCh, FRCS(SN), PhD
High Frequency Stimulation at 10 kHz for Peripheral Polyneuropathy – Erika A. Petersen, MD, FAANS, FACS
Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Peripheral Neuropathy Pain – Sam Eldabe, MB ChB FRCA
This webinar has been supported by an educational grant from Nevro.
Webinars in 2021 covered the following topics:
- Restorative Neurostimulation for Chronic Mechanical Back Pain (July 1, 2021)
- Radiation in Interventional Procedures: Risks, Education, and Mitigation Strategies (June 3, 2021)
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Epilepsy: Contemporary Therapy (May 6, 2021)
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Epilepsy: Basic and Clinical Science (April 1, 2021)
- Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (PACC) 4 - Status of Intrathecal Pharmacotherapy for Pain 2021: Your Questions Answered (Feb. 9, 2021)
- Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (PACC) 3 - Intrathecal Drug Delivery - Algorithmic Approach to Intrathecal Drug Delivery for Different Pain Syndromes (Jan. 7, 2021)
We thank our panelists for presenting this educational opportunity for our members.
New Patient Education Content by Mentees and Others
The collection of short patient-education videos on the INS website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page has grown to 15, with six recently added about various existing and emerging indications, following a call for contributions, and three more in production on therapy topics.
The recent video projects have been coordinated by INS Public Education, Website and Outreach Committee member Anthony Mazzola, MD, with guidance from committee co-chair Cory Hunter, MD, and assistance from Amit Gulati, MD and Jeffrey Ciccone, MD, along with INS Public Education and Website Manager Nancy Garcia.
The most recently added patient-education videos are:
Addiction by Lissa Hewan-Lowe, DO
Constipation by Zeb Cope, DO, with Sean Francis, MD
Depression and Bipolar Disorder by Lissa Hewan-Lowe, DO
Epilepsy by Nathan Shlobin with Chen Wu, MD
Fecal Incontinence by Zeb Cope, DO, with Sean Francis, MD
Spasticity by Chandni Patel, DO, with Julie Pilitsis, MD, PhD
In addition, through combined efforts of INS Public Education and Website Manager Nancy Garcia with volunteer assistance from medical student Alicia Brown and expert oversight from Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Health Behavior Marshall Bedder, MD, evidence tables on the INS patient-education page about investigational deep brain stimulation in treatment-resistant depression and in obsessive compulsive disorder were updated with recently published studies involving double-blinded crossover trials and/or prospective trials.
Finally, to reflect recent FDA approval of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of epilepsy, the downloadable patient-education handout about neurostimulation for medically refractory epilepsy was extensively updated and expanded by Michael Kogan, MD, PhD, in conjunction with Chen Wu, MD, MSBmE.
The patient-education glossary of short introductory entries about neuromodulation topics also continues to be updated and expanded.
First Translations of Content
Thanks to our volunteers Eric Cornidez, MD MBA, with staffer Ivette Castellanos, the first videos have begun being translated into Spanish. In addition, volunteers Chi Man (Owen) Lei, MD, and Rupeng Li, MD, PhD, have teamed to translate the patient-education videos into both simplified and traditional Chinese. Translation of a video on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome was facilitated with reformatting help from Precious Tabansi, MD.
These translated versions have begun being circulated on social media.
Continued Outreach About the Journal
A team of ten volunteers has agreed to work during the coming year to highlight featured articles from the INS journal, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, in social media posts and visual abstracts:
Alaa Abd-Elsayed, MD, MPH (Journal Social Media Consultant)
Rushna Ali, MD
Josue Avecillas-Chasin, MD, PhD
Ketan Chopra, MD
Priyanka Ghosh, MD
Jon Hagedorn, MD
Amy Pearson, MD
Heather Pinckard-Dover, MD (Associate Journal Social Media Consultant)
Nathan Shlobin
Xiongfei Wang, MD
In the time since a separate account for the INS journal was formed in 2019, followers have grown steadily, with 2,201 followers on the journal's Facebook account , 1,529 on Twitter, and 1,386 on Instagram.
A Journal Weibo Account in China
From his base in Beijing, Journal Social Media Committee member Xiongfei Wang, MD, has been translating visual abstracts and sharing them through the social media platform Weibo, on an INS journal account there, 世界神经调控学会 .
2nd Joint Congress of the INS European Chapters in Paris, France, Sept. 2 to 4, 2021 Is Around the Corner
The 2nd Joint Congress of the INS European Chapters is fast approaching and will be the first face-to-face meeting on neuromodulation for a long time. Therefore, we are fully dedicated to providing you with unforgettable social experience, while delivering valuable and diverse scientific content. We are confident this will be an exciting time during which you can learn the latest advances in Neuromodulation, meet and interact with your peers and colleagues in person. We would further like to assure you that the well-being of all participants and their families is a main priority and that all safety measures will be taken.
With all this in mind, the e-INS 2021 Scientific Committee has developed a top-level programme. At e-INS 2021 you will have the opportunity to showcase your latest research, take part in a variety of scientific sessions and discuss all novelties in the alteration of nerve activity, grow your professional network and enjoy the many relationship-building opportunities our congress will provide.
The fantastic schedule prepared includes everything you can expect from a premier neuromodulation meeting: plenary session, oral communications, e-Poster, meetings, supported symposia, and even more to come. We bring the message of the Congress “Using the legacy of the past to design and build the future of Neuromodulation together” to the delegates via talks on the latest research work and greatest clinical expertise in our field on both sides of the Atlantic. All current hot topics, including novel waveforms, new targets, multidirectional systems, controversial indications, motor electronic rehabilitation, challenges that people are facing and what solutions are being considered and/or employed will be touched.
Key facts to remember:
By joining us at the 2nd Joint Congress of the INS European Chapters, you will have the opportunity to attend various sessions. The first full day is dedicated to patient-centered topics with main theme Pathologies and neuromodulation indications. The second - focus will shift on Devices and Technology –The congress also addresses the pressing issues of Big data and Registries and what is happening in our health care systems. Conflict of Interest is a massive issue and we have created a dedicated session to this issue alone. This congress also acknowledges the important role of nurses in the team. They are at the forefront of patient care and the true interface of the health practitioners. e-INS 2021 is also proud to introduce its first European cadaver workshop for young neuromodulators who will be coached and mentored in practices of Neuromodulation by neuromodulation “Giants”. There is still room in the cadaver course and registrations are welcome.
This INS 2nd European Congress will offer you a unique chance to meet and network with a diverse, multidisciplinary international community of neuromodulation specialists, basic scientists, biomedical engineers, and members of our industry.
The 1st Joint Congress of the European INS chapters took place in Nijmegen, Netherlands and was focused on technologies that can help improve patients’ lives. The Congress in Nijmegen managed to gather close to 700 participants at the event and over 200 abstracts were submitted by participants. We are expecting the 2nd Joint Congress of the European INS chapters to be an even greater success.
We are looking forward to welcoming you in Paris, France on Sept. 2 to 4, 2021!
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