Neuromodulation News: December 2021

President's Message l INS Congress Travel Grants Available l  Abstract Submissions Contribute to an Exciting 15th World Congress Program l Neuromodulation to Be Published by Elsevier l Innovative Research Grant Program  l Podcasts Feature INS Leaders l Review of Dr. Michael Cousins Biography l Third Interim Meeting Scheduled for November in Mumbai l Chapter Reports l Ways to Get Involved

A Message from the President

My dear fellow members of the INS,

As I write to you in my first message as INS President I have had cause to reflect on the position, the Society and the future of both the field and the organisation. What strikes me is several things. Firstly the amount of work that is done "behind the scenes" in this organisation is quite remarkable. A smoothly run webinar takes in fact many hours of organisation and preparation to produce. Corralling NACC/PACC authors and papers is a near herculean job. Interacting with current and potential chapters an important and significant chunk of time. Editing the Journal is more than a full-time job. The Society is indebted to everyone who gives freely of their time to help their colleagues and the field and none more so than our outgoing President (and Editor in Chief) Prof. Robert Levy who inherited an uncertain and uncharted situation with COVID and has done a prodigious amount of work personally pivoting the organisation to work virtually through this time. Not only has the Society survived under his leadership, it has thrived with important new initiatives such as the journal club and webinar series, so much so that these will continue as important new initiatives that reach out to a wider audience than our traditional educational components. I am indebted to him in the support he has given me and having the Journal under his stewardship is a rare privilege many societies would be envious of.

There is much to tell you of the work of your Society. First and foremost is the significant growth of our journal Neuromodulation whether that is via the metrics of submissions, percentage of rejections or Impact Factor. The Journal has positioned to a new publisher in Elsevier and we believe this will usher in a new important growth phase for the Journal.

Literally as I pen this we have received 55 applications for the Innovative Research Grants Program and the quality, spread and depth of research by members is truly outstanding. We have tapped a rich vein of interest and I foresee this will become a major plank of Society activity going forward.

Besides the webinars and journal clubs (which Rob Levy has kindly agreed to continue to chair) Society committees have been busy pushing forward with the neuromodulation curriculum, neuromodulation glossary project, patient education videos for the website and NACC/PACC papers amongst many more endeavours.

The scientific congress in Barcelona is shaping up as perhaps our best program ever and we are indebted to Drs. Fabian Piedimonte, Carlos Tornero, Elliot Krames and Robert Levy for their tireless work on that and our trusted congress partner in Kenes. I look forward to greeting you all there as well as our Interim Meeting in Mumbai 2022.

The characteristics of a mature society is the taking on of projects that will span more than a single presidential cycle. I can assure you that long-term thinking is part of the Executive Board’s approach and as a team we have committed to continuing with existing projects (e.g. Centres of Excellence) and identified three areas worth pursuing that will be long-term projects for the INS. The first is the establishment of a formal fundraising activity within the INS that is strategic and will lend itself to supporting current and future INS projects. The second is the development of a formal investment plan for the cash reserves of the Society to meet the twin needs of strong fiduciary security and growth of assets over time. In these uncertain economic times the executive will ensure a very conservative approach is taken in regard to this project. The third is perhaps the most ambitious and perhaps the longest time frame and that is to look at the possibility of establishing a global neuromodulation registry. Some wonderful national registries exist and it would be wonderful if all countries could have a national registry but that is a highly unlikely scenario. The INS will commission a feasibility enquiry (headed by Dr. Corey Hunter) as to whether, how and when such a global registry could be achieved.

As you can see there is much current activity with significant plans for outreach projects. This will in tandem mean a review of staffing levels within the operational side of the INS so that there is a meld of bandwidth, capability, financing and operational capacity to deliver.

To be honest at times I feel daunted by all this but every day the sun comes up and there is an opportunity to get stuck in and do some good stuff. Little by little measurable evidence of progress will be made and I feel truly blessed to have such a great supportive Executive Board in Drs. Konstantin Slavin, Jan Vesper, Robert Levy, Lawrence Poree, our directors-at-large (DALs), regional DALs, chapter presidents and most especially INS Executive Director Tia Sofatzis and her incredible hard-working team (without which I would truly feel daunted!).

The next three years will undoubtedly see much growth, opportunities and challenges and whilst the future is uncertain one thing is not and that is the commitment of all of us to the charter of the INS and our goal to leave it in good shape for future generations.

With best wishes to you and your families and as we close 2021 hoping the best for the planet in a post-pandemic world.

Marc Russo, MBBS DA (UK) FANZCA FFPMANZCA
INS President

Travel Grants Available for the International Neuromodulation Society 15th World Congress in Barcelona 

We are pleased to announce applications are now open for travel grants to help members with limited resources attend the International Neuromodulation Society 15th World Congress, "Neuromodulation: From Scientific Theory to Revolutionary Therapy”, which takes place May 21 – 26, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain.

Grants of up to $1,000 US will be dispensed based on acceptance of scientific abstract(s), need, and such factors as  distance from home country, state of advancement of the national chapter where the applicant resides, and career stage. The application deadline is Monday 31 January, 2022.

Abstract Submissions Contribute to an Exciting 15th World Congress Program

Overall, 469 scientific abstracts from 37 countries were submitted for the International Neuromodulation Society 15th World Congress. We thank everyone who submitted abstracts. Acceptances will be issued in mid-February, and the top five abstracts will be recognized during a plenary session for their quality, originality and ingenuity in basic or clinical science.

The exciting scientific program will offer cutting-edge science and systemic reviews of benefit to experienced and new attendees alike. There will be plenary sessions, and four simultaneous streams of presentations on pain, brain, and organ topics. Attendees can meet and hear from neuromodulation specialists, basic scientists, and biomedical engineers during oral abstract presentations, poster sessions and networking opportunities.

Among the offerings during the 3.5-day scientific program and preconferences are:

• An interactive workshop designed specifically for nurses and allied health professionals
• A parallel track session on “Neuromodulation for COVID-19”
• A preconference on May 21 on "Noninvasive Brain Stimulation",  the third time this daylong session will be offered regarding this rapidly expanding area
• A preconference on May 22 on "Innovations in Neuromodulation" which previews what the future of neuromodulation looks like and provides an opportunity for innovators and emerging companies to get their message out to the field and to potential investors

The venue, the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB), is a spacious, light-filled facility designed by a renowned Catalan architect; the center is in an up-and-coming neighborhood with wonderful restaurants, hotels, shopping, public transit and views of the Mediterranean. The month of May in Barcelona offers mild weather — perfect for exploring this beautiful city. Learn more about the destination and its World Heritage sites at: https://ins-congress.com/discover-barcelona/  . 

Neuromodulation to Be Published by Elsevier

We are excited to announce that the International Neuromodulation Society journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface will be published by Elsevier as of January 1, 2022. The Journal is now accepting manuscript submissions through Editorial Manager. Please encourage your colleagues to submit their original work to our journal, Neuromodulation!

Innovative Research Grant Program

The International Neuromodulation Society thanks members who submitted pre-applications for the new INS Innovative Research Grant Program. There were 55 pre-applications from 15 countries.

The program will provide up to $30,000 in seed money for innovative pilot studies by INS members. Fellows and early career neuromodulators have been particularly encouraged to apply. Due to the overwhelming positive response, the peer review process is still in progress and decision letters will be distributed to applicants later this month.

The deadline to submit a final Innovative Research Grant application is Feb. 1, 2022.

Podcasts Feature International Neuromodulation Society Leaders

Both International Neuromodulation Society President Marc Russo, MBBS DA (UK) FANZCA FFPMANZCA, and President-Elect Konstantin Slavin, MD, recently gave podcast interviews about the field of neuromodulation therapy.

Dr. Russo gave a 30-minute interview to the Neural Implant podcast. The audio recording announcement on Dec. 6 featured a few highlights from the discussion:

Top 3 Takeaways:
•    "Over more than a 20 year journey now we understand that these patients are best treated early rather than later. The best traded with as close to zero levels of opioids. And that doses higher than 40 milligrams per day, actually worsen outcomes for spinal cord stimulation,"
•    "High dose exogenous opioid prescription can actually induce epigenetic change in the genome of a patient so that even if you remove something such as opioids after five years, the body doesn't return to its former expression of proteins and then maybe actually permanent changes that may have worse outcome."
•    "What's in a book is not sacrosanct and that you need to not just blindly apply something that you read in a book and think that it was, descended from the tablets of Moses. You actually need to think of what are you doing and does that apply to this particular patient?"

On Nov. 17, Dr. Slavin was interviewed by "Machine Medicine" about neuromodulation and functional neurosurgery. The 30-minute video covered the state and potential future directions of neuromodulation therapies, particularly those of interest to functional neurosurgeons, whether they involve chronic pain or movement disorder.

Review of Dr. Michael Cousins Biography

International Neuromodulation Society President Marc Russo, MBBS DA (UK) FANZCA FFPMANZCA, has reviewed a biography about the charity Painaustralia's founder, Dr. Michael Cousins, Breaking the Pain Barrier: The Extraordinary Life of Dr Michael J Cousins, which was written by Dr. Cousins' patient Gabriella Kelly-Davies.

Dr. Russo writes:

"This book is a comprehensive biography of Michael Cousins, an INS Giant of Neuromodulation and the doyen of Pain Medicine in Australia. It charts his story from a young lad to medical school then residency and then his fellowships overseas and his subsequent return to Australia and the setting up of two internationally renowned pain clinics and then his work in neuromodulation and his work with IASP amongst other things.

"I found this a fascinating read, not only because I know Michael but because it gives many insights in the trials and tribulations of what it takes to achieve great things and gives a behind the scenes look at things that are not apparent to the casual observer or indeed mutual colleague. There are useful lessons in this book for many of us not the least of which is the value of dogged persistence.

"I especially enjoyed reading of Michael's interactions with John J Bonica as well as other luminaries. The book gives a fascinating insight into the world of pain and neuromodulation in the 1970s and 1980s, a time unknown to most of us who aren't elder statespersons. I strongly recommend this book to INS members and frankly I view it as a compulsory presence in any pain departmental library. There are so few books that detail the progress of a profession and this one does so through the lens of one extraordinary man in a very readable and eloquent fashion."

The INS Third Interim Meeting is Scheduled for Nov. 11-13, 2022 in Mumbai

The International Neuromodulation Society 3rd Interim Meeting in Mumbai is now scheduled for Nov. 11-13, 2022.

Professor Paresh Doshi and colleagues in the local organizing committee have designed an exciting scientific program, featuring lectures, training programs, and workshops -- including a cadaver workshop on Nov. 11, 2022. Presenting a unique opportunity to network with international colleagues, enjoy a culturally rich social program, while learning about the latest in neuromodulation in both the East and West, the Interim Meeting in Mumbai will be an unforgettable event not to be missed!

Abstract submissions for the Interim Meeting will be due March 31, 2022.

International Neuromodulation Society Chapter Reports

Catch up on the latest chapter news!

Argentina l Australia and New Zealand l Benelux l Brazil l Canada l France l India l Nordic Region l North America l Russia l Spain l Turkey

Argentina - Sociedad Argentina de Neuromodulación (SANE)

This is a brief summary of activities carried out during 2021.

• Sponsorship of the:
• Argentine Congress of Rehabilitation, organized by the Argentine Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SAMFYR). (August 2021).
• Postgraduate program on Pain Medicine at the National University of the Northeast. (2021).
• Online course Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Evidence and Experience. Organized by CENIT Foundation and the Chapter on Neuromodulation in Psychiatry, of the Argentine Association of Psychiatry (AAP). (September-October 2021).
• Online course Spinal Cord Stimulation for New Implanters. Organized by Abbott Education Network. (November 2021).

• Elaboration of a new neuromodulation nomenclature for the Argentine Association of Neurosurgery. (January 2021)

• Organized the following scientific and academic events:
• International Webinar Oncological Neuropathic Pain, by the Women in Neuromodulation Committee of SANe. (March 2021).
• DBS Brain Electrical Stimulation, by the SANe - Argentine Society of Bioengineering (SABi) - Argentine Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) - Neurosurgery Service of the Rawson Hospital. (July 2021).
• Technologies, neurosciences and philosophy: at the gates of transhumanism? by the SANe - Argentine Association of Neurosurgery (AANC) - Chapter on Neuromodulation in Psychiatry, of the Argentine Association of Psychiatry (AAP). (September 2021).
• Basic Principles of Deep Brain Stimulation; by SANe - Argentine Society of Bioengineering (SABi) - Argentine Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) - Neurosurgery Service of the Rawson Hospital. (October 2021).

• SANe newsletter 2021. Topic of this edition: Women in neuromodulation. (August 2021).

• Planned activities:
• SANe Newsletter, second edition.
• 1st virtual National SANe Congress.

Kind regards,

Prof. Dr. Fabián Cremaschi
President of the Sociedad Argentina de Neuromodulación.
SANE

Australia and New Zealand - Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (NSANZ)

NSANZ 2021 Activity Summary

• Website launched: nsanz.org.au
• Membership continues to grow – currently sitting at 140 plus members.
• Between COVID lockdowns, NSANZ successfully held its first cadaver workshop for the year in Sydney in April 2021.
• Policy documents have been developed and include: Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest.
• NSANZ has provided a submission on the proposed changes to the Australian Prosthesis listing.
• NSANZ has recently opposed the setting up of a health service buying group. 
• Safety and Standards Project developed with a series of webinars held in June, September and November 2021.
• ASM was run virtually in August 2021 – over 200 attendees
• The third NSANZ Safety Webinar (in a series of 4 per year) will be held on 30 November 2021.
• NSANZ second cadaver workshop for 2021 has been rescheduled again to 5 March 2022 in Sydney, Australia.
• Dates for 2022 ASM have been set – 13-14 August 2022, Melbourne, Australia.
• The NSANZ Board meets via Zoom every 6 weeks.
• The Board are working hard to increase NSANZ profile locally and attending industry meetings and submitting papers where possible, and also working on developing public relations, media and social media presence.
  Future Objectives and Goals include:
• Continued development of NSANZ Safety and Standards Project.
• To define Standards of Provision for Neuromodulation services.
• To continue to grow membership by increasing member benefits and local presence.

Benelux - Benelux Neuromodulation Society (BNS)

• Regular (tele)conferences of the BNS board
• Hosting and co-organizing the 2st joint Congress of the INS European chapters (September 2021)
• A science café was held in Paris
• Quality control system, proms (pain interference score forms) are collected in the Netherlands and in Belgium for patients before and after neuromodulation treatment
• Scientist in the chapter board and a young research group for neuromodulation is formed
• Nurse practitioner in the chapter board
• Urologist in the chapter board
• Financial support for Paris meeting with €94.000,-
• Start of a scientific fund for researchers to stimulate neuromodulation research

Brazil - Sociedade Brasileira Neuromodulação (SBNM)

Despite COVID-19, the INS- Brazilian Chapter worked hard for major organizational improvements. They included:

• Improvement in the website www.sbnm.com.br
• Social media publicity
• Revision of by-laws
• Expansion of members
• Legal regulation
• Fundraising registration
• Bank Account adjustments
• Improvement in the relationship with Latin American Societies
• Partnership with related Brazilian Societies such as Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery and Brazilian Academy of Neurosurgery

Preparation of Scientific events

• Intake of new scientific articles - home page
• Education of the community about Neuromodulation
• INS Orgulho Brasil (INS Brazilian Pride):  with outstanding Brazilian neuromodulation professionals living outside our country – March 27th
• Educational support Joint Meeting with Interdisciplinary League for the Study of Pain – online meeting June 26th
• Supported the IV Symposium of Physiopathology of Pain with INC- Curitiba- Brazil – online event August 13-14 and 20-21st
• Co-partnership in Lagos-Dor, presential event in Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, September 30th to October 1st
• Supported CONCIAM (Congress of Medical Students) – online event, panel about the role of Neuromodulation – Oct 27th
• Satellite symposium at SOBRAMID Congress (Brazilian Congress  of Pain Interventional Doctors) – Dec 4th
• Editing the “Textbook of Functional Neurosurgery” in partnership with Brazilian Academy of Neurosurgery, to be published in March 2022

Additionally, the new Board of Directors has been chosen for the 2022-2023 period with the following members:

• President: Arthur Cukiert
• Vice-president: Hougelle Simplicio
• Secretariat: Tatiana Hertwig
• Treasurer: Marcel Simis
• Scientific Director: Bernardo di Monaco

Daniel Benzecry Almeida
President, SBNM

Canada - Canadian Neuromodulation Society (CNS)

We have had a busy year in 2021. We held our annual meeting in Kelowna, BC September 24-26 where we had 17 speakers from Canada, the US, and Mexico and 24 abstracts presented.  A few speakers presented virtually but it was the first in person meeting for most of us in over two years and our members and guests enjoyed it very much.  

Also in 2021, we have held three CNS journal clubs on a variety of neuromodulation topics and are about to host our fourth journal club next week.  We have also started to send out a semi-annual newsletter to our members and this has helped us all keep in touch and maintain our momentum in the field of neuromodulation.  

We are currently in the process of planning our 2022 annual meeting of the Canadian Neuromodulation Society from Jun. 9-11 in St. John's, Newfoundland and we expect to have a number of speakers from Canada, the US and Europe.  With the end of the pandemic, we hope to get more than 100 attendees.

Keith MacDougall, BSc (hon), MD, FRCSC
President, Canadian Neuromodulation Society

France - Societe Française de Neuromodulation (SFNM)

We are delighted to present our annual report to the INS board.

Despite the challenging context, it has been a year of great activity for our chapter, which convened the European INS congress in Paris and welcomed its first employee for the F-STIM registry project, a collaborative work with the Nordic Chapter.

2021 will also be a year of change, with the upcoming elections of officers and of the new president of the chapter.

We need to keep the dynamism which has been initiated a couple of years ago, to consolidate our three major pillars:

1. French Community “Rehabilitation” program
2. Involvement of the French chapter into European / International activities and INS
   congresses
3. Initiation of the French Neuromodulation National Registry

This end of the year will be dedicated to prepare the Board Election and, per following our commitment to facilitate European activities through our last European chapters meeting organization, it will be an honor for Philippe Rigoard to propose to the INS community to serve as Director-at-Large in the future.

1. SIZE OF THE FRENCH COMMUNITY.

One of the first and main objectives of the SFNM was to stabilize and increase the number of INS French members, as we started the chapter from scratch, again, a couple of years ago. We have now 104 active members, including 67 new members and renewals “catalyzed” by the e-INS congress.

Per following our board’s decision to consider paramedical professions working in the neuromodulation field, we welcomed the registrations of pain experts, research nurses, psychologists and even a sociologist.

2. EUROPEAN INS CONGRESS

After  being  postponed  from  2020  due  to  the  health  crisis,  the  International Neuromodulation Society Congress of the European Chapters was held in Paris (Palais des Congrès) this year, on 2-4 September 2021.

• This event attracted almost 500 participants from all over the world.
• 50 pain nurses attended the Nurse Session, with a 100%-specific dedicated program.
• Renowned speakers from many countries shared the latest accomplishments on the neuromodulation field, including a massive participation of American and Canadian colleagues, for which we are very grateful.
• We were pleased to promote neuromodulation to future surgeons, through our first cadaver workshop.
• For more information, please Google “e-INS congress, Paris, 2021”.

https://e-ins.org/

3. FRENCH NEUROMODULATION NATIONAL REGISTRY INITIATION

More than 45 CENTERS have signed their participation agreement to the F-STIM Registry already. The data collection will be launched officially, beginning of 2022, and will be dedicated to patients implanted with neuromodulation. The administrative contracts between SFNM and institutions for 28 sites and the registry is now operational in 15 health centers in France.

We are currently wrapping up the latest preparations for the setting up of the IT infrastructure, in collaboration with Dr. Meier and his team.

Data from more than 400 patients will be collected during a pilot phase to set the scalability of data collection national deployment.

The ambitions of this national registry will be to improve patient care, to refine patient selection, to improve post-CE marking DMs and to provide better reimbursement of DM costs in the field of neuromodulation in France.

The registry will also be a major opportunity for networked research.

BOARD ELECTION PREPARATION.

At the end of the year, the French Chapter will welcome its new officers. The available functions of our national board will be (*creation of additional positions):

President +

Secretary    Assistant Secretary*    Treasurer    Assistant Treasurer*

All results will be shared with the INS executive board immediately after the elections, scheduled the 15th of December, 2021.

Acknowledgments:

We would like to thank the INS executive Board, our INS director, Tia and our INS president, Marc Russo and past-president, Robert Levy, very much for their continuous support and commitment, without which we could not have made such progress. We are also very grateful to all the speakers and participants that attended to the e-INS congress in Paris.

Philippe RIGOARD
President, SFNM

India - The Neuromodulation Society of India (TNS)

Society update

• The new executive team was elected for next two years (2021-2023)
• Prof. Paresh Doshi- President
• Dr. Preeti Doshi – Secretary
• Dr. Sandeep Vaishya – Treasurer

• INS-IM2021 got once again rescheduled to 2022
• INS interim meeting will now be on 11-13th November, 2022
• Venue: Grand Hyatt, Mumbai
• In view of COVID-19 second wave, no major activities were undertaken by the society. However, each office bearer continued to engage in various academic activities in their personal capacity

INS-IM2022 meeting update

• The preparations for the meeting are going in full swing
• Mumbai has administered 100% vaccination first dose to the eligible population by now and up to 65% have received 2nd dose also
• The meeting will only be an In-person meeting and hence we look forward to welcome you all
• Mumbai is presently recording 10 new cases per million as compare 84 new cases per million in New York
• We thank all the faculty and the sponsors for their continued and strong support
• The details, including the scientific program, of the meeting can be accessed on INS-IM2022.com
• Early bird registration and abstract submission is currently open: https://www.ins-im2020.com/

Nordic - Nordic Neuromodulation Society (NNS)

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 2021

NNS Board 2021
Kliment Gatzinsky  (Sweden) – president, term ends 2023
Bård Lundeland (Norway) – secretary, term ends 2023
Mikael Fraunberg (Finland) – treasurer, term ends 2022
Helga Gulisano (Denmark) – board member, term ends 2023
Pedram Tabatabaei (Sweden) – board member, term ends 2023
Kaare Meier (Denmark) – past president, term ends 2022

NNS 1st online roundtable 21 June 2021
17 participants. Topics: SCS vs placebo, Multiple SCS manufacturers and one clinic.
Web based round table discussions based on various topics within neuromodulation are scheduled to take place once or twice a year.

NNS 8th Annual Meeting 4 September 2021 - General Assembly at e-INS congress in Paris

• Changes to NNS bylaws approved     
• Election of three new NNS Board members for a two-year term starting 2021:
  Bård Lundeland, Norway
  Helga Gulisano, Denmark
  Pedram Tabatabaei, Sweden
• Introduction of a scientific coordinator to promote scientific collaboration between the Nordic countries - Terje Kirketeig, Sweden

NNS Web page (nordicneuro.org)
New webmaster. Christopher Ekholdt, Norway. Web page has been updated and improved.
Forums: Down! Revival? May be replaced by INS forums (work in progress)

North America - The North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS)

NANS has been working hard during 2021 to adapt our organization to the impact the pandemic created on scientific and medical societies and the new “post-pandemic” era.

During the late fall of 2020, the NANS Board decided to convert our in-person Annual Meeting to a virtual event for January 2021. With efforts from all involved in planning and crafting the scientific program agenda and the other moving parts, NANS presented our virtual annual meeting, Harnessing the Force of Neuromodulation, from January 14-16. The virtual event was attended by an audience of 1120. For the virtual event, NANS was also able to once again partner with our 5 major supporters and industry partners to showcase neuromodulation and all of the current innovations and updates that had taken place throughout the course of the past year, despite the global pandemic.

The two-day event offered attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in our field. The Scientific Program Committee was led by Nader Pouratian, MD, PhD; and Nick Knezevic, MD, PhD, who successfully pivoted the original in-person content to an engaging virtual platform supplemented by real-time and live Q&A and networking sessions. The group’s efforts to produce an event full of current content and many opportunities for engagement resulted in a virtual event that surpassed expectations. Additionally, NANS was also able to offer attendees a virtual exhibit hall where 38 exhibitors attended. In the virtual hall, attendees were able to book appointments with company representatives and even watch video demonstrations. Several supporters also provided virtual luncheon symposia that were well attended.

During this meeting, NANS continued to provide a wealth of cutting edge, innovative research presented during the general and concurrent sessions. 357 total abstracts were initially submitted for the 2021 conference. Due to the virtual nature of the conference, NANS postponed the in-person presentation of our annual Distinguished Service and Lifetime Achievement Awards along with the Kumar Award. These were rescheduled for presentation during the NANS Summer 2021 Mid-Year Meeting.

In 2021, NANS also renewed its partnership with the Neural Interfaces Conference (NIC) – the premier neural engineering conference. The collaboration resulted in the NANS – NIC Joint Virtual Meeting that was offered June 25-26. The program chairs, Parag Patil, MD, PhD, and Ellis Meng, PhD, constructed an engaging program blending engineering and basic science concepts and their impact on the field of neuromodulation. 103 abstracts were submitted, and 334 attendees participated in the event that was also supplemented by several networking and real-time Q&A sessions. NANS looks forward to continuing our collaboration with NIC for future biannual meetings. Dr. Patil is the liaison for NANS with the NIC for those interested in helping with the next meeting.

From July 15-17, 2021, NANS conducted a Mid-Year Meeting at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. This is the original venue where the January 2021 in-person meeting was scheduled to take place before the switch to a virtual meeting. The meeting was scheduled to fulfill our obligation to the meeting venue and was limited in size and scope. Drs. Susan Moeschler and Kiran Patel served as scientific program co-chairs and produced a program that built off the momentum and success of the virtual meeting from January. 725 attendees participated in the meeting.

The program featured several sessions that continued themes that were introduced during the January virtual event and also showcased updates on topics that were unable to be included in January. In all, 121 abstracts were accepted as either oral or poster presentations. Included in the agenda was a hands-on cadaver course geared towards pain fellows and 80 applicants were accepted to participate in the course. Prior to the start of the meeting, NANS also offered several pre-conference courses that were not available in January and the sessions focused on IT therapies, advanced practice providers and also included a reimagined NANS I3 Forum (Investment, Innovation and Invigoration).

During the meeting, NANS also was able to present our annual awards. The Annual Kumar New Investigator Best Manuscript Award was presented to Lee E. Fisher, PhD for his submission entitled “Sensory Restoration by Epidural Stimulation of the Lateral Spinal Cord in Upper-Limb Amputees.”  NANS also introduced a new award honoring the late Lisa Stearns, MD, to encourage clinical and scientific work in cancer pain interventional therapies and neuromodulation. This inaugural award was presented to Amitabh Gulati, MD. Additionally, during the meeting, NANS was able to acknowledge our Lifetime Achievement winner, Lisa Stearns, MD and our Distinguished Service Award winner, Ashwini Sharan. We look forward to welcoming our colleagues again in January 2022 for the NANS Annual Meeting that will again take place at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin.

Throughout the course of 2021, despite the global pandemic, NANS has once again been very engaged in various advocacy and policy issues. Under the guidance of David Provenzano, MD; Joshua Rosenow, MD, the NANS Advocacy and Policy Committee has been working tirelessly to advocate for our therapy and constituents. NANS’s membership and involvement in the AMA Specialty Section Council and, more specifically, the RUC/CPT process. Engagement with several partner societies has also allowed NANS to contribute to various comment letters and other initiatives that have resulted in positive changes to several reimbursement and practice parameters. We look forward to continuing our engagement here to better serve our patients and the field of neuromodulation.  

Our educational priorities continue to focus on producing products that showcase best practices and emerging therapies. During 2021, NANS has produced numerous webinars, including some that were created and offered in conjunction with our industry partners. Through continued efforts on behalf of our Education Committee, NANS has focused on creating more on-line education content for the neuromodulation community. NANS has also been offering regularly scheduled Journal Club webinars and plans to continue this in the coming year. The Education Committee is also currently working on several enhanced guideline projects as well as a draft credentialing program and hopes to make these available soon.

In early October, the NANS Board met for our annual board retreat. Together, we discussed specific strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for NANS over the next five years. Action items resulting from this retreat include redesigning and refreshing our web-presence and social media activity (Drs. Hunter and Air co-chair the website committee). We also are continuing to improve the governance and leadership structure to fit the needs of the organization to specifically address our needs for improved diversity representation. NANS diversity includes recognizing the need to include better representation of sex, ethnicity, and culture. It also includes expanding our diversity of membership – which must expand into areas of rehabilitation, neurology, psychiatric disease. It also must expand our service for those involved in making the clinical practice succeed such as APP’s, office staff, and clinical support personnel. And, diversity needs to include our next generation of clinicians (residents and fellows) and innovators (engineers and scientists). Our current Board of Directors emerged from this retreat energized and focused on this strategic mission.

Lastly, as indicated, NANS is busily working on the final touches for the 2022 Annual Meeting, scheduled for January 13-15 at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin in Orlando, FL, USA. Our meeting theme is “Neuromodulation, The Next Generation. We look forward to the opportunity to reconnect with our members and constituents in person again.  For more information, please visit: https://conference.neuromodulation.org/

We look forward to continuing our progress on these and many other fronts throughout the remainder of the year and on into 2022.

Sincerely,

Peter Konrad, MD, PhD
President, NANS 2020-2022

Russia - The National Neuromodulation Society in Russia (NNSR)

THE SOCIETY'S ACTIVITIES IN 2021

Organization of conferences:

• The 12th interdisciplinary congress "Manage Pain"
• The 17th interdisciplinary conference "Vein Readings"
• The 11th Congress of the Russian Association of Spine Surgeons
• The 9th all-Russian Congress of Neurosurgeons
• The all-Russian scientific-practical conference NEEDLEIT!
• The international conference "Pain from molecules to high tech"
• The Armenian-France surgical and neuroscience conference  (pain chapter)

Organization of training courses (workshops):

• Spinal cord stimulation. Different systems for implantation. February 12-27.
• Modern principles of diagnostics and treatment of neurosurgical diseases. October 4.

Cooperation with the Association for Interventional Pain Management:

• Ultrasound for interventional pain management (August 13-15, September
  18-19, October 23-24)
• Interventional pain management for cervical and thoracic pain, pain in shoulder. Cadaver course, September 25-26.
• Sympathetic blocks. Spinal cord stimulation. November 20-21
• Peripheral nerves stimulation. December,18-19

Awards:

The monograph «Neuromodulation of pain. Effective management of chronic pain syndromes» - finalist in the nomination "Step Forward" in medical literature award "Zdravomysliye"

Participation in conferences:

• The 4th International Oncology and Radiotherapy Forum
• The Eurasian Orthopedic Forum
• The 7th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology
• The 27th Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with international participation "Medicine of Pain - from understanding to action"
• The 19th all-Russian Scientific-Practical Neurosurgery Conference "Polenov's Readings"
• The 3rd Regional Science and Practice Conference with international participation "Current Issues of Chronic Pain Treatment"

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Organization of conferences:

• The 4th international congress Association interventional of pain management and the 3rd congress of National neuromodulation society in Russia
• The 13th interdisciplinary congress "Manage Pain"
• The 18th interdisciplinary conference "Vein Readings"

Organization of training courses:

Cooperation with the Association for Interventional Pain Management:

• Ultrasound for interventional pain management
• Interventional pain management for cervical and thoracic pain, pain in shoulder. Cadaver course
• Sympathetic blocks. Spinal cord stimulation
• Peripheral nerves stimulation

Organization and holding of 4th  INS Interim meeting in Moscow, 2023 - priority task for our chapter. We will try all our effort to make this meeting memorable for all participants and guests of the congress.

Spain - the Spanish Chapter of the INS

Update of the INS Spain website: The INS Spain website has been completely renewed. www.neuromodulation.es
New sections for professionals and for the general public are included.

Activation of social networks: Facebook and Twitter @EspanaIns

Practice recommendations on Neuromodulación during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Available on www.neuromodulation.es

INS Spain is present on the World Day Against Pain.

Degree Programme Courses INS Spain sponsor of:

• MASTER ABORDAJE INTEGRAL DEL DOLOR   64 ects
• EXPERTO UNIVERSITARIO EN TÉCNICAS DEL DOLOR   25 ects
  Francisco de Vitoria University (Madrid)

INS Spain interest groups are created:

• Informed Consents
• National implant registry
• Patient selection

INS Spain supports the scientific activities of Pain Institute of Spain.

Turkey

INS-Turkish Chapter Annual Report

The Turkish Chapter of INS hosted an e-symposium on June 25-26, 2021:

• Main topics: Parkinson's disease and neuromodulation, spasticity and neuromodulation, pain and neurromıdulation
• 250 attendees

The Turkish Chapter of INS actualised webinar series in 2021:

1. Neuromodulation in headaches and neuralgias; April 27, 2021
       1600 attendees
2. Cervical spinal cord implantation after surgery; June 22, 2021
       800 attendees
3. Trigeminal neuralgia: invasive treatment modalities; August 10, 2021
       200 attendees
4. FBSS and neuromodulation/neurostimulation techniques; August 31, 2021
       550 attendees
5. Back pain and invasive treatment modalities; October 5, 2021
       600 attendees
6. Spinal cord stimulation: indications, techniques and complications; October 19, 2021
  600 attendees

The Turkish Chapter of INS hosted the 1-day course programme: "Interventional Treatment Modalities in Spinal Surgery" held in 25th. Spinal Surgery Symposium, October 28 - 31, 2021, Izmir, Turkey

Hosted 2 panels with 10 different topics on: "Cervical disc and percutaneous treatments," and "Spinal Cord Stimulation in Spinal Pain" held in 25th Spinal Surgery Symposium, October 28-31, 2021, Izmir, Turkey

Plans for 2022:

The Turkish Chapter of INS:

1. Will be continuing the webinar series on neuromodulation/neurostimulation in 2022 with 6-8 meetings.
2. Planning to organise an e/physical -symposium in 2022
3. Will be organising cadaver workshop on March 2022

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