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Child neurology: Role of the International Association
... The association can play an important role in launching international multicenter studies and worldwide research, and is set to be the leader of the global campaign for the prevention of both the causes and consequences of cerebral damage. In 2002, my administration established research as one of the top prerogatives of our society [3]. Building research capacity in emerging countries is urgently needed. ...
The International Child Neurology Association (ICNA) was founded on the 12th of September 1973, at the 10th Congress of the World Federation of Neurology in Barcelona (Spain), by a small group of child neurologists who shared the need to establish a worldwide forum for physicians interested in the care of children with neuro-logical conditions. There are only a few national and regional societies, which are older than ICNA. Among them are the Japanese Society of Child Neurology, which was set up in 1961, the Federation of European Child Neurology Societies, founded in 1970, and the Child Neurology Society of the USA, established in 1972. ICNA arose from a common aspiration to accomplish a great mission: to develop dramatically the quality of care for children suffering neurological diseases, to encourage high training qualifications for an increasing base of child neurologists, and to promote research and international cooperation worldwide. The goals of our organization have been pursued thanks to the remarkable efforts and generous contribution of the many people who, throughout the years, have dedicated their time, energy and passion to voluntarily serve the best interest of our association [1] (Table 1). Since its foundation, the organization has developed and expanded year on year growing into the dynamic and exciting association it is today.
... In 1972, the newly founded Child Neurology Society held its first annual meeting in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 13 The International Child Neurology Association [14][15][16] was founded in 1973 and its first congress was held in 1975 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, immediately following the fourth annual meeting of the Child Neurology Society at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (the early meetings of the Child Neurology Society were small enough that they could be held at university facilities). Thus, by the 1980s, the field of child neurology was still very much in its infancy (through 1985, only 579 certificates in child neurology had been granted by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology). ...
Recent progress in pediatric neurosciences has greatly increased the divide between the possibilities for diagnosis and intervention among developed countries and resource-poor countries, where child neurologists suffer from the lack of adequate training, the absence of a network with professionals around the world, and the shortage of infrastructure. The International Child Neurology Association (ICNA) is the only child neurology association that can deal with these important issues and promote the reduction of this gap. In this article, the author reviews the role played by ICNA in the past 2 decades in supporting education worldwide, in offering teaching seminars and visits by senior members, and in addressing the needs of the global community of child neurologists. The challenges and success of ICNA in the promotion of educational resources and recommendations for the future are discussed.
Although considered a relatively new subspecialty, child neurology traces its origins to the Hippocratic descriptions of seizures and other neurologic conditions in children. Its true beginnings can be traced to the 1600s and 1700s with classical descriptions of chorea, hydrocephalus, spina bifida, and polio. It was, however, the remarkable clinical and scientific advances in neurology and pediatrics at the end of the 19th century that helped create its scientific foundation. Like other pediatric disciplines, child neurology evolved into a distinct clinical and scientific specialty early in the 20th century. Remarkable advances in the neurosciences, particularly in the fields of genetics, molecular biology, metabolism, immunology and nutrition, have greatly advanced our understanding of how the brain develops and responds to environmental influences. Advances in neuroimaging, electroencephalography, electromyography, muscle histology, biochemistry, and neuropharmacology have considerably improved our ability to evaluate and treat children with neurological disorders. These advances have allowed new and expanding approaches, unique to children, in the fields of epilepsy, neurodegenerative and neurometabolic disorders, nervous system infections, demyelinating diseases and tumors, neonatal neurological conditions, and neuromuscular diseases. They have also led to a better understanding of the neurobiologic basis of common problems such as global developmental delay, cerebral palsy, and autism. As remarkable as the advances have been in the past century, the accelerating pace of our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms responsible for brain development will lead to even greater achievements in the clinical care of children with neurological disorders in the 21st century