 
Neuromodulation News: March 2017
President's Message l Record Number of Abstracts l New Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Preconference l Innovations Day l Meeting Abstracts in Online Journal l Editorial Board Meets l Neuromodulation Prize l Giant of Neuromodulation Named l WIKISTIM Grows l Ways to Get Involved
 A Message from the President
Dear INS members and friends,
I am excited to share that news about the broad program taking shape for our congress in Edinburgh, Scotland. The 13th World Congress May 27 – June 1 promises to offer an impressive array of presentations on new findings about neuromodulation therapy, which cover a wide scope of research, from the underlying science to the latest treatments. The strong program is bolstered by a record number of abstract submissions, up 29% from our last congress in 2015.
For the first time, we plan a poster session during a pre-conference on May 27 about Noninvasive Brain Stimulation. Abstract submissions are being accepted for that session until March 24.
I am also heartened by far-reaching growth in our worldwide chapters. Together, our congress and chapter activities are spreading knowledge about neuromodulation throughout the world.
As I mentioned recently about chapter growth in a video highlight, we have new chapters coming on in Columbia, and India, with growth in China and Poland. This excitement is spreading throughout Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Australasia, and beyond.
Building on this interest, since the last INS congress, we have launched a globalization project to improve access to neuromodulation around the world. The intent is to help improve care for people all over who are suffering, and who may benefit from these therapies.
The globalization committee, as explained on the INS website, will develop “a scholarship or educational program to help individuals in developing countries launch new neuromodulation practices. The program may also help subsidize memberships to provide access to the journal and other membership benefits to those who cannot afford them. These committee members will also serve as ambassadors for the field as they interact with their colleagues around the world.”
Another way INS spreads knowledge is through publication of research studies and review articles in our journal. In January and February, the journal published six peer-review articles that comprehensively update expert guidelines on the safe and efficient use of neuromodulation implants. Members of the Neurostimulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee published three review articles in January, in Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, Volume 20, Number 1; the Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference authors published three articles updating expert guidance on intrathecal drug delivery systems in Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface Volume 20, Number 2.
Further disseminating this information, the articles were publicized in a news release that was reported in Neuro News, Neurology Advisor, Pharmacy Today, and other publications serving our broader medical community. The guidelines are being submitted to the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) of the U.S. Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Publication on the NGC web site will follow review and approval by AHRQ.
As the 13th World Congress approaches, I want to offer special thanks for local organizing efforts by the leadership and members of the Neuromodulation Society of the United Kingdom and Ireland (NSUKI), including Dr. Stana Bojanic, president of NSUKI; Mr. Roger Strachan, NSUKI past president; NSUKI secretary Dr. Ganesan Baranidharan; Dr. Saravanakumar Kanakarajan; and Dr. James FitzGerald.
Please read more in this newsletter about our recent activities and plans concerning the Congress.
If you still need to finalize your plans to attend, please visit the INS Congress web page and double-check visa requirements. The 13th World Congress promises to be a wonderful opportunity to deepen your professional knowledge in the company of friends and peers from around the world. I look forward to welcoming all the delegates there.
With best regards,
Timothy Deer, MD
President of INS
Record Number of Scientific Abstracts Submitted for the 2017 INS Congress
The INS 13th World Congress has received more than 460 abstract submissions from 41 countries. The total is more than 100 more than were received for the 12th World Congress in 2015.
We want to thank everyone who submitted abstracts for the congress scientific program, and express our gratitude for your support for our congress and our field. Notifications about poster and oral presentation selections will be sent in the latter half of March.
In the meantime, hope you will finalize your plans for attending the congress from May 27 – June 1, 2017, in Edinburgh, Scotland! Click here to register.
INS to Offer First Preconference on Noninvasive Brain Stimulation!
Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has its own unique challenges as an emerging clinical treatment, and the INS has organized its first preconference to focus on this modality. This one-of-a-kind preconference takes place on Saturday, May 27.
As we recently announced, the preconference includes a special Best NIBS Abstract Competition, which will recognize the top three NIBS abstracts for quality, originality and ingenuity in basic or clinical science or neural engineering. Selected abstracts will be displayed as posters during lunchtime and breaks.
NIBS abstracts are due March 24, 2017. Abstract categories encompass basic science/neuroscience, neural engineering, socioeconomics, and existing clinical therapies as well as potential future technologies. All accepted abstracts will be published on the Society’s website and in the online version of the INS journal, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. Click here to submit an abstract.
Please visit the NIBS preconference page to learn more about the program for the day and the NIBS abstract competition.
Innovations Day Preconference Theme Will Be Reimbursement
The 13th World Congress will mark the fourth time the INS will offer a daylong preconference focused on innovation and investment, on May 28, 2017.
At the preconference, more than 200 leaders in the global neuromodulation and investment communities will meet to hear from venture capitalists, clinicians, engineers, regulators, and entrepreneurs.
A theme will be identifying the data and evidence that need to be collected to ensure future reimbursement for emerging therapies under development.
Chapter Meeting Abstracts Published in Online Journal
The February issue of Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface carries abstracts from the 9th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Neuromodulation Society and the 2016 Joint Meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society and the Neural Interfaces Conference.
Additional abstracts will be made available in the coming months. For content alerts regarding Early View online articles, please register at the journal link.
Neuromodulation Editorial Board Meets at NANS
During the 20th Annual Meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society in January, members of the editorial board of Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface met. The editorial board members at the meeting are pictured here.
From left to right: Brian Coughlin, Wiley; Catherine DeAngelis, MD, MPH; Cameron McIntyre, PhD; Allen Burton, MD; Edgar Ross, MD; Joseph Pancrazio, PhD; Oren Sagher, MD; Lisa Stearns, MD; Robert Foreman, PhD; Eric Buchser, MD, PhD; Mike DeJongste, MD, PhD; Bengt Linderoth, MD, PhD; Richard North, MD; Julie Pilitsis, MD, PhD; Andre Machado, MD, PhD; Erich Richter, MD; Alon Mogilner, MD, PhD; Robert Levy, MD, PhD; Tia Sofatzis, managing editor; and Mary Price, editorial assistant.
New Neuromodulation Prize
The Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation is a new highly competitive international prize that honors scientists for their excellent contributions to neuromodulation research. Recipients will be honored for outstanding research, as described in an essay based on research performed in the past three years. The annual award carries a cash prize of $25,000, along with publication of the winner’s essay in Science Online, which is published by the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science. The prize co-sponsor, Beijing PINS Medical Equipment Co. Ltd., is a commercial developer of nerve stimulation technologies.
The initial prize will be announced and awarded in September 2017. Details are available at www.sciencemag.org/prizes/pins.
Giant of Neuromodulation Award to Be Announced
Michael Stanton-Hicks, MBBS, Dr.Med.(Düs), FFARCS (FRCA), FCAI (HON), ABPM, FIPP, will be honored as the fourth Giant of Neuromodulation during the INS 13th World Congress, where he will deliver a plenary lecture.
The award recognizes "those whose lifetime work has brought neuromodulation to the people who need it. Through their science, publications, teaching and education they have made a lasting contribution."
Dr. Stanton-Hicks is universally admired for his lifelong contributions. Among his many accomplishments, two decades ago, he was the first president of what became the North American Neuromodulation Society. His overall career has bridged developments in understanding of complex regional pain syndrome and chronic pain, as well as developments in the delivery of neuromodulation therapy.
After more than a decade as a pain management physician, he joined the Cleveland Clinic in 1988, where he continues to work part-time as a consultant. As one notable contribution to the field, in 1988, he organized the first international meeting that led to the current definition of CRPS. This modern characterization of the syndrome and its sub-types facilitated strides in research, diagnosis and treatment.
WIKISTIM Growth
In the past year, WIKISTIM subscribers have increased by more than a third, to 440. Noting that growth, the organization recently reviewed the searchable database services it provides to researchers, funders, regulators, healthcare providers and patients, and students and trainees.
Its curated research data listings are complied by volunteer experts in a format designed for efficient, thorough identification of primary research data related to neuromodulation therapy. The website is free to use by registrants and supported by donations. It was formed in 2013 by the nonprofit Neuromodulation Foundation, Inc. to extend the utility of clinical studies.
Citations are sorted by stimulation target, and data may be downloaded in a tabular format. The citations are updated monthly with oversight by section editors. Initial sections are believed to comprehensively present the available primary research literature. In addition, there are plans to add more topics, such as motor cortex stimulation and noninvasive brain stimulation.
CME credit is provided for data extraction, since that effort requires a high degree of familiarity with the content and careful analysis -- with the advantage of being able to be done at anytime, in any place. To facilitate the process, a form-based system is being developed.
WIKISTIM tailors its data-extraction format for each intervention. The organization encourages authors to follow the format when designing studies and preparing manuscripts in order to highlight needed data, facilitate peer review, and streamline data extraction.
People who complete datasheets may add a line to their CV indicating they have served as a WIKISTIM guest editor. Meanwhile, authors who have substantially relied on WIKISTIM for a review article or discussion section may cite the website, www.wikistim.org, as a source, in the same way an author might cite PUBMED or other scientific literature databases.
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