Organizing Committee of the 6^th CLAE-CERI Annual Scientific Meeting

Meeting held at the CCNS, Montreal 13 June, 2006

Attendees:
Warren Blume, Martin Del Campo, Gord Blair, Syed Mirsattari, Neelan Pillay, Peter Carlen (minutes), Mike Poulter

Regrets:
Mac Burnham, Ante L. Padjen, Mary Pat McAndrews

Agenda:
Preparation of the 6^th CERI Scientific Meeting: September 29 – October 1, 2006:

Controversies in Epilepsy: a Canadian Perspective

Meeting Site:

Hilton Suites Hotel and Spa and Conference Centre, Markham (outskirts of Toronto), Ontario
The program was discussed and modified.

Key points:

• limit controversial topics to 5 instead of 7 or 8 so as to provide in depth discussions
• move Strategic planning session to late Saturday afternoon so as to encourage Western Canadian participation (in case some leave early Sunday), and include in strategic planning both clinical care and epilepsy research
• poster sessions to have discussants

Program to date:

Friday Night: A 2 hour session devoted to issues of brain stimulation for controlling seizures (vagal, deep brain, direct hippocampal). Richard Wennberg has agreed to moderate and Rick McLaughlin has agreed to participate. The committee thought that this controversy would be a "crowd pleaser" and attract considerable attention and participation. We will invite representatives from industry (Cyberonics and Medtronics) to attend, hopefully. Other suggested participants include Shelley Weiss and Dan McIntyre (not yet confirmed)

Saturday and Sunday:
Controversies: 4 in all, 3 on Saturday and one on Sunday AM.

Suggested topics with moderators and participants who have agreed to date:

2) Functional/EEG imaging in Epilepsy: Syed Mirsattari (moderator)

3) Animal Models of Seizures vs Epilepsy: Mac Burnham (moderator), Stan Leung

4) Comorbidities in Epilepsy, worse than the disease itself: to be moderated preferably by a nurse-researcher

Poster Session: to be strongly encouraged and to be formally discussed.

Illustrative clinical case presentations
For clinicians and scientists. Drs. Del Campo and Blume have agreed to run this.

Strategic Planning for Comprehensive Epilepsy Care & Research
Mac Burnham and Ante L. Padjen agreed to moderate.

Networking for collaborative research projects and grants.
All attendees strongly urged to use the opportunity to develop collaborative projects and grants.

We will seek CIHR support; corporate support has already been requested.

Registration:

The relatively reasonable suite costs include support for breakfast and lunches on Saturday and Sunday such that attendees who stay in the hotel will be charged less than those who stay elsewhere. However we will encourage attendees even from Toronto to a stay in the hotel if possible so as to facilitate networking.

Suggested registration fees (for the refreshments, meeting room, poster boards): 

Students: $75; Attendees who stay in the hotel: $100; Attendees staying elsewhere: $125.

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Tentative Schedule:

6^th CLAE-CERI Annual Scientific Meeting

September 29 - October 1, 2006

Contentious Issues in Epilepsy: a Canadian Perspective

Friday night, September 29

5:00 - Registration

7:30 - 9:30 Opening Controversy:

Brain Stimulation in Epilepsy

Saturday, Sept. 30

8:00 - Registration and Breakfast

9:00 - 10:30 Controversy

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break and view posters

11:00 – 12:30 Controversy

12:30 – 2:00 lunch and view posters

2:00 – 3:00 Illustrative and Contentious Case Presentations

3:00 – 4:30 Controversy

4:30 – 6:00 Coffee break and view posters

Dinner and networking

9:00 – 10:30 Controversy

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break

11:00 – 1:00 Strategic Planning for Comprehensive Epilepsy Care and Collaborative Research Projects.  Co-moderators: Mac Burnham and Ante L. Padjen