Granavollen, Norway, June 6-11, 2010

The "Baltic Sea Summer Schools on Epilepsy" (BSSSE) take place annually since 2007 in varying countries of the Baltic Sea region. They are clinically oriented and focused on comprehensive aspects of diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. The open and informal atmosphere of the BSSSE allows easy communication between faculty and trainees. Lithuania hosted the first BSSSE in Druskininkai, the Danish Epilepsy Society the second one in Tune close to Copenhagen, the German Society for Epileptology the third one in Kiel. The fourth BSSSE will be organized with the Norwegian Epilepsy Society as hosts in Granavollen, near Oslo, from June 6-11, 2010.

Target audience: The BSSSE are primarily addressed to medical postgraduates and junior researchers (age usually up to 40 years) with a special clinical or scientific interest in epilepsy. Participants from all parts of the world are accepted but applicants from the Baltic Sea region are given priority. Other professionals working in the field of epilepsy are welcome to apply. Attendance is restricted to 40 students to ensure an optimally interactive ambience.

Program

The 4th BSSSE will again have a faculty of prominent epileptologists from the countries around the Baltic Sea.

Preliminary topics include: Differential diagnosis of syndromes, Non-epileptic events in children and adolescents, Status epilepticus, EEG in epilepsy, Intensive monitoring, AED pharmacology, Neuroimaging, Management of epilepsy in specific groups of patients, Endocrinology in epileptology, Sociocultural history of epilepsy, Basic mechanisms of epilepsy.

The didactic format promotes the combination of lectures and interactive group work. Tutored case-oriented study, the students' preferred method in the first three BSSSEs, is again emphasized. Didactic cases provided by tutors and case reports or research presentations prepared by participants will be discussed in small groups.

Learning objectives

The course, on completion, will have provided an update on important clinical aspects of epilepsy. It will enable the participants to critically evaluate information and expert opinion on the main topics of clinical epileptology. They will improve their competence and gain practical skills in the diagnostic work-up and decision-making concerning the management of different aspects of pediatric and adult epileptology including diagnostic approaches (especially regarding the EEG and neuroimaging) and pharmacotherapy. The didactic cases provided by tutors in case-oriented learning will address realistic clinical problems in daily practice. By their own case or scientific presentations, the participants will improve their competence and confidence in lecturing and teaching.

A special session will discuss transnational research on epilepsy in the Baltic Sea region and explore possibilities to promote joint projects.

The course, on completion, will improve participants' skills in

• the differential diagnosis of epilepsy syndromes as well as different kinds of non-epileptic events
• using the EEG in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of seizures and in intensive monitoring
  
• the use of neuroimaging in epilepsy
• the pharmacotherapy of the epilepsies, with special emphasis on young and old age
• the management of status epilepticus
  
• understanding endocrinological issues in epilepsy
• understanding the basic mechanisms of epilepsy
• understanding epilepsy as a condition with long sociocultural history
  

The didactic methods are elaborated in cooperation with EUREPA.

The BSSSEs are given in English.

The 4th BSSSE will take place near Oslo, in Granavollen, Norway, from June 6-11, 2010.
 

Organizers:	The ILAE chapters of the Baltic Sea region, the ILAE Commission on European Affairs / European Advisory Council, European Epilepsy Academy (EUREPA)
Local organizers:	Norwegian Epilepsy Society
Organizing Committee:	Peter Wolf, Svein Johannessen, Maria Mazurkiewicz-Belzinska, Ulrich Stephani
Programm Committee:	Peter Wolf, Svein Johannessen, Ruta Mameniskiene
Duration:	The 4th BSSSE is planned for 4,5 working days (Monday morning - Friday noon). Arrival on Sunday, June 6, departure on Friday afternoon, June 11.
Location:	The venue will be Hotel Hadeland in Granavollen, north of Oslo, Norway, at the heart of a beautiful countryside called Norway's Tuscany. It has all necessary facilities for interactive study and relaxation. Please see this information on how to get to there from Oslo Gardermoen Airport.
Bursaries:	A number of bursaries will be available from different sources, including the ILAE Commission on European Affairs*, UCB Nordic, the Peter & Jytte Wolf Foundation for Epilepsy, and the Danish, German and Norwegian ILAE chapters. Applicants are encouraged to apply. The bursaries regularly cover the registration fee and do not include travel expenses. * Kindly note that the ILAE/CEA gives only one bursary per person per year. Please also contact your national ILAE chapter for further information and local bursary possibilities.
Registration fee: Cancellation policy: Accomodation:	900 Euro The fee includes full board and lodging, and access to all educational activities (lectures, tutorials, case discussions, video-sessions) including handouts. A deposit of 100 Euro is required with final registration. Cancellation before April 6, 2010: full reimbursement of deposit/registration fee less bank charges Cancellation before May 26, 2010:  50% reimbursement of deposit/fee Later cancellations:  no reimbursement Accomodation is in shared twin rooms. A number of single room accomodations will be available on advance request (first come first served basis) for an additional charge of € 100 to be paid by the participant, which is not covered by the bursaries.

Application

Each candidate for the 4th BSSSE is required to submit:

1. Application form (need for bursary can be indicated on it. Age limit for application and for bursaries is 40 years)
2. A case report from student's clinical practice with patients with epilepsy / or a report on personal scientific research
3. Curriculum vitae (CV) on 2 pages max. and list of publications
4. Letter of intent
5. Recommendations : reference letter from the ILAE Chapter or the Head of the Department, statement of current activities etc.

Applications to the 4th BSSSE should be submitted before the deadline of April 10, 2010.

A video case report is not mandatory but it is welcome and encouraged to submit.

Case reports provided by students are expected to be:

• specific and with some difficulties / problems in clinical semiology, diagnostics, classification and therapeutic strategy and possibly showing some unusual clinical features
• it is recommended that case reports include questions addressed to audience for the discussion, and concluding answers, explanations and ideas to be presented after comments of a group

A Report on personal scientific results may be provided instead of a case report.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CASE REPORT SUBMISSION

The report should be prepared as Power Point presentation, in English. The first slide: title, applicant's name, the institution, city and country Use 12-15 slides at maximum Adapt font size and number of lines to easy reading from the audience. Standard abbreviations may be used. The case presentation should be informative, containing: introduction case report conclusion Drug Products should be identified by their non-proprietary names only Video-sequence(s) EEG fragments, neuroimaging scans etc, if available should be included in the presentation The reports on personal scientific research should include: introduction aims methods results discussion conclusions Authors are responsible for the linguistic accuracy and ethical standards All presentations will be reviewed by the Organizing Committee CD with case reports prepared as PPT presentation, or adapted in a PDF format should be sent by email to Ruta Mameniskiene as soon as possible.

Certification:

Participants who successfully take part in the program will receive a CERTIFICATE. The BSSSE is accredited by EUREPA and integrated in the European Certification in Epileptology.

A detailed educational program will soon be available.

Please follow the website for updates.

Important information, dates and addresses for the 4th BSSSE, June 6-11, 2010, in Granavollen, Norway: Contacts: Petra Novotny, EUREPA, petra@epilepsy-academy.org Ruta Mameniskiene, ruta.mameniskiene@yahoo.com, or contact your national ILAE chapter (see www.ilae.org for addresses) Application deadline is April 10, 2010. Priority deadline for applications from the countries bordering the Baltic Sea is February 1st, 2010. The online application form is mandatory, it has to be filled in and sent online before the deadline of April 10, 2010. All attachments required for the application (CV, list of publications, letter of intent, reference letter) should be sent by e-mail to Petra Novotny, EUREPA, petra@epilepsy-academy.org before the deadline of April 10, 2010. The Case report prepared as PPT presentation, in PDF format, or as an archive file, must be sent by email (or on CD by postal mail) to Ruta Mameniskiene, ruta.mameniskiene@yahoo.com, Dept. of Neurology, Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Clinics, Santariskiu 2, Vilnius, LT - 08661 Lithuania, before the deadline of April 10, 2010. Please also contact your national ILAE chapter for further information and local bursary possibilities. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application as soon as possible. A deposit of 100 Euro is required with final registration and should be paid within 2 weeks after official acceptance of the applicant. Final payment of the registration fee is expected before April 30th, 2010.

» Use application form

» See powerpoint presentation on BSSSE 1 and BSSSE 2  (as PDF file, 380kB)

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