Newsletter

A Message from International Neuromodulation Society President Dr. Robert Levy

First and foremost, I am honored to invite you to the 14th World Congress of the International Neuromodulation Society: Neuromodulation Leading a Global Medical Revolution. This title might seem like hyperbole, but in fact, it may only understate the growing impact of neuromodulation on the treatment of disease. The growth in our understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic illnesses, the mechanisms of action of neuromodulation therapies, and the sophisticated technology with which to administer neuromodulation therapy has led to a virtual explosion of the indications for neuromodulation therapies. This is the exciting framework for our conference in Sydney, Australia, on May 25–30, 2019.

Dr. Marc Russo, Congress Chair, along with the scientific committees, has created a state-of-the-art, comprehensive, and fascinating program that addresses our field from several viewpoints. For our patients and the press, there is a Public Education Program, organized by Dr. Nick Christelis of the Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (NSANZ) and moderated by the esteemed Dr. Sally Cockburn, that will address the opioid problem and neuromodulation for chronic pain and urologic and movement disorders. For students, the NSANZ and INS cadaver workshops will train early practitioners in multiple neuromodulation procedures. Our pre-conference, Innovations in Neuromodulation, will address disruptive innovation in neuromodulation and will present a window to the future of our field. A second pre-conference on Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation provides emphasis on this increasingly impactful segment of neuromodulation therapy.

Following all this, Dr. Russo and the scientific committees have put together an impressive conference program to address questions that are important to all of us. Evidence will be presented describing the state of the art of existing neuromodulation therapies including spinal cord, peripheral nerve, dorsal root ganglion and brain stimulation, and intrathecal drug delivery, as well as up-to-the-minute innovations in waveforms, pulse trains, closed loop feedback, and device design destined to advance our field. Special emphasis on clinical trial design and interpretation, critical for growing the evidence basis for neuromodulation, has been included. New and exciting work on the mechanisms of action of our therapies will be presented. Leading edge applications of neuromodulation, including rehabilitation medicine and stroke, pelvic motility disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, disorders of vagal tone, epilepsy and migraine headache, will also be discussed. There will be ample networking time with international colleagues throughout the event, as well as opportunities for mentors and mentees to connect at the receptions hosted by the INS’s Young Neuromodulators and International Women in Neuromodulation Committees on May 27 and 28, respectively. It is with great excitement and humility that the INS Executive Board Members and I welcome you to Sydney.

Second, I would like to update our members in NANS on progress made on four critical fronts. We have been working tirelessly on addressing and updating our conflict of interest policies for both the society leadership and our journal, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. The formal proposal will be reviewed at the Sydney INS congress. 

Under the joint leadership of Drs. Robert Dworkin, Richard North, and Simon Thomson, the project to define criteria and guidelines for research in neuromodulation has progressed significantly, and we look forward to upcoming publication(s) sponsored by several organizations to disseminate these guidelines.

Further progress has been made in our attempts to define and support quality management in neuromodulation with the INS Centers of Excellence project. This project will take longer than the others noted above, but should have lasting value to patients, practitioners, and healthcare systems alike. Research and writing work is already underway for this important project.

Finally, we have initiated the planning for the next cycle of the Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Conference (NACC) and Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (PACC). Work on this project will continue throughout 2019 and 2020, for publication in January 2021, maintaining our four-year cycle for these important guidance documents.

I, on behalf of the Executive Board of Directors of the INS, appreciate your support of our important projects and invite your participation as INS members. I look forward to seeing you in Sydney!

Robert M. Levy, MD PhD
President, International Neuromodulation Society