EURO-BRAIN '97 conference on brain disorders

This multidisciplinary conference focuses on rehabilitation, care and support of victims of major brain disorders, such as apoplexy, dementia, multiple sclerosis, head and spinal cord injuries, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

Brain disorders are responsible for half of all severely disabled persons living in the community and are major reasons for hospitalisation. They cause enormous financial costs to society and to those afflicted. More importantly, brain diseases cause chronic disability, pain, distress and a reduced quality of life for their victims. Relatives of sufferers are often challenged with a heavy burden of care.

The conference is not a traditional meeting, but provides a truly multidisciplinary forum for presentations and discussions of the major themes: multidisciplinary rehabilitation, care, transfer from institution to community, and support of those living in the community with a brain disorder.

At this conference, rehabilitation is defined in its wide sense to include physical handicaps, communication problems, decreased mental ability and other disabilities and handicaps.

Nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, doctors, speech therapists and social workers are invited to participate in the conference. Likewise, managers of nursing homes and administrators of community services and hospital services may profit from this multidisciplinary conference.

Furthermore, industry is invited to participate with contributions and exhibitions. Novel devices for rehabilitation, special beds, lifts, wheelchairs and many other technical facilities have greatly improved care, rehabilitation and living conditions for those with chronic brain disease.

We hope this conference will create a picture of the ideal organisation of the complicated multidisciplinary team necessary to optimally restore brain function; to secure smooth transfer from institution to community; and to secure the continued support of those living in the community with a severe brain disorder.

For further information on the conference, please contact Professor Thomas Sinkjaer, PhD, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7D, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark; tel. +45 98 15 85 22, ext. 4953; fax: +45 98 15 40 08; email ts@miba.auc.dk.

• Contents page for this issue
• IFMBE home page