9th Asian Oceanian child neurology confab slated

For the first time, the Philippines will host the 9th Asian Oceanian Congress of Child Neurology (AOCCN) on Jan. 24-27 at the Cebu Waterfront Hotel.

Twenty-three symposia, two teaching courses and three lay fora have been put together by the Child Neurology Society Philippines Inc. and the Philippine Neurological Association, which are jointly hosting the four-day event.

Prof. Yukio Fukuyama, one of the founding members of the AOCCN, will deliver the keynote address "Building Bridges in the Practice of Child Neurology in the Asian Oceanian Region."

The first AOCCN was held in Taipei 23 years ago, and since then, meetings have been held in various places every two or three years, continuing with its goals of fostering ties and exchange of information among doctors involved in child neurology in the region.

The 9th AOCCN’s organizing committee, headed by Dr. Aida Salonga, has drawn up topics with relevant concerns to the region.

The conference starts with teaching courses on the use of botulinum toxin in the treatment of spasticity (as in cerebral palsy), and a mini refresher workshop on reading and interpreting pediatric EEGs.

The congress speakers include Prof. Cornelio Banaag (Philippines) on ADHD; Peter Camfield (Canada) on Febrile Convulsions; Gregory Pastores (US) on Genetics and Childhood Neurological Conditions; and Prof. Masaya Segawa (Japan) on Tics and Tourett Syndrome. 

The full program can be downloaded from the AOCCN website at www.aoccn2007.org.