The International Conference on Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection in the Newborn is intended to bring the most current and important research in these fields to a forum where the results can be translated for use by clinicians.  Brain monitoring, for the purposes of this conference, is defined as those methods used on a continuous or repetitive basis to assess brain function in the newborn such as continuous EEG or near-infrared spectroscopy.  Neuroprotection, for the purposes of this conference, is defined as therapeutic hypothermia as well as any adjunctive measures that may be utilized along with it.

While these definitions are somewhat restrictive and will be stretched from time to time to include subjects of compelling interest, we think it is important to maintain a focus on these two closely-related and clinically-evolving areas.  Broader neonatal neurology topics are available elsewhere (e.g., PAS/SPR, ESPR, the Hershey meeting, the Washington University conference), and a broadening of our scope would inevitably lead to a dilution of our focus.  The raison d'etre of this meeting lies in the fact that neither researchers nor clinicians interested in learning the state of the art can find the whole of either field discussed consistently in any other place and to do so seems crucial to us at a time when both fields are growing rapidly in both the research and clinical arenas.

The conference is designed so that researchers and clinicians can, by attending at least every other year, derive a solid sense of the state of the art.  In building bridges between research and clinical applications, it is vital that the foundations on either side of the bridge are clearly understood.  This conference is intended to both describe and strengthen those foundations, as well as provide an international bridge between them.

Electronic Submission Deadline HAS BEEN EXTENDED to October 5, 2008

The conference is dedicated to providing a forum for the continuing education of professionals working to improve the neurological and developmental health outcomes of premature and sick newborns. This conference explores means to understand, monitor, protect and treat the developing brain of the premature and term neonate.

Material presented in the abstracts should be organized and presented according to accepted scientific style. All new investigational studies must include the hypotheses being tested, methods (including consent from subjects, data collection, masking of observers, etc) results with applicable statistics, and discussion / implications regarding practice.

Abstracts describing care practices must include the scientific basis underlying the practice, process of implementation, results, and conclusions. If a control group is used for comparison, the methodology section must include details regarding group assignment, masking of observers, applicable statistics, etc.)

Although often interesting, single case studies are discouraged due to their lack of generalizability.

Abstracts are requested in the following areas:

1. Progression of and influences on fetal / neonatal brain development, both normal and abnormal
2. Neuroprotection strategies in the neonate
3. Continuous EEG monitoring – theory and applications
4. Other forms of brain monitoring, such as NIRS, biochemical

Electronic Submission Deadline HAS BEEN EXTENDED to October 5, 2008

Abstracts are welcome from researchers, or any member(s) of the interdisciplinary team of health professionals who work with high-risk infants.  Abstracts are welcomed from individuals or groups representing any or all of the following:

• Advance practice nurses
• Researchers
• Physicians: Neonatologists, Neurologists, Obstetricians, Pediatricians, Perinatologists

Click here for detailed instructions and guidelines. 

This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of neonatologists, neurophysiologists, pediatric neurologists, NICU nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners, and any other clinician or researcher interested in learning about the cutting-edge field of neonatal brain monitoring.

Click HERE to download exhibitor prospectus in PDF format

Click HERE to download exhibit application form in Word format

Upon completion of this CME activity, attendees should be able to:

• Explain the electrophysiologic basis for continuous EEG monitoring of the newborn
• Analyze advantages and shortcomings of continuous single-lead EEG monitoring
• Differentiate the pros and cons of continuous EEG monitoring with the pros and cons of conventional EEG
• Recognize and appraise indications for continuous EEG monitoring in high-risk premature and term newborns
• Analyze other techniques for monitoring neonatal brain function which are available, or in the process of clinical development
• Determine how caregiving practices impact brain function
• Contrast the relative benefits and disadvantages of providing therapeutic hypothermia using head or total body cooling
• Identify the potential risks and benefits of therapeutic hypothermia in preterm infants;
• Implement important supportive measures for infants receiving therapeutic hypothermia;
• Describe possible mechanisms for brain injury caused by seizure activity
• Identify promising targets for anti-epileptic drugs in infants
• Discuss the role of neuroimaging in infants treated with hypothermia
• Explain the key clinical and diagnostic findings in neonatal stroke
• Describe the importance of sleep in the newborn infant, and appropriate means of monitoring; and
• Apply concepts and new applications in their own NICU

Physicians:   USF Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education to physicians.

USF Health designates this activity (including pre-conference workshops) for a maximum of 17.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses:   The University of South Florida College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This activity (including pre-conference workshops) is for 17.75 contact hours.

Others:   Certificates of attendance will be provided to all other attendees

3 CME credits per workshop

1. Establishing and Operating a Brain Cooling Program
   John Barks, MD and Marianne Thoresen, MD, PhD
   
   Description:
   Dr. John Barks will discuss practical consideration in establishing a neonatal hypothermia program. Considerations include: determining whether to start a program, personnel, choice of method(s), equipment and supplies, training, parent and referring hospital communication, systemic complications, neuro-developmental follow-up and future directions.
   Dr. Marianne Thoresen will address how to manage and avoid typical, and infrequent, problems encountered during therapeutic hypothermia, including a discussion on the different physiological effects of selective head cooling and total body cooling.
   

   Learner Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants should be able to:
   • Cite the evidence for the efficacy and safety of cooling for neonates with HIE.
   • Evaluate institutional or regional needs for cooling, based on patient data.
   • Identify the resources needed to establish a cooling program: supplies, equipment, personnel, communication, training and expertise.
   • Discern the clinical situations that warrant cooling, and those whereby cooling should not occur.
   • Explain how cooling affects dosing of the most common drugs used in the NICU.
   • Develop methodologies for accomplishing cooling during transport.



2. EEG for New Users (Andrew Whitelaw, MD & Divyen Shah, MD)

   Andrew Whitelaw, MD and Divyen Shah, MD will discuss clinical indications, interpretation of background activity and seizures, decision making / prognosis, reporting, documentation, and quality control.  There will be demonstrations on how to apply skin and needle electrodes and the opportunity to handle electrodes. 

   Learner Objectives
   At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant should be able to:

   • Name at least 4 abnormalities that can be found on a CFM trace;
   • Demonstrate good needle fixation and insertion; and
   • Demonstrate good placement of electrodes.
     
     
     
3. aEEG for Experienced Users (Mona Toet, MD & Lena Hellstrom-Westas, MD)

   A series of unusual but important tracings will be presented in the first segment; in the second segment, participants are invited to submit interesting or challenging tracings of their own for discussion. (Hard copy of the tracings with relevant clinical history must be submitted by February 1 so that sufficient copies can be made for all participants. Submit hard copies to Bobbi Rose. E-mail her at brose@health.usf.edu for more information.)

   Learner Objectives
   This workshop requires that participants have previous knowledge about basic aEEG/EEG principles, and experience (clinical and/or research) of aEEG/EEG monitoring. 

   After the workshop participants should be able to:

   • Explain the scientific basis of neonatal aEEG/EEG-monitoring.
   • Apply aEEG/EEG-monitoring and analyse recordings in high-risk infants in the NICU, including identification of artefacts.
   • Review the efficacy of aEEG/EEG for early prediction of outcome and for identification of seizures.
   • Appraise the clinical utility of recording other physiological trends together with aEEG/EEG, e.g. NIRS, blood pressure, oxygen saturation.
   • Discuss how aEEG/EEG can be applied and analyzed for scientific purposes
     
     
4. aEEG for Bedside Caregivers (Jan Paisley, MD & Joy Browne, PhD, RN)

   This workshop is designed for those working at the bedside with new technology; this workshop will provide attendees with practical ideas for initiating and ongoing use of the equipment, aspects of caregiving and interpretation that are commonly encountered.  Additionally, there will be discussions for talking with parents and family members about the use of the monitor, information elicited from tracings and potential outcomes.

TIME

Pre-Conference Workshop

8:00 am – 7:30 pm

Registration desk open

8:30 am – 12:00 pm

A: Establishing and Operating a Brain Cooling Program
(John Barks, MD & Marianne Thoresen, MD, PhD)

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Break

1:30 pm– 5:00 pm

B: aEEG for New Users (Andrew Whitelaw, MD & Divyen Shah, MD)

1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

C: aEEG for Experienced Users
(Lena Hellstrom-Westas, MD & Mona Toet, MD, PhD)

1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

D: aEEG for the Bedside Caregiver    (Jan Paisley, MD & Joy Browne, PhD, RN)

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Break

5:30 pm – 7:45 pm

Exhibitor set-up

Poster set-up

8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Exhibit Hall Opening Reception & Poster Walk

TIME

SESSION / EVENT

7:30 am – 4:00 pm

Registration Desk open

7:30  – 8:15 am

Continental Breakfast in Exhibit Hall

8:15 – 8:30 am

Welcome

8:30  – 9:15 am

Optimizing Neurointensive Care in the ICU (Robert Tasker, MD)

9:15  – 9:45 am

The Use of Brain Monitoring Across All Ages: Similarities & Differences
(Ingmar Rosen, MD, PhD)

9:45  – 10:00 am

Electrical Seizures are Common in Neonates Undergoing Isolated Cerebral Perfusion During Stage 1 Palliation for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (Julia Gunn, MBBS)

10:00  – 10:15 am

Prognosis Value of Amplitude-integrated Electroencephalography in Preterm Babies
 (Guathier Loron, MD)

10:15 – 10:30 am

MMP-9, TIMP-1 as Novel Biomarkers of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (Nathalie Bednarek-Weirauch, MD)

10:30 – 11:00 am

Break in exhibit hall

11:00 – 11:30 am

Seizure Detection (Geraldine Boylan, PhD)

11:30 – 12:00 pm

Are Seizures Damaging to the Neonatal Brain? (Alistair Gunn, MD, PhD)

12:00 – 12:30 pm

New Anti-Epileptic Drugs (Robert Clancy, MD)

12:30 – 12:45 pm

Effect of Treatment of Neonatal Electrographic Seizures Detected with Continuous Amplitude-Integrated Electroencephalography Monitoring, with Respect to Duration of Seizure Discharges (Linda van Rooij, MD)

12:45 – 1:00 pm

Electrographic Seizures and Cerebral Injury in Preterm Infants < 30 Weeks Gestation Using Amplitude Integrated EEG in the First Week of Life (Divyen Shah, MB ChB)

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Lunch on own

1:10 – 1:50

Manufacturer workshop?

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Outcome of Clinical Cooling Trials, aEEG During Cooling and a Clinical Protocol Outside a Randomized Trail  (Marianne Thoresen, MD, PhD)

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Neuroimaging of Infants Treated with Hypothermia  (Mary Rutherford, MD)

3:00 – 3:15 pm

Timing of MRI in Infants Who Have Been Cooled (Terrie Inder, MD)

3:15 – 3:30 pm

Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and Amplitude Integrated EEG (aEEG) Monitoring in Newborns with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy During Cool Cap Treatment
(Gina Ancora, MD, PhD)

3:30 – 4:00 pm:

Break in exhibit hall

4:00 – 4:45 pm

Neonatal Stroke (imaging, etiology, aEEG): Term & Preterm
(Linda de Vries, MD)

4:45 – 5:15 pm

Panel Discussion

5:15 pm

Adjourn for day

Sunday, February 22, 2009

TIME

SESSION / EVENT

7:30 – 3:30 pm

Registration Desk Open

7:30 – 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast in the exhibit hall

8:30 – 9:00 am

aEEG in Preterm Infants (Lena Hellstrom-Westas, MD)

9:00 – 9:30 am

Full Band EEG (Sampsa Vanhatalo, MD, PhD)

9:30 – 9:45 am

Peak-to-Peak Amplitude in Brain Monitoring of Premature Infants
(Deirdre O’Reilly, MD)

9:45 – 10:00 am

The Impact of Cerebral Injury on Amplitude-Integrated EEG Monitoring in the First Week of Life in Preterm Infants under 30 Weeks Gestation (Divyen Shah, MB ChB)

10:00 – 10:30 am

Break in the exhibit hall

10:30 – 11:00 am

NIRS-monitored rSO2: Theoretical Background
(Gunnar Naulaers, MD, PhD)

11:00 – 11:30 am

NIRS-monitored rSO2: Clinical Applications (Frank van Bel, MD)

11:30 – 11:45 am

The Effect of Glycaemia on the Cerebral Oxygenation in Very Low Birth Weight Infants, as Measured by Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy (Joke Vanderhaegen)

11:45 – 12:00 pm

Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy Reveals that Cerebrovascular Autoregulation in Intact in Preterm Infants Undergoing a Postural Challenge (Noah Cook, MD)

12:00 – 12:30 pm

“What We Have Learned” (Terrie Inder, MD)

12:30 – 12:45 pm

Wrap-up (Robert White, MD)

12:45 – 2:00 pm

Lunch on own

1:00 – 1:45 pm

Manufacturer workshop?

1:45 – 3:30 pm

Exhibits move out; posters down during lunch?

2:00 – 3:15 pm

Concurrent Sessions

2:00 – 3:15 pm

Clinical Use of NIRS  (Petra Lemmers, MD & Frank van Bel, MD)

• Prenatal Tobacco Exposure and Regional Cerebral Tissue Oxygen Saturation and Extraction in Preterm Infants (Elise A. Verhagen, BSc)
• Cerebral Tissue Oxygen Saturation and Extraction in Preterm Infants Before and After Blood Transfusion (Arend F. Bos, MD, PhD)

2:00 – 3:15 pm

aEEG versus EEG (Eilon Shany, MD & Robert Clancy, MD)

• Early Neurobehavioral Examination and Amplitude Integrated Electroencephalogram (aEEG) Prior to Discharge in Very Low Birth Weight Infants (An Massaro, MD)
• Automated Neonatal Seizure Detection Mimicking a Human Observer Reading EEG (Deburchgraeve Wouther, MS)

2:00 – 3:15 pm

Pitfalls in aEEG Monitoring (Mona Toet, MD, PhD)

• Post-hemorrhagic Ventricular Dilation and Maturation of Brain Activity (Joanna Beachy, MD, PhD)
• Effects of Sedation on the Amplitude-Integrated EEG Patterns in Preterm and Term Newborns (Charles Njinimbam, MD)

2:00 – 3:15 pm

Sleep (Stan Graven, MD)

3:15 pm

Adjourn until 2010; Safe Travels

Robert White, MD
Regional Newborn Program
Memorial Hospital of South Bend
South Bend, IN, USA

Linda de Vries, MD
Professor in Neonatal Neurology
University Medical Centre
Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital
Utrecht, The Netherlands

Lena Hellstrom-Westas, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Paediatrics
Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden

Marianne Thoresen, MD, PhD
Professor of Neonatal Neuroscience
Department of Child Health
University of Bristol
St. Michaels Hospital
Bristol, UK

Mona Toet, MD, PhD
Neonatologist
Department of Neonatology
University Medical Centre
Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital
Utrecht, The Netherlands

 Frank van Bel, MD
Professor of Neonatology
Department of Neonatology
University Medical Centre
Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital
Utrecht, The Netherlands

John Barks, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Director, Neonatal-Perinatal Research Programs
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Jan Paisley, MD
Medical Director, NICU
Poudre Valley Hospital
Ft. Collins, CO, USA

Geraldine Boylan PhD
Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics
Department of Paediatrics & Child Health
University College Cork 
Ireland

Ingmar Rosen, MD, PhD
Division of Clinical Neurophysiology
Department of Clinical Science
University Hospital
Lund, Sweden

Joy Browne, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
Infant/Newborn Development Specialist
Department of Pediatrics
University of Colorado
School of Medicine
Denver, CO, USA

Mary Rutherford
Professor in Perinatal Imaging
Imaging Sciences Department
MRC Clinical Sciences Centre
Imperial College, Hammersmith Campus
London, UK

Robert R. Clancy, MD
Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics
University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA, USA

Divyen Shah, MD
Newborn Medicine
Washington University
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
St. Louis, MO, USA

Linda de Vries, MD
Professor in Neonatal Neurology
University Medical Centre
Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital
Utrecht, The Netherlands

Eilon Shany, MD
Neonatologist
Soroka Medical Center
Ben-Gurion University at the Negev
Beer-Sheva, Israel

Stanley N. Graven, MD
Professor
Department of Community and Family Health
University of South Florida
College of Public Health
Tampa, FL, USA

Robert C. Tasker
Associate Professor in Pediatric Intensive Care
University of Cambridge
School of Clinical Medicine
Cambridge, UK

Alistair Gunn, MD, PhD
Department of Physiology
The University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand

Marianne Thoresen, MD, PhD
Professor of Neonatal Neuroscience
Department of Child Health
University of Bristol
St. Michaels Hospital
Bristol, UK

Lena Hellstrom-Westas, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Paediatrics
Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden

Mona Toet, MD, PhD
Neonatologist
University Medical Centre
Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital
Utrecht, The Netherlands

Terrie Inder, MD
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Neurology
Washington University
St. Louis, MO, USA

Frank van Bel, MD
Professor of Neonatology
Department of Neonatology
University Medical Centre
Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital
Utrecht, The Netherlands

Petra Lemmers, MD
Department of Neonatology
Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital
University Medical Centre
Utrecht, The Netherlands

Sampsa Vanhatalo, MD, PhD
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology
Hospital for Children and Adolescents
University Hospital
Helsinki, Finland

Gunnar Naulaers, MD, PhD
Neonatologist
Catholic University Hospital
Leuven, Belgium

Andrew Whitelaw, MD, MA, MRCP, FRCPCH
Professor of Neonatal Medicine
University of Bristol
Medical School Unit
Southmead Hospital
Bristol, UK

USF Health adheres to the ACCME Standardsregarding commercial support of continuing medical education.  It is the policy of the USF College of Medicine that the faculty and planning committee disclose real or apparent conflicts of interest relating to the topics of this educational activity, that relevant conflict(s) of interest are resolved, and also that speakers will disclose any unlabeled/unapproved use of drug(s) or device(s) during their presentation. Detailed disclosure will be made in the course syllabus.

Conference Registration Fee Includes (per participant):

Workshop Fee: Attendance at the workshop, continuing education credit as applicable, handouts applicable to the workshop, refreshment breaks, poster walk, exhibit hall reception

Main Conference: Attendance at the conference, Continuing education credit as applicable, Syllabus*, Continental breakfast, refreshment breaks, poster walk, exhibit hall reception. *The format of the syllabus has not been determined. It may be paper or CD with access to downloads in advance.

Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation notification must be in writing (Fax or email are acceptable) and received (not postmarked) by the close of business on January 20, 2009. A cancellation fee of $45 for workshops and $100 for main workshop (total cancellation fee not to exceed $100) will be assessed.  Cancellations received after January 20, 2009 will not receive a refund.  No shows will not receive a refund. However, substitutions are welcome.  Please allow up to 3 weeks to receive the refund.

The Office of Continuing Professional Development at the University of South Florida reserves the right to cancel this activity due to unforeseen circumstances. In the event of such cancellation, only the registration fee will be returned to the registrant.  The University will not be responsible for travel expenses incurred by the participant in the unlikely event that the activity is cancelled.

Confirmations:

Upon receipt and processing of your completed registration and payment, you will receive confirmation by e-mail or US mail. Receipts are available on-site if requested.

Disney Yacht & Beach Club
1750 Epcot Resorts Blvd.
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Website

Group Reservations: (407) 934-3372
Group Booking Code: G0486455

A limited number of rooms have been reserved for this meeting at a special rate of $265 (plus tax, 12.5% at the time of this writing) for single / double occupancy.  Group rates are in effect for up to 3 days pre and post event if vacancy exists. The cut-off date for the group rate is January 20, 2009.

Reservations can be made by calling 407-934-3372 and identifying yourself as an attendee of the Brain Monitoring Conference, group code G0486455.

The hotel brochure can be downloaded here.

Transportation
Orlando, Florida is an international city and easily accessed by air. The code for the Orlando International Airport is MCO. The web page is www.orlandoairports.net

Discounted Disney Tickets are available to conference attendees. Discount tickets must be purchased in advance as they are not available at the Theme Park ticket windows. Below is the web page for more information on tickets.
http://disneyconventionears.disney.go.com/wdce/index?id=GlobalTicketsPage

Transportation from airport to Disney hotels: If you are staying at the conference hotel, or other Disney hotel, you are eligible for Disney’s Magical Express. This exclusive complimentary shuttle and luggage delivery service conveniently takes you from the airport directly to your Disney hotel. If you have a confirmed room reservation (a requirement), call 407-827-6777 to book the shuttle.  Or, use the group reservation DME request form.

1. Go to  http://disneyconventionears.disney.go.com/wdce/index?id=DMEPage (Read through the information)
2. On the left side of the page is a link to the Magical Express Reservation Form, if you don’t want to call.
3. The group name is “USF Brain Monitoring”

If the above information is not correct or you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 813-974-4296. We look forward to your participation in this CME activity.

Please notify the office of Health Professions Conferencing Corp., 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC Box 60, Tampa, Florida, 33612 or call (813) 974-4296 a minimum of ten working days in advance of the event if a reasonable accommodation for a disability is needed.

Events, activities and facilities of the University of South Florida are available without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, or Vietnam veteran status as provided by law and in accordance with the University's respect for personal dignity.