9th International Symposium on Experimental Spinal Cord Repair and Regeneration

Main Symposium Topics:

• Basic and applied research in spinal cord repair and regeneration
   
• Experimental studies and clinical use of stem cells and neurotrophic factors
   
• Robotics, Informatics and Telemedicine
   
• Young Neuroscientist Investigator Award supported by Dompè
   
• Club Brunelli Meeting: Hand Palsies

Call for Papers & Abstracts

Speakers are kindly requested to keep their lecture time under 8-12 minutes.

Full Authors' names are required (first name, middle initial/s, surname).

Abstracts (max. 300 words) should be submitted as Word files to the Scientific Committee (presidenza@midollospinale.com ) by June 15^st 2015

Notification of acceptance of abstracts will be sent electronically to the corresponding Author by July 15^th 2015.

Free contributions will be presented as posters.   Authors are invited to provide short abstracts.

Accepted abstracts will be published on the official website of the Foundation www.midollospinale.com

Accepted Posters must be brought to the Symposium by the presenting Author and should not be mailed in advance.

The required size is 95 cm (width) by 140 cm (height). At the top of the poster, please provide the title of the paper, names of the authors and their affiliations, all in bold lettering of about 2.5 to 3 cm in size.

Posters will be displayed in front of the Lecture Hall.

Scientific programme: 

THURSDAY 3rd DECEMBER 2015
Brescia Town Hall - Salone Vanvitelliano, Palazzo della Loggia, Piazza della Loggia, Brescia, Italy

13.00-14.00 Registration

14.00-14.30 Welcome remarks
Emilio Del Bono (Brescia, Italy) - (Mayor of Brescia)
Sergio Pecorelli (Brescia, Italy) - (Chancellor of the University of Brescia)
Giorgio Brunelli (Brescia, Italy) - (President of the Symposium)

Opening Lectures
14.30-15.00 Music and mind
K. Von Wild (Münster, Germany) - (Co-President of the Symposium)
15.00-15.30 The conducting and processing capabilities of the human lumbar cord network and “spinal brain”
M.R.Dimitrijevic (Houston, Texas, USA)
15.30-16.00 Neurodegeneration and neuroregeneration in the central nervous system and nanomedicine
H.S. Sharma (Uppsala, Sweden)
16.00-16.30 Spinal stabilization and tissue engineering for spinal cord injury: opportunities & challenges
P.N. Soukakos (Athens, Greece)
16.30-17.00 Connecting minds in networks for knowledge and action
A. Rovetta (Milan, Italy)

17.15-18.00 Honorary Lecture
Curiosity and its Fruits: from Basic Science to Advanced Medicine
A.E. Yonath (Rehovot, Israel) - Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2009
Introduced by S. Pecorelli (Brescia, Italy)

18.00-18.20 Biotechnology and collaborative research: the challenge for the pharmaceutical sector
Sergio Dompé (Milan, Italy)
18.20-19.20 Welcome cocktail

FRIDAY 4th DECEMBER 2015
Aula Magna, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia, Italy

Morning Session

08.00-10.00 Panel “Stem Cells, neurotrophic factors and nanodrugs: current trends and future perspectives”
Chaired by G. Brunelli (Brescia, Italy), S. Geuna (Torino, Italy), M. Memo (Brescia, Italy), P. Spano (Brescia, Italy), W. Young, (New York, USA)

08.00-08.15 TiO2 nanowired cerebrolysin enhances neuroprotective effects of mesenchymal stem cells
H.S. Sharma (Sweden)
08.15-08.30 Umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell therapy of chronic complete spinal cord injury
W. Young (U.S.)
08.30-08.45 Nanodrug delivery and neuroprotection in the central nervous system
G. Tosi (Italy)
08.45-09.00 Immunomodulatory potential of placental mesenchymal stromal cells as a key mechanism for their therapeutic potential
O. Parolini (Italy)
09.00-09.15 Iron-conjugated nanoparticles for the local delivery of neurotrophic factors
S. Geuna (Italy)
09.15-09.30 Epigenetic drugs limiting neurodegeneration: any perspective in rehabilitation
M. Pizzi (Italy)
09.30-09.45 iPSC disease modeling: promise and progress
P. Spano (Italy)
09.45-10.00 General discussion

10.00-13.00 Neurorestoration and Neuroregeneration: from basic research to clinical application
Chaired by H.S. Sharma (Uppsala, Sweden), K. Von Wild (Münster, Germany), G.A. Brunelli (Brescia, Italy)

10.00-10.15 Experimental spinal cord repair and regeneration: from the bench to the bedside
G. Brunelli (Italy)
10.15-10.30 Evidence of spinal cord plasticity induced by peripheral nerve grafting in rats
C. Catoi (Rumania), K. von Wild, T. von Wild (Germany)
10.30-10.45 Traumatic spinal cord injury & neuroprotection
H.S. Sharma (Sweden)
10.45-11.00 Detailed interpretation of consensus of clinical neurorestorative progresses in patients with complete chronic spinal cord injury
H. Hongyun (China)
11.00-11.15 Nanodelivery of growth hormone in spinal cord injury and Neuroprotection
H.S. Sharma (Sweden)
11.15-11.30 Neuroplasticity and cortical remapping: basic concepts & clinical implications
E. Johnson (Greece)
11.30-11.45 Surgical excision of spinal cord injury scar: functional return can result
H.S. Goldsmith (U.S.)
11.45-12.00 Microsurgical by-pass with peripheral nerve in the traumatic spinal cord injuries
G.G. Cirera, A. Berenguer (Spain)
12.00-12.15 The study of the “bands of Fontana” hints at a model of nerve structure which can be concurrent with brain plasticity in functional recovery
A. Merolli (Italy)
12.15-12.30 Bridging defects in chronic spinal cord injury using peripheral nerve grafts: nerve grafting techniques and overcoming the gliosis: from basic science to clinical experience
S. M. Amr (Egypt)
12.30-12.45 Nerve grafting - experimental study and clinical cases
Y. Yamano (Japan)
12.45-13.00 Effect of intranasal Nerve Growth Factor administration in spinal cord injury
A. De Bellis (Italy)
13.00-13.30 General Discussion
13.30-14.30 Snack Lunch

Afternoon Session

14.30-17.00 Progress and Prospects in Neurorehabilitation
Chaired by H. Cerrel Bazo (Treviso, Italy), M. Dimitrijevic (Houston, Texas, USA)

14.30-14.45 Traumatology, neurophysiology and neurobiology contributions to prospects in neurorehabilitation
M. Dimitrjievich (U.S.)
14.45-15.00 Human adaptations for electrical-neuromodulation induce-Locomotion in complete spinal cord injury individuals
H.C. Bazo (Italy)
15.00-15.15 Transcutaneous lumbar spinal cord stimulation for studies of sensory-motor integration mechanisms
M. Krenn (Austria)
15.15-15.30 Perceptive and rehabilitative value of a new and innovative concept of lower limb orthosis with a reciprocant and dynamic system ankle joint called Neuroswing
M. Falso (Italy)
15.30-15.45 External modulation of electrical stimulated spinal reflexes - a control modality for human lumbosacral networks in injury induced disconnection from brain control
W. Mayr (Austria)
15.45-16.00 Behavioural and neural correlates of arm robotic training in patients with brain damage
N. Smania (Italy)
16.00-16.15 The interpretation of functional RMI signal and EEG-EMG coregistration as tools to support the daily activity of a neurorehabilitative equipe
P. Manganotti (Italy)
16.15-16.30 Proposal of an observational evaluation model to describe video-surface electromyographic muscle patterns in an individualized rehabilitation treatment of patients with severe acquired brain injury
M. Falso (Italy)
16.30-17.00 General Discussion

17.00-19.00 Round Table “Robotics - Informatics - Telemedicine”
Chaired by M. Molinari (Roma, Italy), A. Pedotti (Milano, Italy), A. Rovetta (Milano, Italy), S. Scalvini (Brescia, Italy)

10.00-17.15 Optimization of complex movements : a challenge for biorobotics
A. Pedotti (Italy)
17.15-17.30 Neurology and robotics
A. Rovetta (Italy)
17.30-17.45 From wheelchairs to exoskeletons: embodiment and social categorization of spinal cord injury
M. Molinari (Italy)
17.45-18.00 The potential of a system combining high-resolution EEG, robotics and virtual reality for the neuro-motor rehabilitation of stroke survivors
S. Comani (Italy)
18.00-18.15 Home-based telesurveillance and rehabilitation after stroke: a real-life pilot study
S. Scalvini (Italy)
18.15-18.30 Robotics applied to microsurgery "Brunelli Project"
G.G. Cirera, A Berenguer (Spain)

20.00 22.30 Social Dinner

SATURDAY 5th DECEMBER 2015
Aula Magna, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia, Italy

Morning Session
08.00-10.00 Miscellanea
Chaired by M.M. Fontanella (Brescia, Italy), G.Gili Cirera (Barcelona, Spain), L.F. Rodella (Brescia, Italy), P.N. Soukakos (Athens, Greece)

08.00-08.15 Adult spinal deformities: an increasing prevalence disease with invalidating consequences
M. Fazio (Italy)
08.15-08.30 Technical advancement in brain imaging
R. Gasparotti (Italy)
08.30-08.45 Common peroneal nerve palsy: nerve reconstruction VS tendon transfer
I. Marcoccio (Italy)
08.45-09.00 Sensitivity: the history of mankind in the palm of a hand
A. Landi (Italy)

10.00 - 14.00 AWARD CEREMONY
Remembering Rita with Young Neuroscientists

10.00-10.35 WELCOME REMARKS
Maurizio Memo, Vice Chancellor, University of Brescia
Giancarlo Comi, San Raffaele University
Sergio Dompé, President, Dompé Pharma
Hari Shanker Sharma, President International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR)
Luisa Monini, President G. Brunelli Foundation
Sergio Pecorelli, Chancellor, University of Brescia

10.35-10.45 VIDEO MESSAGE FOR YOUNG NEUROSCIENTISTS
Ada E. Yonath (Rehovot, Israel) Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2009

10.45-11.00 Rita Levi Montalcini Institute: past, present and future perspectives
Giuseppe Nisticò (Rome, Italy) E.B.R.I. General Director
11.00-11.20 NGF therapeutic perspectives
Antonino Cattaneo (Rome, Italy) Group leader of NGF Laboratory E.B.R.I.
11.20-13.00 Young Neuroscientist’s Session

13.00-13.30 Presentation of the winning paper
Award by Dr. Sergio Dompé

13.30-14.00 Farewell Lunch

COMMITTEES

Organised by: The Giorgio Brunelli Foundation

Congress Presidents
Giorgio Brunelli 
Klaus von Wild 

Scientific Committee     
Giorgio Brunelli                                                    
Milan R. Dimitrijevic
Marco Fontanella
Maurizio Memo                           
Sergio Pecorelli
Luigi F. Rodella
Alberto Rovetta
Aruna Sharma
Hari Shanker Sharma                               
Pierfranco Spano
Klaus von Wild  

Scientific Committee Young Neuroscientist Investigator Award

Giancarlo Comi
Sergio Dompè
Maurizio Memo
Luisa Monini
Marina Pizzi
Alessandro Padovani
Sergio Pecorelli

Scientific Committee and Organizing Committee

for the 4th Brunelli Club Meeting
Bruno Battiston
Alain Gilbert
Riccardo Luchetti 
Luisa Monini

Meeting website