Key Points
- NANS members celebrated the 30th anniversary of the society at their annual meeting held January 18–21 in Las Vegas.
- A focused ultrasound session included presentations on pain, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease, and a controversies session covered essential tremor.
The NANS 2024 annual meeting was held January 18–21 in Las Vegas, NV. With a theme of #PatientsFirst, NANS members celebrated the 30th anniversary of the society over four days of learning about the latest scientific and clinical advances while enjoying ample networking opportunities.
Shayan Moosa, MD, assistant professor of neurosurgery and a focused ultrasound expert at the University of Virginia, attended the meeting and participated in a controversies debate, where he presented the “pros” for the use of focused ultrasound neuromodulation in the treatment of essential tremor.
“There are a variety of tools that allow clinicians to treat patients using neuromodulation,” said Dr. Moosa. “Transcranial focused ultrasound has advanced relatively quickly in recent years, so it is imperative for all of us to learn more about this incisionless technology and how it can be used for therapeutic purposes.”
On Friday, January 19, a 90-minute session on focused ultrasound was moderated by Damian Shin, MSc, PhD (Albany Medical College). Titled, “Bench to Bedside: Non-Invasive Focused Ultrasound,” the session included the following presentations:
- Nick Todd, PhD, (Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard University) presented “Targeted Manipulation of Pain Neural Networks: Potential of Focused Ultrasound for Treatment of Chronic Pain.”
- Charlotte Luff, PhD, (Stanford University) presented “Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation for Control of Chronic Epilepsy.”
- Robin Ji, PhD, (Columbia University) presented “Focused Ultrasound Enhance Intranasal BDNF Delivery to Improve Neurorestorative Effects in Parkinsonian Mice Model.”
On Saturday, January 21, a 90-minute session, “Controversies in Neuromodulation: Pro-Con Debates on Essential Topics,” included a debate on the pros and cons of focused ultrasound versus deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of essential tremor. Dr. Moosa presented the “pros” for favoring focused ultrasound while Kunal Gupta, MD, PhD, (Medical College of Wisconsin) presented the “cons,” favoring DBS over focused ultrasound.
The meeting program includes additional sessions that could be of interest to the entire neuromodulation community.
Founded in 1994, NANS is the preeminent organization dedicated in neuromodulation. Its members are physicians, healthcare providers, scientists, engineers, and industry representatives who are committed to advancing innovation and collaboration for the benefit of patients.
NOTE: A related conference, the 2024 NYC Neuromodulation Conference, will be held July 31–August 4, 2024. Registration is now open.
The NANS 2025 Annual Meeting will be held January 30 – February 1, 2025, at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resorts in Orlando, FL. The abstract deadline is August 15, 2024, at 1:00 pm CT.