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ABN autumn meeting 2024
It’s not too late to register for the ABN Autumn Meeting on 7 November in London. We have put together an exciting programme to appeal to both consultants and trainees, whether ‘jobbing neurologists’ or academic specialists. The meeting will feature national experts on topics such as obesity and neurology, sphincter control after spinal cord injury, and neural connectivity in neuropsychiatry. It will also cover clinical advances in Parkinson’s, acute migraine, and motor neurone disease treatments. Adam Zeman will deliver the John Walton lecture titled ‘The Mind’s Library and the Eye’s Mind.’
ABN student day 2024
Please do help us to publicise our free annual student afternoon on 27 November. This is one of the most important events we run, as the future of neurology depends on inspiring the best of the next generation of doctors. The speakers will use interactive cases to demonstrate how history and examination skills lead to diagnosis for common neurological problems and discuss exciting new advances in treatment arising from basic science. Sessions will also cover practical advice on the structure of neurological training and how to enter the specialty. The virtual format makes this easily accessible to students all around the country. International students are also welcome to join live, or on catch-up. More information and a registration link can be found here.
ABN Australasian fellowship 2026
The ABN Australasian Fellowships are 12 month clinical placements in Australia that complement the clinical training in the UK. Applications are open to Neurology trainees who hold a UK Training post. The posts will give the fellow 12 months' accreditation towards their CCT in neurology. This annual scheme commenced in 2013 and parallels the very successful ANZAN Fellowships to the UK that have been running for more than 20 years. Applications open this month, with interviews in Feb/March 2025 for a post starting in late Jan/early Feb 2026.
New MHRA guidance on topiramate
As most readers will already know, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have issued new recommendations regarding topiramate for all women of childbearing potential. The ABN have written a brief guidance document to help members get to grips with the new requirements, which can be found alongside other ABN guidance here. Topiramate should not be used in women of childbearing potential unless the conditions of the Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) are met. The PPP aims to ensure that women are using highly effective contraception, have a pregnancy test to exclude pregnancy before starting topiramate, and are aware of the risks from the use of topiramate. While the MHRA guidance refers specifically to migraine and epilepsy, this applies to other situations where topiramate may used, such as idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
Podcasts
Finally, as huge fans of podcasts ourselves, we are delighted to share our new ABN podcast series that explains the work of the association. In the first episode, hear an interview with Matt Jones about the big issues facing neurology education and training. The Neurovoices podcast from Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation Neurovoices podcast from Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation (ACNR) is also well worth a listen, with the current episode featuring the ABN’s new Executive Director, Emily Linnemann.