A step forward towards an integrated European network for ...

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Neuropsychology research: Highlights from the 'First Congress of the European ... This first meeting took place in Modena (Italy) in April. 2004 and saw the ...
Neurocase (2005) 11, 145 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Inc. ISSN: 1355-4794 print DOI: 10.1080/13554790590925592

A step forward towards an integrated European network for Neuropsychology research: Highlights from the ‘First Congress of the European Neuropsychology Societies’, Modena, (Italy), 18th–20th April 2004 Neurocase

PAOLO NICHELLI Paolo Nichelli, University of Madina and Reggio Emilia, Italy

In the last three decades we have witnessed an impressive progress in our understanding of mental systems and of the brain-behaviour relationship. Neuropsychology is now a mature science, the result of an interdisciplinary effort that involves neurologists, cognitive psychologists, and neurophysiologists that approach the so-called "higher" human brain functions from different perspectives and with different methods. Through a better understanding of how the brain functions we can now provide better diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients with brain lesions and dysfunction. From the very beginning Neuropsychology has been an international enterprise with a strong European component. However, there has been little effort to bring together European researchers working in this area. Following a series of successful bilateral meetings, the Neuropsychological Societies of France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Italy decided to organize a joint meeting as the basis for a future European network of Neuropsychological Societies. This first meeting took place in Modena (Italy) in April 2004 and saw the participation of more than 500 delegates representing the majority of European countries, including many delegates from Eastern Europe and a few participants from Asia, North and Central America. The meeting was opened by a welcome address by Ennio De Renzi who gave an historical photographic overview of the first steps of European Neuropsychology. The keynote lecture was delivered by Giacomo Rizzolatti. Rizzolatti presented an interesting review of recent progress in the understanding of the mirror-neuron system and its role in imitation and language. His seminal work with animal

studies was corroborated by his more recent evidence from functional neuroimaging research. Rizzolatti’s conclusions about the meaning of his work gave delegates the sense that the discovery of this class of neurons truly represents an unprecedented advance in cognitive neuroscience. The conference programme included four plenary sessions each organized by one of the four promoting Societies. In addition, several symposia, oral and poster sessions animated the meeting for a total of 300 presentations. This success took the organisers by surprise, and given the number of contributions it is impossible to fairly report all the interesting and exciting developments which were presented at the meeting. The following short papers reflect the highlights of research presented in the four plenary sessions, which included talks covering the major and largest areas of interest in neuropsychology. The large number of member-initiated symposia was also an indicator of the interest that European scientists took in this initiative did as the number of papers reporting new discoveries and innovative findings. The organising Committee thanks all presenters for making this meeting such a success and regrets that individual contributions could not be included in these highlights.

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Salvatore M. Aglioti, University "La Sapienza" Rome; Augusto Carlesimo, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome; Fabrizio Doricchi, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome; Andrea Stracciari, Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna; Annalena Venneri, University of Hull, UK