I am honored to welcome you to the 15th World Congress of the International Neuromodulation Society – “Neuromodulation: From Scientific Theory to Revolutionary Therapy”. This theme intends to emphasize that. Neuromodulation therapies from deep brain stimulation for movement disorders, epilepsy, and psychiatric disorders, to spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain and locomotion, to sacral nerve stimulation for urinary and fecal incontinence, have all developed from rigorous scientific theory and have matured into proven clinical therapies. No longer considered mysterious or unproven, neuromodulation therapies now have a strong underpinning in scientific theory which has led to rigorous studies of mechanisms of action. These have ultimately led to the refinement and personalization of neuromodulation techniques. We intend to explore this in both depth and breadth at our conference here in Barcelona, Spain.
Dr. Fabian Piedimonte, Dr. Elliot Krames, and I have worked to create a fascinating world-class, fascinating program that includes plenary sessions from experts from around the world, breakout symposia, panel discussions, oral abstract presentations, and poster sessions. These cover the basic science, mechanisms of action, and clinical effectiveness of the broad range of neuromodulation therapies. For our patients and the press, there is a Public Education Program. For those who wish to improve their neuromodulation techniques, the INS cadaver workshop will offer hands-on training in multiple neuromodulation procedures. For nurses and allied health practitioners we will run an interactive workshop entitled ‘The Patient Journey to Neuromodulation”. Our pre-conference, Innovations in Neuromodulation Day – Neuromodulation without Borders – will address innovation in neuromodulation from a regional perspective and will present a window to the future of our field. Our other pre-conference on Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation allows for a deep dive into this increasingly impactful area of neuromodulation.
With strong basic science, engineering, and clinical science sections, the program spans the breadth of our rapidly growing field of neuromodulation. This promises to be the most important international neuromodulation meeting in years. After this unprecedented time, it is with great excitement and humility that the Executive Board Members, Scientific, and Congress Co-Chairs, and I welcome you to Barcelona!
