Workshop Planned On Encephalitis
Workshop Planned On Encephalitis
ENFIELD â FACES 2004, the third annual workshop on viral encephalitis, will be held by Friends and Caregivers, Encephalitis Survivors (FACES) in Enfield on August 6â8.
Encephalitis is swelling and inflammation of the brain caused by a virus or resulting from a mosquito or tick bite. About one-third of the people who contract the West Nile virus also develop encephalitis.
The guest speakers at the workshop will include Ginette Lafleche, PhD, clinical neuropsychologist of the Memory Disorders Research Center at the Boston University School of Medicine, and David W. Moskowitz, MD, chairman, CEO, and chief medical officer for GenoMed, Inc. GenoMed is a company that uses its expertise in genomics to improve clinical outcomes.
Dr Lafleche will discuss managing and improving memory problems after encephalitis. The Memory Disorders Research Center (MDRC) has been studying memory disorders for more than 15 years to understand the cognitive processes that are involved in remembering and how the brain mediates these processes. The MDRCâs main approach is to study the types of memory deficits that are seen after a variety of brain injuries, including encephalitis.
GenoMed announced on June 10 that the second case of West Nile virus encephalitis this year has responded promptly to its treatment approach.
âViral encephalitis involves two players: the virus and the host. Not every person infected with the same virus has the same reaction to it,â Dr Moskowitz said. âFor example, only about one third of people with West Nile virus âfeverâ go on to develop full-blown encephalitis. And no more than 30 percent of people with WNV encephalitis die. Why are some people unluckier than others?â
FACES is an organization that shares information and support, and raises awareness on about encephalitis. Previous conferences held in Ottawa, Canada, and Las Vegas, Nev., welcomed survivors, caregivers, and loved ones from India and Great Britain, as well as Canada and the United States.
 Visit Encephalitis Global at www.encephalitisglobal.com and click on FACES 2004 to find registration information, or email Sherry Drescher at sd1098@aol.com.