The 8th World Congress of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS), will take place in conjunction with the 11th Annual Meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS), as a single educational event entitled """"""""Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface"""""""" on December 7-12, 2007, at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess Hotel, in Acapulco, Mexico. The INS views neuromodulation as a field of science, medicine and bioengineering, that encompasses non- implantable and implantable technologies, both electrical and chemical, to relieve pain, reduce suffering and disability, and to increase function in people afflicted with neurological and other disorders. The Society's mission is to promote and disseminate the science, education, practice and accessibility of all aspects of neuromodulation, to improve the quality of people's lives. Therefore, the aim of this conference will be to present neuromodulation in its broadest sense, offer education and encourage discourse amongst the biomedical engineers who develop new technologies, the basic scientists who test their efficacies and toxicities, the various disciplines of clinicians who apply the technology, and the Industry members who bring technology to the marketplace. The program will address comprehensively the fundamentals and new advances in neuromodulation, from neural engineering, basic science, clinical practice and Industry perspectives, thus informing and inspiring participants' future work, collaboration and practices. The Pre-Conference program will offer sessions on the fundamentals of neuromodulation, and neural engineering for non-engineers. The Conference will feature plenary sessions every morning with presentations on neuromodulation and the brain, neuromodulation for chronic pain, cardiological, gastrointestinal and urological disorders; each afternoon, three breakout sessions, and Industry-sponsored symposia will offer lectures on topics such as evidence-based research design for neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, implantable pumps, spinal cord stimulation, neuromodulation for eyesight and hearing, and motor cortex stimulation, etc. Poster sessions will occur every morning and afternoon, adjacent to the commercial exhibition. Attendees should come away from the Conference with a solid understanding of the fundamentals (electrophysiology, neurobiology, electrode and generator design, neural networks, coatings, and mathematical modeling of neural networks), indications, applications and techniques of neuromodulation, and the roles of interdisciplinary team members in treating patients who receive neuromodulation therapies. The INS Conference will present the fundamentals and the state of the art in neuromodulation from the perspectives of biomedical engineers who develop the technologies, the scientists who research their efficacies, the various disciplines of clinicians who utilize neuromodulation devices to treat their patients, and the Industry members who bring the therapies to market; and it will enable discourse and collaboration amongst these diverse groups who might not otherwise meet. Therefore, Conference attendees will receive a uniquely well-rounded education on how neuromodulation devices/therapies can help to reduce suffering and improve the lives of patients living with chronic pain, neurological, cardiological, gastrointestinal and urological disorders. ? ? ?
