This grant application describes plans for the continuation of symposia titled """"""""Neurobiology of Disease in Children (NDC),"""""""" to be held in conjunction with the 2006 to 2010 annual Child Neurology Society (CNS) meetings. The first series of NDC symposia held from 2001-2003 on neurofibromatosis, leukodystrophy, and tuberous sclerosis complex were very successful, and planned conferences on Rett syndrome (2004) and Tourette syndrome (2005) also hold promise for high performance. Each of the conditions selected as symposia topics for 2006 to 2010-injury to the preterm brain and cerebral palsy, brain tumors, spinal muscular atrophy, muscular dystrophy and myopathy, and cerebrovascular disease-are significant to the child neurology community and strongly relate to NIH program interests. The symposia directors, Drs. Mike Johnston, Roger Packer, Susan lannaccone, Richard Moxley, and Donna Ferriero are highly respected leaders in their respective fields. As in the original NDC project funded from 2001-2005, the proposed 2006-2010 symposia will bring together clinicians, scientists, caregivers, and NIH program officers to determine how research findings can be translated to enhance clinical understanding and affect clinical practice. CNS members will constitute the largest segment of the projected 250 attendees. Moreover, symposia attendees will identify the clinical and basic research needed to advance diagnostic accuracy and develop safe and effective therapies for these disorders. In 1998, principal investigator Dr. Bernard L. Maria chaired an NINDS funded symposium on Joubert syndrome held in conjunction with the CNS conference; it has served as an excellent model for NDC conferences since 2001. The overall aims of this renewal application for NDC symposia are (1) to review scientific advances and determine their relevance to current and future clinical practice in child neurology; (2) to coordinate efforts among various clinical and basic science disciplines, lay organizations, and the NIH to review current research initiatives and define future directions; and (3) to disseminate symposia proceedings to ensure that clinical and basic science disciplines are informed about scientific advances, current research initiatives, and future directions. The CNS and respective foundations and associations have pledged their support for proposed 2006-2010 symposia because NDC has strengthened the scientific program of CNS meetings while defining future research directions for conditions aligned with NINDS program interests. ? ?
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