European Brain Foundation

The European Brain Foundation joins forces for Move for Your Brain Campaign

Hugo Hermantin — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 07:44:17 +0000

The European Brain Foundation joins forces with the European Brain Council to shed light on the benefits of physical exercise for the brain, reactivating the #Move4YrBrain campaign. Physical activity and healthy lifestyles have a clear and demonstrated impact on brain health. Whether you’re running, walking, or jogging, let’s lace up our shoes, hit the pavement, and boost our brain health together!

“Physical activity is known to affect brain health across the life course, with physical inactivity being responsible for nearly 8% of DALYs due to stroke globally as well as 2% of global dementia prevalence. Increased physical activity, on the other hand, has been shown to have neuroprotective and neuroplastic benefits for the brain later in life.” – Optimizing brain health across the life course, WHO Position Paper, 2022

Whether you’re running, walking, or jogging, let’s lace up our shoes, hit the pavement, and boost our brain health together! Share your runs, walks, or jogs with us using #Move4YrBrain or by joining our Strava group. And if you’re looking for a challenge, you can also join our team for the 20km of Brussels! We encourage each and every one of you to start – or keep – exercising and share your pictures on social media with the hashtag #Move4YrBrain, or our website. Tee shirts can be made available upon request.

In less than 3 weeks, participants of the Move for Your Brain Campaign have already walked or ran more than 1,200km – sharing their achievements on Strava.

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Brain in Sport Event Highlights

Hugo Hermantin — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 11:53:36 +0000

On February 24, the European Brain Foundation (EBF), in partnership with Rugby Europe, held its first public event on the subject of Brain in Sport dedicated to concussion. Providing the most comprehensive information possible on concussion and its treatment, experts and key opinion leaders in the field spoke on the state of play in the concussion field from a medico-scientific perspective and included testimonies from players, to demonstrate the risk of concussion and head trauma across a variety of sports sport exists and how best to manage it.

This event, held in both English and French, gathered medical managers of various sports federations, rugby medical authorities, specialists in concussion research, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up, physiotherapists, policymakers, students as well as coaches and athletes who have been exposed to this type of injury.

The event kicked-off with an introduction from EBF’s Chair, Prof. Patrice Boyer, who reminded participants that traumatic brain injuries are considered as a major public health problem by the World Health Organization. He then recalled the mission of the European Brain Foundation to support research aiming at reducing the burden of brain disorders for European citizens. Dr. Colin Grzanna, General Secretary of Rugby Europe’s Medical Commission then took the floor to detail the way the European federation monitor, prevent, and raise awareness about concussion in Rugby.

The discussion then moved on to the epidemiology of brain concussion, both in Rugby and in Football. Dr. Andy Smith from World Rugby started by sharing the results of the Annual Review of Injury Surveillance Research from the Elite Rugby Union, highlighting differences between men and women in traumatic brain injuries. Dr. Peter Vajkoczy, European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, then followed up on concussion in football, which “might affect more than 200 million soccer players worldwide”.

Dr. Jean-François Kaux, from the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee, and Dr. Niklas Marklund, from Lund University then discussed the Symptomatology and Diagnostic of brain concussion, highlighting the use of neuroimaging for diagnosis purposes and underlining the increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases and dementias among professional athletes.

Dr. Steven Laureys, from CERVO Brain Research Centre, then delivered a video address to explain how concussion and traumatic brain injuries can be managed and treated amongst athletes.

Moderated by Dr. Olivier Capel, from the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Rugby League, then introduced the next session on “How to identify a concussion in different sports”. Dr. Laurent Simar, from the Belgian Rugby Federation, started discussing ways to identify traumatic brain injuries in Rugby, before Dr. Peter Vajkoczy, from European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, presented on the case of Football and Dr. Jean-François Kaux, from the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee, on other sports.

After an open discussion and a Q&A session, the programme moved towards discussing the pathophysiology and neuropathology of brain concussion, and biomarkers of brain concussion, in a panel moderated by Dr. Jean-Claude Peyrin, from the French Rugby Federation, Dr. Flavien Girard (Rugby 7 France), Dr. Romain Loursac (LOU Rugby), and Dr. Vincent Sapin (Medical Committee, ASM-CA Rugby).

After the lunch break, where participants had the opportunity to network and engage with speakers, the programme moved on to exploring ways to preventing concussion. Jos Claes, Engineering & Project Management at Dallara, started by discussing concrete ways to protect pilots in racing, with the event’s master of ceremony, Stéphane Lémeret, before Dr. Christian Wahlen‘s, Chief Medical Officer at the racetrack of Spa-Francorchamps, video address was shown to participants.

The next panel, moderated by Dr. Andy Smith, tackled the guidelines implemented in rugby federations, the management of brain concussion on the bench, and explored the moment when it can be considered safe for a player to return to the game. Dr. Romain Loursac and Dr. Olivier Capel shared their insights, mentioning the management in amateur games through the blue card.

After an open discussion with attendees and a Q&A session, the programme moved on to exploring short- and long-term consequences of brain concussion. Moderated by Dr. Manfred Westphal, from the Board of Directors of the European Brain Foundation, the panel brought the experience of famous players and sport personalities to the table. Measures taken by official bodies were discussed by Dr. Niklas Marklund and Dr. Peter Vajkoczy, alongside a testimony from National Rugby League’s Edouard Coetzee.

For the last panel discussion of the day, Stéphane Lémeret sat with Dr. Jean-Claude Peyrin, Dr. Olivier Capel, Dr. Niklas Marklund, Serge Blanco, French Rugby Player, and Franck Maciello to highlight the key issues in prevention and education – exploring the possibilities and limits of protection, the rules of engagement, how to avoid repetitive insults and the implementation of educational programs.

Prof. Patrice Boyer, Chair of the European Brain Foundation, then delivered its concluding remarks, thanking both speakers and attendees for gathering in Brussels, and shedding light on the public health issue posed by concussion and traumatic brain injuries. He invited the audience to join the Foundation’s initiative #Move4YrBrain, which aims at promoting the importance of physical activity for brain health and wellbeing.

European Brain Foundation Tackles Concussion in Sports with “Brain in Sport” Event

Hugo Hermantin — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 14:01:50 +0000

The European Brain Foundation (EBF), in collaboration with Rugby Europe, is set to host an event titled “Brain in Sport: Preventing & Managing Concussion and its Consequences.” This event will shed light on the critical issue of concussion in sports, featuring insights from renowned athletes and moderated by Stéphane Lémeret, a distinguished racing driver and journalist.

Event Description: A concussion is a type of brain injury caused by a blow to the head, prone to occur in sport and while minor at times, can also carry long-term damage and repercussions if frequent and not taken seriously. In fact, concussion is the number one risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, behavioural issues and mental health problems, including increased suicidality. This makes it a major public health problem, particularly within sport, and a source of worry and stress for athletes – amateur or professional – alongside their families, teams, and federations, countering the notion that sport is an integral part in many lives to keep us fit and healthy.

In recent years, sports federations across the world, in particular rugby federations, have turned increased attention to concussion and raising awareness of its occurrence and its consequences, developing monitoring programmes and establishing preventive measures, which have had a significant impact on the number of such accidents. However, awareness raising, education and prioritisation within sport guidelines remains vital.

Key Highlights:
• Title: Brain in Sport: Preventing & Managing Concussion and its Consequences
• Date: 24 February 2024
• Location: Pullman Brussels Centre Midi
• Partners: Rugby Europe
• Communication Toolkit: Access the toolkit.
• Focus: Medico-scientific perspectives, expert insights, and player testimonials
Why Attend: Gain comprehensive insights into concussion, its treatment, and preventive measures. Join key opinion leaders, athletes, and experts as they share experiences and knowledge to better understand and manage the risks associated with head trauma in sports.

Event Objectives:
• Raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of concussions.
• Provide a medico-scientific perspective on concussion management.
• Share insights and testimonies from athletes and experts.
• Outline an educational plan for at-risk disciplines.
• To shed light on how prevention can protect from the long term consequences of brain concussions.

Press Release

Communiqué de Presse

EBF is a guest of the Axiom Catalyst Podcast

Stephanie Kramer — Mon, 08 May 2023 15:00:54 +0000

“We would like to create and deliver change and improvement to those living with a brain condition.” EBF Executive Director, Frédéric Destrebecq was invited to the podcast of Axiom Healthcare Strategies hosted by Anna Graca to speak about joining efforts of patient organizations, research and clinical networks, as well as drug innovators and policymakers to tackle challenges related to brain health.

It is estimated that around 30 million Europeans live with a rare condition and between 75% – 80% of those have neurological symptoms. Despite the significant progress that has been made to ensure that a patient-centered approach is implemented, there seems still to be fragmentation of research efforts, scarcity of expertise, a few disease-modifying therapies, or difficulty in accessing adequate care, which are currently the key challenges in the field.

Patient-centricity is key to every project that both EBF and European Brain Council (EBC) are doing, and it is of the highest relevance to addressing patients’ needs. The rare disease community has been calling for a European Action Plan on rare diseases, which is meant to be a coordinated and goal-oriented strategy. This will help reduce the fragmentation of the European market for pharmaceuticals, maintaining the status quo that is continuously failing people living with a rare disease.

It is important to keep patients and broader societal needs steadily as the guiding light. Europe has the capacity to combine a public health-driven agenda with a competitive research-based economy – it only needs a more strategic framework with shared goals in place to be efficient and accountable.

Listen to the full episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

Alpaca supports the EBF with food sustainability!

Stephanie Kramer — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:19:01 +0000

After the Fundraising Gala Dinner, the rest of the food was donated to Alpaca Solutions! The company positions itself as capable of evolving in tomorrow’s society. Its humane, ecological and societal values positively improve the methods of the event industry. Alpaca implements sustainable solutions specially designed to reduce the ecological footprint of the event.

As sustainability is one of the aspects that the EBF cares for, we wanted to make sure that there is no food wasted after the Gala Dinner. Unconsumed meals were distributed to those in need and by doing so, we reduced the carbon footprint. Thank you for your support.

Vincent Vanasch is official Patron of the EBF

Stephanie Kramer — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 08:54:09 +0000

The European Brain Foundation (EBF) is delighted to announce that Vincent Vanasch became its official Patron! Vincent is an acknowledged Belgian hockey player, the World (2018), European (2019), and Olympic (2021) Champion. EBF’s Executive Director, Frédéric Destrebecq and EBF’s Project Manager, Monika Hoang had the pleasure to meet with Vincent in November 2022 and since then he decided to support the EBF. This is not only because of the EBF’s mission to improve citizens’ Brain Health, which is so closely linked to mental health but also due to the personal reasons.

One of Vincent’s mottoes is “Talent wins games, teamwork wins championships”. Next to his sporting career, Vincent holds also a Master’s degree in physiotherapy.

Vincent contributed to the Fundraising Gala Dinner by providing a raffle prize – a signed jersey of National Belgian Hockey Team (Red Lions), which was won by Alfred Deakin Professor of Psychiatry, Michael Berk! He was unfortunately not able to join us on this occasion but we would like to thank him for the kind support and look forward to next collaborations.

Final Programme Announced for Gala Dinner on 16 March

Stephanie Kramer — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:51:22 +0000

The EBF is pleased to share the final programme of its upcoming Fundraising Gala Dinner, to take place in Brussels, Belgium on 16 March 2023 during Brain Awareness Week. Tickets are now available for this special occasion, which will be the newly-formed Foundation’s first-ever fundraising activity to help get the important work started. Please find below the Programme Booklet, with our high-level programme and biographies.

The Gala Dinner will fall under the theme “Healthy Brains – a key to future generations in Europe”. A nod to the EBF’s core mission and goal to serve society and support those affected by brain disorders, the theme showcases the great purpose we have to make sure that children, teenagers, and adolescents – our future generations – are provided with the best tools and care to protect their brain health.

Download Programme

Highlights

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EBF announces first Fundraising Gala event

Stephanie Kramer — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 17:49:02 +0000

You are warmly invited to Save the Date for the European Brain Foundation’s first Fundraising Gala Dinner, which will take place on 16 March 2023, in Brussels, Belgium on the occasion of Brain Awareness Week.

Guests and donors will contribute to help the EBF’s quest to reduce the impact of one of the biggest health challenges society is currently facing.

Ticket sales, programme and additional information on the Fundraising Gala Dinner will be shared soon – follow us on social media for all the latest. Meanwhile, learn more about the EBF.

European Brain Foundation officially launches at the Brain Innovation Days

admin_bfdt — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 13:03:26 +0000

11 October 2022 | On the occasion of the 2nd in-person Brain Innovation Days, the newly-formed European Brain Foundation (EBF) — an independent multidisciplinary and multistakeholder charity whose founding members represent leading European neurological, neurosurgical, and psychiatric clinical societies as well as neuroscience research and patient organisations — was officially launched.

Born from the idea of EBC’s Past President, Prof. Monica Di Luca, during a meeting in San Francisco a few years ago, the EBF has been shaped and molded by the collective mission of a diverse group of neurological, neurosurgical and psychiatric clinical leaders. Its Board of Directors consists of 11 minds, who have been courageous and relentless in their pursuit of building a strong brain community.

The Foundation’s goal is to support research aiming at reducing the burden of brain disorders for European citizens. By coordinating all the partners concerned in this domain, the EBF will ensure the transparency and the sustainability of its actions. Donors will contribute to significantly reducing the impact of one of the biggest health challenges European societies currently face.

The European Brain Foundation looks forward to a future of improved brain health and hopes to attract steadfast support of its mission going forward. Let’s join forces: Together for Brain Health.