Dear colleagues,

I trust that you are doing well during these difficult times. It is our great pleasure to invite you to the 54th Annual Meeting of Japan Epilepsy Society from September 23rd to 25th, 2021 at Nagoya Congress Center. Whether the COVID-19 turmoil will end by then cannot be predicted, thus the meetings may be conducted in a totally different form than in previous years. Nevertheless, we will do our best to minimize the potential negative impact on the human chemistry produced by reunions and first-time meetings of the participants, an important aspect of an authentic scientific congress.

The slogan of the 54th Annual Congress of the JES is “Diversity and Integrity”, which stems from my experiences at Utano Regional Epilepsy Center. Because of the limited capacity of the ward, a quite varied group of patients were treated there, including elderly as well as children, with people with severe intellectual disability and also those with supreme intelligence residing together, with the sole common feature being epilepsy affliction. I was quite impressed to see that the entire group, that is the extremely heterogenous patient population along with medical staff dedicated to epilepsy care, functioned well as a densely integrated community. A leading figure in the field of epileptology in the 20th century, Henri Gastaut, wrote an impressive statement in a letter to Tadahiko Ichikawa, noting “Epilepsy cannot be realized solely with science. It emerges only in a symphony with those who suffers from epilepsy”. These words echoed those of Dieter Janz, another epileptology guru in the 20th century, who attempted to demonstrate to every medical student who visited him how to perform a symphony with their patients.

It is widely known that approximately one-third of patients with epilepsy show drug resistance. Those comprise a subpopulation that tends to more frequently visit both out- and in-patient service centers, thus causing a more serious impact on the medical system than expected based on simple calculation. These patients are likely to not only be more closely affected by psychiatric issues but also have more imminent need for use of social resources, thus assistance from social workers, occupational therapists, and clinical psychologists is mandatory to make available resources readily accessible to people with epilepsy. We will be more than happy if the Congress participants on this occasion are able to re-recognize the significance of their standing beside patients and families who must endure intractable epilepsy or extra-medical problems resulting from the disease.

In view of diversity, some Asian colleagues are also planning to attend, should the COVID circumstances allow their participation, while younger colleagues involved in epilepsy care have also been invited with the kind help of YES-Japan. Additionally, the renowned researcher of Dostoevsky, Ikuo Kameyama, and the well-recognized investigator of psychiatric aspects of epilepsy, Michael Trimble, who have worked for decades to bridge psychiatry and neurology, are also planning to participate with us.

We trust that the 54th Annual Congress of the JES will include a diverse group of individuals involved in epilepsy and inspire collaborative initiatives among the participants.

We look forward to welcoming you to Nagoya and to the 54th annual meeting.

Kousuke Kanemoto, MD, PhD
President, the 54th Annual Congress of the Japan Epilepsy Society
Chief, Department of Neuropsychiatry,
Director, Epilepsy Center,
Aichi Medical University

Shinji Saitoh, MD, PhD
Vice president, the 54th Annual Congress of the Japan Epilepsy Society
Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology,
Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences

Satoshi Maesawa, MD, PhD
Vice president, the 54th Annual Congress of the Japan Epilepsy Society
Designated Professor,
Brain and Mind Research Center,
Nagoya University
Department of Neurosurgery,
Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine