Dear Colleagues,
It was with great sadness that we noted the recent passing of Professor Johannes Noth on March 10, 2022 at 79 years of age. He served the IFCN as Secretary during the presidency of François Mauguière (2001-2006), and you may read our full tribute to Professor Noth. Our thoughts are with his family, in particular with his wife Gunhild.
The Editor’s Choice for April 2022 is: Verdugo RJ, Matamala JM, Inui K, Kakigi R, Valls-Solé J, Hansson P, Nilsen KB, Lombardi R, Lauria G, Petropoulos IN, Malik RA, Treede RD, Baumgärtner U, Jara PA, Campero M (2022) Review of techniques useful for the assessment of sensory small fiber neuropathies: Report from an IFCN expert group. Clin Neurophysiol 136:13-38.
The IFCN has endorsed a number of Guidelines and Expert Consensus papers on peripheral clinical neurophysiology (collected in the virtual special issue). This report on the assessment of small fiber neuropathies (SFNs) concludes this series. Nerve conduction studies are essential for the assessment of neuropathies but do not test small fibers, including thinly myelinated A and unmyelinated C fibers that mediate nociception and thermoception. A definitive gold standard for laboratory evaluation of these fibers is still lacking. Therefore, standardized clinical evaluation is fundamental in patients with SFNs. This IFCN-endorsed report critically surveys the research techniques that can be used in addition to test small fiber function: (i) microneurography, (ii) laser evoked potentials, (iii) contact heat evoked potentials, (iv) pain-related electrically evoked potentials, (v) quantitative thermal sensory testing, (vi) skin biopsy-intraepidermal nerve fiber density, and (vii) corneal confocal microscopy. The first five are physiological techniques, while the last two are morphological. While they all have advantages and limitations, combined use and appropriate selection from these techniques will facilitate invaluable information for the diagnosis of SFNs. This report is a must read for all clinicians and clinical neurophysiologists who are dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of SFNs.
Registration for ICCN 2022 is now open, and you can preview the preliminary program before making your education course selections. We are looking forward to coming together in Geneva this September 4-8, 2022.
The IFCN Education Committee will award up to $100,000 in Education Fellowship grants for 2022 and is pleased to now open the 2022 application cycle. You can find out more on our website. The application deadline is July 15, 2022.
Sincerely,
Walter Paulus
IFCN President