For a Correct Clinical Practice in Huntington's Disease - Rome 30 10 2015

Neurodegenerative, genetic, hereditary, insidious, confusing and rare: this is Huntington's disease. In order to spread out knowledge and promote the development of skills, on next Friday, October 30th, a day of training will be held in Rome, at the Aula Magna of the Mendel Institute of Human Genetics, in Viale Regina Margherita 261, for doctors and health professionals, by the Italian League for Research on Huntington and Related Deseases, LIRH, and by its scientific director, Prof. Ferdinando Squitieri. A day of training and education dedicated to Huntington's disease.

The meeting is part of the educational program promoted by LIRH - Italian League for Research on Huntington and Related Diseases, which supports, promotes and conducts scientific research on Huntington's disease and equally rare HD related diseases.

The scientific direction is entrusted to Prof. Ferdinando Squitieri, neurologist, one of the best known researchers in the world on this disease, who, quoting his German colleague Ralf Reilmann, explains the project as follows: We have decided to carry out this cycle of meetings, because Huntington's disease is the most curable of incurable diseases' as, even if we still cannot offer a 'cure', there are concrete, and not negligible, factors on which we can pharmacologically intervene and we want it to be increasingly known to health care professionals and medical staff.”

The workshop, in which Prof. Angelo Vescovi will intervene, the Scientific Director of IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, an internationally known researcher for his studies on neurodegenerative diseases with stem cells, will be full of insights and will address not only the clinical aspects of the disease, but also those, very delicate, related to genetic testing. We will discuss the diagnostic aspects, with Dr. Alessandro De Luca, Head of Molecular Genetics at IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza - CSS Mendel, the ethical aspects, with Prof. Giovanni Capelli, bioethicist, full professor at the University of Cassino and the psychological aspects, treated by Dr. Chiara Esposito, psychologist of LIRH and PhD student of The Sapienza University of Rome. Finally, an overview of rare diseases in Italy and Europe will be provided by Dr. Giuseppina Annicchiarico, head of the Regional Coordination of Rare Diseases of the Puglia Region.

The added value of this training meeting is represented by the engagement of patients, as 'testimonials of themselves' in the discussion of clinical cases.

The workshop is aimed at neurologists, psychiatrists, biologists, psychologists, nurses, family doctors, students and specialists in medical genetics and family members. Participation is free but confirmation of attendance is required via e-mail at segreteria@lirh.it or by phone at the toll-free number 800.388.330.