From December 8 to 14, 2024, Yerevan State Medical University hosted the First Caucasus Region Course of Neuroepidemiology. The event brought together prominent international and local experts, led by Professors Artashes Tadevosyan, Anna Mnatsakanyan, and Carlos N. Ketzoian, to discuss key topics such as epidemiological studies, gene-environment interaction, and statistical applications in neuroepidemiology.
We are pleased to share photos capturing significant moments from the course, as well as the official course poster, program, methodology, and other materials that highlight the event's structure and objectives. This event marked an important milestone for neuroepidemiology in the region, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.
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AFICHE
ORGANIZATION
Yerevan State Medical University,
Department of Public Health and Health Care Organization
COORDINATION
Prof. Artashes Tadevosyan
Dr. Anna Mnatsakanyan
Prof. Carlos N. Ketzoian
TEACHING TEAM
Professor Walter A. Rocca - Minnesota, U.S.A.
Professor Giancarlo Logroscino - Tricase, Italy.
Professor Farid Boumediene - Limoges, France.
Professor Ruth Ottman - Columbia University. New York. U.S.A.
Professor Jeremiah A. Aakre - Minnesota, U.S.A.
OBJECTIVES
·To discuss the characteristics of different types of studies: population surveys, analytic studies, and clinical trials.
·To introduce genetic epidemiology and to understand the bases of gene-environment interaction.
·To review the main aspects of statistics applied to epidemiological research, with emphasis on importance versus significance, confounding factors, and interaction.
·To exchange experiences and opinions among researchers in the Caucasian Region,
·To give an opportunity to discuss neuroepidemiological studies in different stages of development (preparation, implementation, data analysis, etc.) with researchers who have previously conducted studies.
The complex building of current clinical research continues to stand on four methodological pillars – the population surveys, the case-control study, the cohort study, and the clinical trial. These four methods, along with their combinations and modifications, enable us to investigate any possible cause-effect relationship across
1) biological, personal, or social factors or events,
2) symptoms, diseases, or conditions, and
3) treatments, procedures, or interventions.
This 5-day course provides a review to the four methods, with emphasis on their complementarities and their relative strengths and weaknesses. As such, the course will enable the participants to better understand how evidence is constructed in clinical research.
Participants will improve their ability to design, conduct, and interpret studies, and to write and read scientific papers and grant applications.
METHODOLOGY
The course methodology is based on:
• Lectures
• Discussion of examples from different types of studies
• Analysis of papers published with different study designs
• Presentation of neuroepidemiological studies conducted in the Caucasian Region by the authors
• Discussion in workshops
• Conferences
A syllabus will be distributed to participants two weeks before the start of the course
TOPICS
·Surveys in Neuroepidemiology
·How to Read a Paper
·Analytic Studies
·Cohort Studies
·Case - Control Studies
·Clinical Trials
·Inferences from Epidemiologic Researches
·Introduction to Genetic Epidemiology
·Gene-Environment Interaction
·Use and Misuse of Statistics in Epidemiology
·Importance Versus Significance
·Survival Studies
·Diagnostic test
PROGRAM
DAY 1 – Sunday December 8, 2024
ARRIVAL AND ACCOMMODATION
DAY 2 – Monday, December 9, 2024
Morning – SURVEYS IN NEUROEPIDEMIOLOGY (8:30 – 12:15)
8:30 – 9:00 – WELCOME – Artashes Tadevosyan, Carlos Ketzoian, Konstantin Yenkoyan
9:00 – 9:15 INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE - Walter Rocca
9:15 – 10:00 – BASIC IDEAS AND TERMINOLOGY - Walter Rocca
10:00 – 10:45 – POPULATION SURVEYS (PART 1) - Walter Rocca
10:15 – 11:00 – Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:45 – POPULATION SURVEYS (PART 2) - Walter Rocca
11:45 – 12:15 – GENERAL DISCUSSION
12:15 – 14:00 – Lunch Break
Afternoon – (14:00 – 18:00)
14:00 – 16:15 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – a descriptive survey - Walter Rocca
16:15 – 16:30 – Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:00 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – a descriptive survey - final considerations - General discussion
17:00 – 17:30 – CONFERENCE: NEUROEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES IN LOW-AND-MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES - Farid Boumediene
19:00 - 20:30 - OPENING COCKTAIL
DAY 3 – Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Morning – ANALYTIC STUDIES (9:00 – 12:15)
9:00 – 9:45 – ANALYTIC STUDIES: OVERVIEW - Walter Rocca
9:45 – 10:30 – CASE-CONTROL STUDIES - Walter Rocca
10:30 – 11:00 – Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:45 – COHORT STUDIES - Walter Rocca
11:45 – 12:15 – GENERAL DISCUSSION
12:15 – 14:00 – Lunch Break
Afternoon – (14:00 – 18:00)
14:00 – 16:15 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – a case-control study - Walter Rocca
16:15 – 16:30 – Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:00 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – a case-control study - - final considerations - General discussion
17:00 – 17:30 – GEO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL METHOD FOR NEUROEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES - Farid Boumediene
17:30 – 18:00 - CONFERENCE – EPIDEMIOLOGY OF PARKINSON AND ALZHEIMER DISEASES IN ARMENIA - Anna Mnatsakanyan
DAY 4 – Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Morning – CLINICAL TRIALS (9:00 – 12:15)
9:00 – 10:30 – CLINICAL TRIALS - Giancarlo Logroscino
10:30 – 11:00 – Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:30 - INFERENCES FROM EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCHES - Giancarlo Logroscino
11:30 – 12:15 – GENERAL DISCUSSION
12:15 – 14:00 – Lunch Break
Afternoon – (14:00 – 18:00)
14:00 – 16:15 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – a cohort study - Walter Rocca
16:15 – 16:30 – Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:00 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – a cohort study - final considerations - General discussion
17:00 – 17:30 – CONFERENCE: TBA
17:30 – 18:00 - CONFERENCE: EPIDEMIOLOGY OF STROKE IN MOLDOVA
DAY 5 – Thursday, December 12, 2024
Morning – GENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY (9:00 – 12:15)
9:00 – 9:45 – INTRODUCTION TO GENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY (PART 1) - Ruth Ottman
9:45 – 10:30 – INTRODUCTION TO GENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY (PART 2) - Ruth Ottman
10:30 – 11:00 – Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:45 – STUDIES OF GENE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION - Ruth Ottman
11:45 - 12:15 - General discussion
12:15 – 14:00 – Lunch Break
Afternoon – (14:00 – 19:00)
14:00 – 16:15 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – a clinical trial - Giancarlo Logrscino
16:15 – 16:30 – Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:30 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – a clinical trial - final considerations - General discussion
17:30 – 18:00 - CONFERENCE - HOW TO CARRY OUT AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY IN LOW FREQUENCY (RARE) NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES - Giancarlo Logroscino
DAY 6 – Friday, December 13, 2024
Morning – STATISTICS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY (9:00 – 12:15)
9:00 – 9:45 – USE AND MISUSE OF STATISTICS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY - Jeremiah A. Aakre
9:45 – 10:30 – IMPORTANCE VERSUS SIGNIFICANCE - Jeremiah A. Aakre
10:30 – 11:00 – Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:45 – CONFOUNDING AND INTERACTION - Jeremiah A. Aakre
11:45 – 12:15 – GENERAL DISCUSSION
12:45 – 14:00 – Lunch Break
Afternoon – (14:00 – 18:00)
14:00 – 15:00 - DIAGNOSTIC TEST - Carlos Ketzoian
15:00 - 16:30 – HOW TO READ A PAPER – diagnostic tests - Carlos Ketzoian - Jeremiah A. Aakre - Walter Rocca
16:30 – 17:00 – Coffee Break
17:00 – 17:30 - HOW TO READ A PAPER – diagnostic tests - final considerations - General discussion
17:30 – 17:45 - ACADEMIC CLOSURE OF THE COURSE - Walter Rocca
GENERAL CLOSURE OF THE COURSE –Artashes Tadevosyan, Carlos Ketzoian
18:00 - 21:00 - CLOSING DINNER
DAY 7 – Saturday, December 14, 2024
DEPARTURE
