Patient-Centric Theme of SRNA’s 2022 Rare Neuroimmune Disorders Symposium: Carlos A. Pardo-Villamizar, MD

WATCH TIME: 3 minutes

"This is the beauty of the SRNA meeting. We have the opportunity to go and sit down with [patients], hear their questions, and understand the struggling problems that they’re dealing with."

Hosted by the Siegal Rare Neuroimmune Association (SRNA), the 2022 Rare Neuroimmune Disorders Symposium (RNDS) is a 3-day hybrid education conference for those affected by rare neuroimmune disorders. This includes patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), MOG antibody disease (MOGAD), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), optic neuritis (ON), and transverse myelitis (TM). The 2022 RNDS differs from other typical scientific conferences in the fact that it is open and encouraged for patients to come. Many of the sessions included offer transparency between the clinical and patient community on the issues that plaque them the most.

For this year’s event, 3 different tracks will be available during part of the second day of the symposium. Track 1 includes content intended to help adult patients recently diagnosed within the past 2 years, while track 2 is geared for those who’ve had a longer disease course. The final track is intended to help parents and pediatric patients of the community who were diagnosed with a rare neuroimmune disorders. To learn more about the structure of the meeting, and what patients and clinicians can look forward to, NeurologyLive^® sat down with meeting chairman Carlos A. Pardo-Villamizar, MD.

Pardo-Villamizar, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, discussed the unique nature of the meeting and how it differs from traditional scientific conferences. He explained the emphasis on including patients and their families in these discussions, and how it might ultimately lead to a better understanding of the problems faced at home.