Ten-year anniversary of the European Brain Council: The major achievements Ten-year anniversary of the European Brain Council: The major achievements Editorial

摘要

The idea of forming a broad alliance of all stakeholders with an interest in brain diseases (neurological and psychiatric diseases combined) and brain research arose in the late 1990s because of the inability of EFNS and others to individually promote brain research in Brussels. During the 1990s, which was the Decade of the Brain in the United States, at least two initiatives were taken to improve the funding of brain research at the European level. One was spearheaded by neuropharmacologists and another by basic neuro-scientists. Both failed and it appeared to me that a very broad initiative was necessary to catch the ear of the decision-makers. Rather than competing with each other, everybody with an interest in brain diseases and brain research should work together to increase the total amount of funding. Patient representatives were indispensable for this and, as president of the EFNS, I took the initiative to allocate considerable resources impersonated by the services of Mrs Evelyn Sipido to assist Mrs Mary Baker in forming a European union of patient associations within neurology, the European Federation of Neurological Associations, EFNA.