acns september 2012 newsletter
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ACNS September 2012 NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
As summer slowly winds to a close (sigh!), we begin to turn our
thoughts back to work. The ACNS has many new activities planned
for this Fall and into the coming year.
First, please invite your new Fellows to become members of the
ACNS. Junior membership is only $95 per year and includes a
subscription to the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology as well as
discounted meeting, course and inservice exam fees. This year,
Tobias Loddenkemper, M.D., Chair of the Membership Committee,
has developed a webinar to introduce fellows to the field of clinical
neurophysiology and the many services the ACNS offers. The live
webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 19, at 1:00 p.m.
EDT, and the video will be archived on the ACNS website for those
who cannot attend the live program. This webinar will be a great
opportunity for your fellows to get the “inside scoop” from ACNS
leaders on travel fellowships to the Annual Meeting, abstract
deadlines, finding grant opportunities, planning their post-fellowship career, and many other
topics.
Join us in Minneapolis on September 28-29 for the 2012 Neurophysiologic Intraoperative
Monitoring and ICU EEG Monitoring Courses. This year, Aatif Husain, M.D., Suzette LaRoche,
M.D., and I have planned two full days of interactive and hands-on sessions for updates in these
rapidly evolving fields. The courses will be invaluable for those planning to develop new
programs in NIOM or ICU EEG and those who need a comprehensive update in techniques and
indications. The brochure and meeting/hotel registration information can be found on the ACNS
website, www.ACNS.org.
Plans for the ACNS Annual Meeting and Courses in Miami, February 5-10, 2013, are well
underway. We’re sure that the Miami location will be a great draw in the depths of winter, and
we hope to have record attendance! William Tatum, M.D., Chair of the Annual Course
Committee, will expand his already excellent courses to include more breakfast seminars, as well
as interactive and hands-on evening sessions. Co-chairs of the Annual Meeting Program
Committee, Jonathan Edwards, M.D. and Mark Hallett, M.D., have put together an outstanding
program which will appeal to practitioners in every area of clinical neurophysiology. Look for
the preliminary program on our website soon. The abstract submission deadline for posters will
be October 15.
Many of you commented on the draft version of the ICU EEG Nomenclature Guidelines. The
final version will be available on our website and in the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology
soon. We are also working on Guidelines for invasive EEG monitoring, neonatal ICU EEG
nomenclature, ICU EEG Monitoring, and Qualifications for Neurophysiologic Personnel, and
anticipate release of draft versions for public comment over the next few months. Please let us
know if there are other guidelines that would be helpful for your practice.
As most of you know, the ACNS is a member of the North American Chapter of the
International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN). This year, we are thrilled to have
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Clinical Neurophysiology News Newsletter of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
Editor Jonathan C. Edwards, M.D
Future Meetings
2012 Mid-Year Courses
September 29-30, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN
2013 Annual Meeting
and Courses
February 5-10, 2013
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay
Miami, FL
Watch the ACNS website (ACNS.org) for more details.
Message from the President
Susan T. Herman, M.D.
American Clinical
Neurophysiology Society
2012-2013 Council Members
PRESIDENT
Susan T. Herman, M.D.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA
1ST VICE PRESIDENT
Frank W. Drislane, M.D.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Newton, MA
2ND VICE PRESIDENT
Aatif M. Husain, M.D.
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC
SECRETARY
Jonathan C. Edwards, M.D.
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
TREASURER
Stephan Schuele, M.D., M.Ph. Northwestern University Neurology
Chicago, IL
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Douglas R. Nordli, M.D.
Children’s Epilepsy Center
Chicago, IL
PAST PRESIDENT
Peter W. Kaplan, M.B., FRCP
Johns Hopkins Medical Center
Baltimore, MD
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Cecil D. Hahn, M.D.
Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, ON
Terrence D. Lagerlund, M.D.
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Suzette LaRoche, M.D.
Emory University Medical Center
Atlanta, GA
Tobias Loddenkemper, M.D.
Children’s Hospital Boston
Boston, MA
Jaime R. Lopez, M.D.
Stanford University Neurology
Stanford, CA
Suraj Ashok Muley, M.D.
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical
Center
Phoenix, AZ
Piotr W. Olejniczak, M.D.
Louisiana State University Health
Sciences Center
New Orleans, LA
William O. Tatum IV, D.O.
Mayo College of Medicine
Jacksonville, FL
Francis O. Walker, M.D.
Department of Neurology
Winston-Salem, NC
Message from the President (continued)
one of our own outstanding members, Mark Hallett, M.D., as the nominee for President of
the IFCN. Mark has been extremely active in the ACNS, serving on many committees, as
Council Member, and as Co-Chair of the upcoming Annual Meeting. We wish Mark the
best of luck in the election, which is taking place now.
This past spring, the ACNS Council began a Strategic Planning process which will continue
over the next year. Neurologists and clinical neurophysiologists are facing many new
challenges, including decreased research funding, increased administrative burdens,
declining clinical revenues, and new healthcare delivery models such as Accountable Care
Organizations. But we can also see this time as an era of opportunity – to develop more
efficient and effective practice models, perform collaborative research, and better prepare a
new generation of young clinical neurophysiologists for their role as leaders in
healthcare. We welcome your thoughts on how the ACNS could best help you meet
challenges in both clinical and academic practice.
As always, we welcome your feedback on any topic in this newsletter. To send us a brief
note or to volunteer for an ACNS committee or task force, click here:
https://www.smartsheet.com/ACNScommittees
My heartfelt thanks go out to all the volunteers who make the ACNS a vibrant and collegial
community. I’m looking forward to seeing you soon in Minneapolis and Miami. In the
meantime, have a relaxing and peaceful last few weeks of summer.
Susan T. Herman, MD
President, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
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2012 NIOM and ICU EEG Monitoring Courses
September 29-30, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis - Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Register and make your hotel reservation online:
www.ACNS.org
Early registration deadline is September 17
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Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology
Dr. John Ebersole, Journal Editor, welcomes
suggestions and guest editors for special issues of
the Journal. Potential authors may now submit
their manuscript online at
www.EditorialManager.com/JCNP.
Free Webinar for Clinical Neurophysiology Fellows and Program Directors –
Introduction to the ACNS
Announcing an exciting new opportunity for Clinical Neurophysiology Fellows and Program Directors! If you are
looking for a chance to connect with other clinical neurophysiologists, take advantage of educational opportunities and
receive mentoring, you should know about the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS).
Drs. Tobias Loddenkemper and Suraj Muley, Co-Directors of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society’s
Membership Committee, will be hosting a webinar for new Clinical Neurophysiology Fellows and Program Directors
entitled Introduction to the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS).
Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
This is a free webinar to explain how you can participate in the activities of the organization most suited to their
training and interests. The topic list is below. Again, this webinar is free. Please take advantage of this opportunity to
enhance your training with real practical knowledge that will help you in your career.
Introduction to the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
Moderator: Dr. Tobias Loddenkemper
Welcome to Clinical Neurophysiology - Dr. Susan Herman
Timeline for new Fellows - Dr. Piotr Olejniczak
Meetings/Deadlines/Grant Opportunities - Dr. Jurriaan Peters
How to get involved with the ACNS - Dr. Suraj Muley
Mid-Year Courses - Dr. Susan Herman
Annual Meeting and Courses - Dr. Jonathan Edwards
Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology - Dr. Aatif Husain
ABCN/ABPN/Epilepsy Boards - Dr. Tobias Loddenkemper
To register, please click here: https://www.smartsheet.com/IntroductionACNSwebinar
Webinar connection details and other information will be sent to all registrants in early September. Please contact the
ACNS Executive Office by email ([email protected]) or phone (860-243-3977) if you have questions or if we can be
of assistance to you.
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Submitted by Mark Nuwer, M.D., Ph.D.
Reprogramming implanted stimulators for DBS and VNS CPT codes had minor changes effective January 2012.
These codes are “per hour” codes. In cases where the service is half an hour or less, the short duration needs to be
flagged in the coding system using modifier -52. In addition, the time taken for reprogramming should be docu-
mented in the medical records.
Furthermore, the codes have been separated into simple and complex levels. To use the complex VNS and DBS
codes now will require reprogramming that includes changes at least 4 features during the programming session.
The features changed or assessed are from the following list of twelve features:
Changes to:
1. pulse amplitude,
2. pulse duration,
3. pulse frequency,
4. eight or more electrode contacts,
5. cycling,
6. stimulation train duration,
7. train spacing,
8. number of programs,
9. number of channels,
10. alternating electrode polarities,
11. dose time (stimulation parameters changing in time periods of minutes including dose lockout times),
Or, assessment of:
12. more than one clinical feature (eg, rigidity, dyskinesia, tremor)
The specific new CPT code rule change is given in the final sentence below:
95974 Complex cranial nerve neurostimulator pulse generator/transmitter, with intraoperative or
subsequent programming, with or without nerve interface testing, first hour
95978 Electronic analysis of implanted neurostimulator pulse generator system (eg, rate, pulse amplitude and du-
ration, battery status, electrode selectability and polarity, impedance and patient compliance measurements), com-
plex deep brain neurostimulator pulse generator/transmitter, with initial or subsequent programming; first hour
For 95974 and 95978, use modifier 52 if less than 31 minutes in duration.
Use code 95970 for simple assessment of the settings without any changes.
VNS and DBS CPT Codes: Clarifying the Code Use Rules
2013 Inservice Exam
INSERVICE EXAM IN CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
Thursday, February 21 - Monday, February 25, 2013
In February, 2013, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) will offer the 14th annual in-service
examination assessing knowledge of clinical neurophysiology of the central nervous system. This online exami-
nation is offered to Clinical Neurophysiology Fellows, Neurology Residents, and also to Attending Physicians.
The exam will be offered Thursday, February 21, 2013, through Monday, February 25, 2013. Training directors
may set the specific time and date of the examination at their sites.
The examination will cover basic neurophysiology relevant for the understanding of clinical neurophysiology tests,
technical aspects of physiological recording and testing methodology,
and interpretation of tests with regard to neurological and general medical disease.
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Nominations for 2014 Awards
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The American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) welcomes members' suggestions for its three awards.
Please click on this link to complete the nomination form https://www.smartsheet.com/2014Awards.
The Herbert H. Jasper Award is given to an individual for a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the field of
clinical neurophysiology including research, teaching and mentoring. It is analogous to a lifetime achievement
award.
Previous award recipients: Robert Ellingson, Cesare Lombroso, Gian Emilio Chatrian, Robert Naquet, Donald
Lindsley, Eli Goldensohn, Reginald Bickford, Peter Kellaway, Donald Klass, Dominick Purpura, Pierre Gloor,
Cosimo Ajmone-Marsan, Herbert Jasper, Fernando Lopes DaSilva, Ernst Niedermeyer, Juhn Wada, Roger Cracco,
Frank Sharbrough, Barbara Westmoreland, Gastone Celesia, Barry Tharp, Omkar Markand, Jasper Daube, C.
William Erwin and Warren Blume.
The Pierre Gloor Award is given to an individual for outstanding contributions to central clinical neurophysiology
research. The recipient delivers a lecture at the ACNS Annual Meeting.
Previous award recipients: Gyorgi Buzsaki, Mircea Steriade, Jerome Engel, Jean Gotman, Gregory Holmes,
Timothy Pedley, Hans Lüders, Mark Hallett, Solomon Moshé, Claude Wasterlain, François Mauguière, John
Ebersole, Robert Fisher, Paul Nunez and Donald Schomer.
The Robert S. Schwab Award is given to an individual for outstanding contributions to peripheral clinical
neurophysiology research. The recipient delivers a lecture at the ACNS Annual Meeting.
Previous award recipients: Michael Merzenich, Nicolas Bazan, Kenneth Fischbeck, Christopher Goetz, Mark
Hallett, Jeffrey Noebels, Phillip Low, Jun Kimura, Marc Nuwer, Austin Sumner, Erik Stalberg, Salvatore
DiMauro, William Catterall, Andrew Eisen and William Kennedy.
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Specific topic areas will include:
• basic neurophysiology
• instrumentation
• clinical EEG
• epilepsy
• clinical evoked potentials
• sleep monitoring
• intraoperative monitoring
In order to provide residents and program directors with the most useful feedback, scores will be given in each
topic area as well as for the test as a whole. Program Directors will receive all scores and the residents will receive
their individual scores. Percentile scores will be calculated separately for Neurology residents and Clinical Neuro-
physiology residents.
Clinical Neurophysiology training program directors, in particular, will find this examination to be a useful formal
method of trainee assessment.
Registration fees are as follows: for Residents/Fellows who are ACNS Members, registration fee is $90; Program
Directors who are ACNS Members can register their Residents/Fellows at $90 each; all others will pay $150.
Please watch your email and the ACNS website for registration instructions.
2013 Inservice Exam (continued)
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FOURTH ANNUAL ACNS NEUROPHYS BOWL
Co-Chairs, Drs. Lawrence J. Hirsch, M.D., and Mark A.
Ross, M.D., invite you to participate in the
Fourth Annual ACNS NEUROPHYS BOWL
which will take place on Friday, February 8, 2013, from
5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay
in Miami, Florida.
Come cheer on your colleagues as they test their knowledge
of clinical neurophysiology!
To participate as an individual or with a team, download the
form from www.ACNS.org and email to
[email protected] or fax to 860-286-0787.
The Consortium of Clinical Neurophysiology Program Directors (CCNPD) will meet Saturday, February 9, 12:30
p.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The meeting will take place in the Wat-
son Room and luncheon will be served. Please plan to attend.
Consortium of Clinical Neurophysiology Program Directors
Council Nominations
ACNS voting members...please watch your email for news of Council nominations for the upcoming year.
Save the Date!
2013 Annual Meeting and Courses
February 5 - February 10, 2013
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay - Miami, Florida
Click here for preliminary program.
Registration materials will be available soon.
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AMERICAN CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY SOCIETY
2013 Annual Meeting and Courses
February 5-10, 2013
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay
Miami, Florida
Program Co-Chairs
Jonathan Edwards, M.D., and Mark Hallett, M.D.
Call for Abstracts for Posters
Deadline: October 15, 2012
You are invited to submit abstracts for a poster presentation at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Clinical
Neurophysiology Society (ACNS). The meeting will take place at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida.
Several young physician investigators will be awarded Travel fellowships at $1,000 each. These fellowships are
determined based upon the ranking of the applicant's abstract by the Program Committee. For the Travel Fellows, the
meeting registration fee is waived. Prior recipients of Travel Fellowships are not eligible for additional Travel
Fellowship awards.
A poster provides a learning experience that can be understood without a presenter. It should include self-explanatory
photos, drawings, graphs and brief written texts as appropriate. Poster board size is 4 feet tall by 8 feet wide. Abstract
titles are limited to 60 characters or less and the body of the abstract is limited to 200 words or less.
The purpose of the ACNS Annual Meeting is continuing medical education as defined by the ACCME. Abstracts will
be evaluated for scholarly and relevant content by reviewers from the ACNS Program Committee.
Abstracts are submitted online via the ACNS website: www.ACNS.org
For further information on abstract submission, membership or the Annual Meeting and Courses, please email the
ACNS Executive Office at [email protected] or call 860-243-3977.
The American Clinical Neurophysiology Society’s New Guideline -
Standardized Critical Care EEG Terminology: 2012 version can be found on
the ACNS Website (www.ACNS.org).
Call for Abstracts for Posters
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One Regency Drive
P.O. Box 30
Bloomfield, CT 06002
Phone: 860-243-3977
Fax: 860-286-0787
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ACNS.org
American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
Save these Dates!
2012 NIOM and ICU EEG Monitoring Courses
September 29 - 30, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis - Minneapolis, Minnesota
2013 Annual Meeting and Courses
February 5 – February 10, 2013
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay - Miami, Florida
2013 Inservice Exam
February 21 – February 25, 2013
ACNS Membership
If you are not presently a member of the ACNS, please consider joining. Membership benefits include reduced fees for
CME-accredited meetings and courses, reduced dues for members in training and early practice physicians, a subscription to
the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology and MORE! For additional information on ACNS and the benefits of membership,
please visit the ACNS website: www.ACNS.org.