Penrith recently welcomed over 60 Migraine and headache experts from around the world for their annual conference.
The Anglo Dutch Migraine Association (ADMA) is an organisation of researchers and renowned experts in the field of headaches and migraines from the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium, hoping to improve patients’ lives and reduce the burden.
Since 1991, ADMA has met annually in either the UK or the Netherlands for their scientific meeting and social activities.
It was organised by our colleague Dr Jitka Vanderpol, Consultant Neurologist and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at UCLan. She said:
"Primary headache disorders, and migraines in particular, are amongst the most common health care complaints, more than 50% of the adults experience headaches. Migraine is more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy, and asthma combined and is recognised by The World Health Organisation (WHO) to be the 6th highest cause of disability worldwide. Despite that, headaches have been underestimated, under-diagnosed, and under-treated."
“I was selected to be the next ADMA president. It is an honour given every year to the organiser of the ADMA meeting.”
Emile Couturier, Consultant Neurologist from Amsterdam who attended the event said:
“We greatly enjoyed the 33rd ADMA meeting. The Lake District and Penrith were truly magnificent, both in terms of natural beauty and the people. We all had a wonderful time.
“Moreover, the scientific standard of this Anglo-Dutch Migraine Association meeting was among the highest in its history.”
A variety of excellent presentations were shown, including a section about woman and headache and the role of hormones, which was chaired by Professor Manjit Matharu from the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology in London.This prompted a discussion about the significance of the hormonal changes and hormones responsible for migraines. Prof Antoinette Maassen van den Brink from Erasmus University in Rotterdam in Netherlands explained the biological basis of sex and gender differences and why migraines are more common in females.
The group also took the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular back drop of the Lake District and enjoyed a boat ride on Ullswater taking in the local beautiful scenery.