Thursday, September 16, 2010

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Coffee breaks are scheduled midmorning and midafternoon--breaks, proceedings and lunch are included in the price of registration.

6 CE credits are given for this seminar

Cancellation must be done 48 hours prior to the seminar for a refund - a fee of 10% is nonrefundable

Veterinary students will be given the opportunity to register for a $20 fee, if space is available, 5 days prior to the seminar. Students will be informed by broadcast e-mail.

Seminar Topics and Abstracts

Localization of intracranial disease:

The lecture will take a slightly different approach to intracranial disease; rather than listing locations and types of diseases we will work through the standard neurological examination and explain how different parts of the exam may give an indication of intracranial disease. Even at the basic level, this can provide valuable information for decision making with clients regarding whether referral and/or advanced imaging is appropriate.

Cranial nerves demystified:

Cranial nerves are not scary. The lecture will concentrate on broad principles rather than neuroanatomical details. We will look at the broad concepts of determining whether we have cranial nerve dysfunction and if so whether we are dealing with central or peripheral disease. This broad level of understanding is critical to deciding what the most likely differential diagnoses are, and whether conservative/medical treatment or more aggressive approaches including referral are appropriate.

How to deal with the trauma patient in practice:

Many animals with CNS trauma can present with dramatic neurological deficits, however many of these patients can be managed in general practice and can have successful outcomes. The lecture will focus on the aspects of care and decision making that need to be understood for the immediate and appropriate management of such cases. Many animals will recover remarkably with time, if we provide appropriate supportive care, and don't make things worse!

Diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors: It's time to move ahead:

Many veterinarians believe that the prognosis for many, if not most, brain tumors is poor or grave. In fact, tremendous advances have been made over the last few years in terms of both conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as in the development of novel experimental therapies. Many animals are living for years with their tumors, often dying from other age related diseases. The lecture will review what is currently available for diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors, and what your clients can expect in the near future.

Peter J. Dickinson BVSc, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)

Peter Dickinson graduated from Liverpool University Veterinary School in 1989. Following 1 year in mixed general practice he completed a 2 year surgery/anesthesia internship at Glasgow University Veterinary School. He received his PhD in developmental neuroscience in 1995, also at Glasgow University, before completing a Neurology/Neurosurgery residency at the University of California, Davis. He is currently Associate Professor in the Neurology/Neurosurgery Service at UC Davis Veterinary School and is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Medicine (Neurology). His clinical and research interest has been in the field of neurooncology.