The 6th Mediterranean Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Congress

10th Anniversary of the PRM Mediterranean Congress (Herzlyia 1996-Algarve 2006)

Jorge Lains, Chairperson, 6th Mediterranean Congress of the Mediterranean Forum of PRM

The 6th Mediterranean Congress, along with the Congress of the Portuguese Society of PRM, and the interim ISPRM Board meeting, took place in Vilamoura, Portugal, from October 18 to 21, 2006. A total of 620 participants from 46 countries, from the 5 continents, were present. 316 of the participants were Portuguese, representing 51% of all the participants. Among the active participants 40 colleagues came from Spain, 38 from Turkey, 29 from Israel, 20 from Greece, 15 from Serbia and 12 from USA. All colleagues from the developing countries had free or a waved registration (equal to amount of the expenses).

The presence and the collaboration of all the members of the ISPRM Board allowed having some of the most significant figures of PRM in the world. Prominent colleagues and researchers presented the most updated data and state of the art about the several themes that are relevant on the clinical, academic and research fields in Rehabilitation Medicine, helping the congress to reach an outstanding scientific level. During the congress 272 lectures were presented, being 100 Keynote Lectures and 172 Oral Presentations.

During the pre-congress period the Scientific Committee selected the best 24 papers, from all the Oral Presentations. These papers were reviewed by an International Committee, composed by H Ring, Gerold Stucki, Franco Franchignoni and Stefano Negrini that selected the 11 best researches. During the Top Best Mediterranean Research Session, an International Jury and the audience voted for the Best Mediterranean Research Investigator Award, sponsored by the official journal of the Mediterranean Forum PRM - Europa MedicoPhysica.  

The winning paper was: "The Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Quality of Life, Anxiety and Depression in Congestive Heart failure", a research of our Turkish colleague, Yesim Kurtais. 248 posters were presented during the congress. The Portuguese Society PRM offered an Award to the 4 best posters done by PRM residents. The winners were: "Kinematic Analysis of Hyoid and Epiglottic Movement during Swallowing in Strokes" Tairyoon Han and als, from Korea; "Reorganization of language after focal lesion in children: Data from fMRI and Linguistic Tests", O. Elkana and als, from Israel; "Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive - a case report", Isabel Crespo and Martins Augusto, from Portugal; "Devic's Disease - Case Study", Luis Filipe Guimaraes and als, from Portugal

In total 18 workshops about some of the most important themes in PRM were organized. The actuality of the themes and the possibility to learn with the experts in a very casual and practical way was very important and significant. Patients selected because of the complexity of their pathology were present in some of the workshops allowing a unique opportunity to learn in a real situation.

The social program was carefully prepared to show the Portuguese tastes and culture. Lunches were special moments to experience Portuguese food and wine. The dinners tried to be each day different, offering always something special. Folk music and folk dance, Coimbra Fado and a special "aquavision show" were a part of the social program.

During the Gala Dinner Katia Guerreiro, an ophthalmologist colleague and one of the Portuguese best Fado singers offered us an unforgettable and touching night. Also during the Gala Dinner happened the President's Ceremony, one of the most remarkable moments where all the 6 presidents of the Mediterranean Congresses, the President of the Mediterranean PRM Forum, Nicolas Christodoulou, and our first Honorary Board Member and President of the First Mediterranean Congress, Haim Ring, received homage. This event will be remembered by all and it is an unforgettable moment of the history of the Mediterranean Forum PRM.

The President's Dinner was the opportunity to thanks all the participants that willingly and voluntarily served the 6th Mediterranean Congress PRM with their knowledge and experience.

Participants enjoyed the Mediterranean Spirit: the pleasure of learning and teaching and, at the same time, the pleasure of being with friends and colleagues from all around the world and the pleasure of enjoying the social program.
During the 6th Mediterranean Congress PRM we lived in a world without frontiers in accordance with the Mediterranean Forum slogan - Rehabilitation without frontiers.