activities - Welcome to the Cochrane Neurological Network!

The activities of the Cochrane Neurological Network include the following:
Network with key national and international neurological associations
Educate others through workshops, seminars, additional teaching activity and summaries of Cochrane reviews
Coordinate EU-financed training workshops on evidence-based neurology
Identify journals and clinical trials of neurological interest
Monitor and increase handsearching activity for clinical trials in neurology
Notify the neurological community of specific reviews
Help Cochrane Review Groups in the production and maintenance of systematic reviews
Identify “hot topics” in neurology, consisting of those questions that should be addressed by systematic reviews but currently are not
Network with key national and international neurological associations
The Cochrane Neurological Network acts as the Cochrane Collaboration’s neurological point of contact. It promotes liaisons between the Cochrane Collaboration and key national and international organizations interested in neurology and neurosurgery. It proposes ways in which all of these entities can work together and builds relationships with people whose work benefits the neurological community. Organizations include:

American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
Association of British Neurologists
Associazione Italiana di Neuroepidemiologia (NEP)
Brain and Spine Foundation
European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS)
European Association of Young Neurologists and Trainees
European Union’s Marie Curie Actions
European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS)
European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS)
European Neurological Society (ENS)
Neurological Alliance
Società Italiana di Neurologia (SIN)
Società dei Neurologi,Neurochirurghi e Neuroradiologi Ospedalieri (SNO)
World Federation of Neurology (WFN)

As the challenge of providing practical, evidence-based care increases and the amount of research grows, the need for independent, high-quality systematic reviews relating to prevention, treatment, palliative care and diagnosis becomes more pressing. If your organization would like to work with the Cochrane Neurological Network to help identify what is effective and what is not effective health practice in neurology and neurosurgery, please contact us at:

Cochrane Neurological Network
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche
Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
Universita’ degli Studi di Milano
Via F. Sforza, 35
20122 Milan
ITALY
Tel. +39 0255033831 or +39 0250320434
Fax +39 0250320430
Email: [email protected]

Educate others through workshops, seminars and additional teaching activity
The Cochrane Neurological Network uses material contained in systematic reviews for its teaching activities, which include workshops, seminars and Italian university coursework involving the training of residents in the school of neurology at the University of Milan. The Cochrane Neurological Network collaborates in teaching students pursuing a Master of systematic review from the University of Milan. The coursework is taught by Prof. Livia Candelise, a neurologist in Milan and head of the Cochrane Neurological Network (which is based in Milan), Prof. Alessandro Liberati, head of the Italian Cochrane Centre (also based in Milan), and a collection of international professors.

In 2003/2004, a one-year master’s course was offered on the methodology of systematic reviews in all medical/healthcare settings (not just neurological areas). Sponsored by the University of Milan, the Thomas C. Chalmers Centre, and the Italian Cochrane Centre, this master’s program provided students with methodological knowledge and practical skills required to become proficient in the synthesis and interpretation of scientific literature in the medical field. Participants received professional training in the production of systematic reviews from an international staff of English-speaking instructors from the Cochrane Collaboration and Italian university professors and researchers from throughout the country. For more information, please contact us at:

Cochrane Neurological Network
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche
Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
Universita’ degli Studi di Milano
Via F. Sforza, 35
20122 MilaN
IT ALY
Tel. +39 0255033831 or +39 0250320434
Fax +39 0250320430
Email: [email protected]

The Cochrane Neurological Network also publishes summaries of specific neurological Cochrane reviews in the journal Neuroepidemiology. Please click on the following titles to link directly to each summary.

Does Donepezil Improve Well-Being for Dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease?
Does rivastigmine improve cognitive functions or disability in patients with Alzheimer’s disease?
Is Ginkgo biloba Effective and Safe for Dementia and Cognitive Impairment?
Chemotherapy for High-Grade Glioma
Is Carotid Endarterectomy Effective and Safe in Asymptomatic Patients with Carotid Stenosis?
Should Anti-Epileptic Drugs Be Used for Preventing Seizures after Acute Traumatic Brain Injury?
Is Interferon Effective and Safe for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis?

Coordinate EU-financed training workshops on evidence-based neurology
The Cochrane Neurological Network coordinates a series of training workshops financed by the European Union, Marie Curie Conferences and Training Courses (Contract number: MSCF-CT-2004-013289). The series is entitled, Teaching Evidence-Based Neurology in Europe-Cochrane Systematic Reviews in Practice. It consists of four workshops held within two years, June 2005-December 2006 (Epilepsy workshop, London, 30 June – 1 July 2005; Multiple Sclerosis workshop, Madrid, 16-17 December 2005; Parkinson’s Disease workshop, Lisbon, 5-6 May 2006; Stroke workshop, Perugia, 1-2 December 2006). Travel, accommodation and workshop fees are paid by the EU to qualifying participants. The aim of the initiative is to train neurologists to use systematic reviews of the effectiveness of treatments in their clinical practice. Primary emphasis is placed on teaching participants to identify relevant clinical questions and to critically evaluate results of the related scientific literature. The workshops are aimed at young physicians from the European Union who are willing to receive training on treatment of neurological patients and who are interested in learning more about Cochrane systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials. Good knowledge of English is required. Each workshop is open to 100 participants. To register for the next workshop or to obtain additional information, please visit www.congressteam.com/cochrane.

Identify journals and clinical trials of neurological interest
Systematic reviews depend on the identification of as many relevant randomized controlled trials as possible. The Cochrane Neurological Network maintains a Master List of Neurological Journals to coordinate systematic searches for published reports of completed randomized controlled trials in electronic databases, general neurology journals and abstracts of international neurological meetings on behalf of the Cochrane Collaboration.

Monitor and increase handsearching activity for clinical trials in neurology
Handsearching is the process of identifying and retrieving records of randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials. The Cochrane Neurological Network monitors handsearching activity in the field of neurology and attempts to recruit new hand-searchers. The Cochrane Neurological Network searches two important medical databases, MEDLINE and EMBASE, to identify randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials. It then produces a list of journals not already being handsearched by Cochrane groups. Finally, it identifies the number of records in each journal so the journals can be ranked according to their usefulness.

Notify the neurological community of specific reviews
The Cochrane Neurological Network maintains its own Enhanced Reference List of Systematic Reviews. It monitors the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) to update its own neurological reference list. When new or updated results are published, the Cochrane Neurological Network notifies members of the neurological community so important information is not overlooked.

Help Cochrane Review Groups in the production and maintenance of systematic reviews
Since its inception in 1998, the Cochrane Neurological Network has contributed to the development and advancement of several neurological Cochrane Review Groups. They are based in different parts of the world and provide valuable information about a range of neurological diseases. The Cochrane Neurological Network and its affiliated Cochrane Review Groups are always looking for voluntary contributors to help in the preparation and maintenance of systematic reviews. These include neurology patients and their caregivers.

Examples of ways in which contributors participate are:

As reviewers or co-reviewers
As editors
As peer reviewers
By providing methodological support
By helping with the search for evidence
By commenting on the protocols of planned reviews
By helping to disseminate information and teach evidence-based neurology
By identifying new topics for review
By providing translation services
By organising workshops in collaboration with local societies
By writing summaries of systematic reviews
If you wish to share your expertise or participate in any way with the work of the Cochrane Neurological Network or its affiliated Cochrane Review Groups, click here, or contact us at:

Identify “hot topics” in neurology, consisting of those questions that should be addressed by systematic reviews but currently are not
Every day clinicians must decide how to treat neurological conditions. For some of those conditions there is plenty of high-quality evidence to assist them with important decisions about treatment alternatives. Unfortunately, there are many conditions, disorders, diseases, etc. that occur frequently but for which no systematic reviews or reliable evidence are available. Examples include:

Immunomodulation treatments for Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia Gravis: efficacy of timectomy
Surgery for Parkinson’s patients
Drugs for hypertension in stroke patients
Usefulness of new neuroleptic drugs in psychosis in Parkinson’s Disease
Steroids for acute low back pain
Antiplatelet therapy in asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis
Is rehabilitation effective in patients with Multiple Sclerosis?
The Cochrane Neurological Network aims to continually identify such topics and encourage the consideration of these questions in the production of future systematic reviews. To suggest additional topics for this list, click here and complete our online form. We value your input and appreciate your feedback. This section will continually be updated with newly identified “hot topics” in neurology.