2011 NSTA Symposium Information
Las Vegas, Nevada – October 22nd and 23rd

December 5, 2011

The 2011 NSTA symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada has passed and I am happy to report it was a huge success! We had over 130 people in attendance and the room was packed! We had so many people registering at the symposium as “walk ins”, after the first presentation by Dr. Mayank Pathak, we had a short break so the banquet crew at Bally’s Hotel and Casino could add another row of tables and chairs to accommodate everyone.

The feedback I have received was very positive! Everyone who attended enjoyed the presentations made by the guest speakers and commented on how easy it was to take in the information. I thank our guest speakers for taking the time out of their hectic schedule to join us and prepare their presentations in a way that everyone can comprehend. Just because we received positive feedback does not mean that we are not going to do our best to make more improvements. One of the goals of the NSTA is to provide information. We will continue to get information to you, people who are recently diagnosed and people who do not know they have this movement disorder in the most practical and efficient ways.

I want to thank our guest speakers and the people who participated in the Question and Answer panel. Drake Duane M.D., Mayank Pathak M.D., Robert Chinnapongse, M.D., MS, (Senior Medical Director, Solstice Neurosciences, LLC) Devin Binder, M.D., Ph.D., Carlos Arce, M.D, Elaine Treichel PharmD, (Senior Medical Scientific Manager, ALLERGAN), M.D., Stephanie Kalley (Territory Business Manager MERZ), Jean P. Hubble, M.D. (VP, Medical Affairs Neurology IPSEN), Anthony Simms, DDS, Gary Demerjian, DDS, Mark Cooper, PhD, Laurel Chiten (Blind Dogs Films), Kurt Othmer, and Jamie Klein (Nia Blue Belt and 5 Stages Instructor) did a wonderful job disseminating information to all the participants.
I would like to thank Janelle Lazzo and Jim Legarski for leading the support group meeting for people with ST. I also like to thank Lloyd Ritter and Nancy Legarski for leading the support group meeting for family members and friends. I truly believe that the support meetings for both groups are as important as the information received from guest speakers. When a person is diagnosed with ST, their life and the lives of their family and friends are affected. Knowing there are people out there that share the same changes and challenges give us strength as a person and helps us understand how ST can change the way we interact with people around us.

I want to thank my staff and volunteers especially Vi Tran, NSTA office manager who had been my partner in fulfilling the mission of the NSTA for the past seven years. She is a person who is more than capable of taking on the role of Executive Director for the NSTA but would rather work behind the scenes. Vi always comes up with innovative ways of fulfilling the mission of NSTA which makes brainstorming sessions enjoyable. I couldn’t have asked for a better coworker and friend. I want to thank volunteers Anne Nguyen and Donna Lubanga. Anne Nguyen recently attained a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and is pursuing dentistry. Donna Lubanga has a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and has been working in an acute hospital setting for the past 15 years.

These two people have volunteered to help with the symposium and provided support for many years. Whether they are handling the registration desk, assisting symposium attendees with questions, informing people about the neurofeedback sessions or drawing blood samples from attendees participating for a research study, Anne and Donna have always given 110%. I cannot thank you enough for your endless contributions. I also want to thank this year’s new volunteers for joining us at the symposium and providing their support. Kurtis Lee, is a pre-med student who recently attained his Pharmacy Technician certification and is an aspiring Pharmacist. He tirelessly transcribed the presentations that were made on Saturday and Sunday. The information he took down will be used in the symposium summary. I also want to thank Andy Nguyen and Jenn Nguyen for filming the symposium on Saturday and Sunday. I especially want to thank Andy for being meticulous in regards to his assignment and for coordinating with me whenever something came up. He was also responsible for taking pictures during the symposium. The drawings you see in this magazine were all done by the talented Anne Nguyen using the pictures Andy took. Also, a special thank you to Michele Tran, our neurofeedback technician.

I want to thank Allergan, Ipsen, Medtronics, Merz, and Solstice, for their support of the symposium and the projects the NSTA performs annually to service the cervical dystonia community. I also want to thank the following companies for their contribution to the symposium.

These companies either provided knee pads or yoga mats for the presentation by Jamie Klien “What is The Nia Technique and 5 Stages? How can it help your ST?”

YogaAccessories.com
9 South 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(888) 886-YOGA (9642)
www.yogaaccessories.com

Bon Tool Co.
4430 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PAÂ 15044
Phone (724) 443-7080
www.bontool.com

Ball Dynamics International, LLC
14215 Mead St.
Longmont, CO 80504
Phone (800) 752-2255
www.fitball.com

10240 S. Alameda Street
South Gate, CA 90280
Phone (323) 752-2221
www.goclc.com

12801 Carmenita Road
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
Phone: 562.484.5100
www.bravosportscorp.com

I would also like to thank Kurt Othmer and the people at EEGInfo for providing information and the neurofeedback equipment so our participants can experience a thirty minute session. EEGInfo has been so kind to NSTA for the past three years by supplying the equipment and information.

6400 Canoga Ave., Suite 210
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Phone 866.334.7878
www.eeginfo.com

As discussed at the symposium and during the board meeting, the 2012 symposium will be held in Louisiana! We are still looking into the exact date and location but we would like to host the symposium there in late October. The exact date and location will be announced in the December magazine.