First of all, we wish you and your colleagues a good 2012 with satisfaction of your clinical and/or research achievements. From our side, we hope that we will meet and interact to embody our European Network for best Practice and Research. We welcome you to participate to our annual conference and special interest group meetings, as well to the RIMS fellowship and grant programs.

RIMS Annual Conference

Next (17th) annual conference of RIMS will take place in Hamburg, Germany on 31 May-2 June 2012 and is organised by Prof. Dr. Christoph Heesen and Prof. Dr. Thomas Henze. The full program and registration options are available on www.rims2012.org.

• Primary topics are “Shared-Decision Making in MS Rehabilitation” and “Towards Evidence-based Motor System Regeneration”.
• Secondary topics are “concepts of trial designs” and “patient-reported outcome measures”

We have received a high number of abstracts, which are currently under review. All abstracts will be published in Multiple Sclerosis journal. Poster presenters will be provided a 1’ fast forward presentation to introduce themselves and their work to the audience.

RIMS Grant Program

Prof. Dr. Alessandra Solari is the coordinator of the RIMS grant program which was launched in 2011. Two projects have been approved by the EB, and will receive a grant of 5000 euro to support collaborative work within the network. We look forward to the results of their work, which will be presented at the annual conference 2013.

• 'Variability of ADL performance in people with MS'

Main applicant: Daphne Kos (OT; Belgium)
Co-applicants: Jelka Jansa (Sl), Stephan Ilsbroukx (B); Jytte Jakobson & Lene Kallmayer (De); Inger Grethe Løyning (No); Tarja Huilla (Fi); Gioia Marcassa (I)

• ‘Content of physical rehabilitation – questionnaire survey’.

Main applicant: Kamila Rasova (PT, CR).
Co-applicants: Davide Cattaneo (Italy); Thomas Henze (G); Peter Feys (B); Carme Santoyo Medina (ES); Hans van Tongeren (Denmark)

RIMS fellowship programs

We very much wish to encourage persons to experience other member centers through the RIMS fellowship program.
Most recently, in November 2011, De Biagi Francesca (speech therapist; Venice, I) visited the National MS Center Melsbroek in Belgium.
For 2012, Greet Adriaensen (PT, De Mick Belgium) has been approved to perform a fellowship at the Reykjalundur center in Iceland. Applications for fellowships in 2012 are welcomed. New applications can be made continuously throughout the year, and are discussed at next executive board meeting.

Executive Board Meetings

The previous meeting of the executive board took place in Milan, Italy on November 28th. Besides administrative and financial issues, the RIMS grant and fellowship program was discussed with appointment of Alessandra Solari as RIMS grant coordinator, and Vicki Matthews as RIMS fellowship coordinator. As well, the EB is working on a renewal of the RIMS website.
The next meeting will take place in London, UK on March 30-31th 2012. Main topic is the elaboration of an updated mission of RIMS, which is on its turn defining the type of activities RIMS wants to organize and to support, in collaboration with international partners. Requests or proposals for the executive board can be submitted by March 15th.
The executive board is now assisted regarding administrative duties such as membership communication and inventory, website monitoring and other duties. We welcome administrator Mrs. Grace Donovan from Southampton (UK), who closely collaborates with the membership and SIG officer, Vicki Matthews.

News from partners

The International Journal of MS Care (www.mscare.org) informed us that a special issue will be published in summer 2012 regarding “Novel Approaches for Assessing and Facilitating Cognition in MS”. Guest editors are R.H.B. Benedict and K. Fuchs. You are invited to submit  your original research, case reports, and reviews on this topic of critical importance to all clinicians caring for MS patients as  soon as possible (ultimately February  2012).
In 2012, the European MS Platform (EMSP) will publish the second edition of "Rehabilitation Recommendations for People with Multiple Sclerosis" which has been written prevailing by RIMS members and edited by Thomas Henze. This booklet demonstrates the narrow and fruitful cooperation between EMSP and RIMS

RIMS In-between Meetings of SIG’s

In autumn 2011, two Special Interest Groups organized an ‘in-between conferences’ meeting.

• SIG Mobility. Meeting in Barcelona, Spain on September 30th and October 1th with topic ‘Treatment of Balance and Gait’. Local organizer was Carme Santoyo.
• SIG Communication & Swallowing, SIG Integration & Participation, SIG Occupation and SIG Psychology & Neuropsychology. Joint meeting in Melsbroek, Belgium on November 18-19th with topic “The multidisciplinary approach for assessment and management of cognitive disorders in people with MS”. Local organizer was Daphne Kos and the Melsbroek team.

Both meetings were largely attended. Reports can be found on the SIG web pages. Attendance to SIG Meetings and part of accommodation and catering costs are free for RIMS members.

The SIG's Mobility and Occupation will organize their next in-between meetings in Milan, Italy at November 9th and 10th 2012. Part of the program (1/2 day and dinner) will be common, while other parts will be separatelyfor each SIG. Local organizers are Davide Cattaneo and Johanna Jonsdottir (Don Gnocchi Foundation). The topic of the SIG Mobilty meeting will be "The use of clinical approaches and advanced technology systems for maximizing the effects of rehabilitation". In the joint program, focus will be made on arm function.

We very much look forward to further working and collaborating with you in projects, sharing expertise and exchanging experiences in MS rehabilitation.

Peter Feys,
President of RIMS

On behalf of the Executive Board

• Vicki Matthews, SIG and membership officer
• Vincent de Groot, treasurar
• Päivi Hämäläinen, secretary
• Christoph Heesen, organizer RIMS annual conference 2012
• Thomas Henze, organizer RIMS annual conference 2012
• Allessandra Solari, RIMS Grant officer
• Ulrik Dalgas, RIMS fellowship office