KazNMU faculty members participated in the international PNS 2025 meeting
From May 17 to 20, 2025, the Annual Meeting of the Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS) took place in Edinburgh.
The Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS) is an international non-profit organization that brings together scientists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals working collaboratively to research and treat disorders of the peripheral nervous system. The mission of the society is to improve the lives of people with peripheral neuropathies.
PNS supports basic and clinical research, education, and standards of care in collaboration with patients and therapy developers.
The PNS Annual Meeting is a premier venue to learn about the latest international research in peripheral neuropathies. It is also a leading platform for one-on-one discussions with field experts and for networking with physicians and scientists from around the world. This large-scale event has quickly gained the reputation of being the world’s largest meeting focused on peripheral nerves. During the meeting, researchers, scientists, and specialists from various backgrounds present the most recent and innovative developments in this field.
Given the broad specialization within the peripheral nervous system, the PNS allows the formation of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) as consortia within the society. Each SIG is considered a standing committee of the PNS.
Among these is the Charcot-Marie-Tooth and Related Disorders (CMTR) Consortium—a special interest group within the PNS that brings together an international group of scientists and physicians studying and treating hereditary peripheral nerve disorders. Other consortia formed within the society include the International Consortia on Diabetic Neuropathy, Inflammatory Neuropathy, Neuropathic Pain, and Traumatic and Toxic Neuropathy.
This year, delegates from Kazakhstan participated in the meeting for the first time.
The Department of Neurology of S.D. Asfendiyarov KazNMU was represented by Professor Nurguzhaev Y.S., President of the Association of Neurologists of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Dr. Turuspekova S.T., Head of the Department and Chief Freelance Neurologist of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh delegation also included colleagues from Astana and Shymkent: Dr. Zharkynbekova N.A., Head of the Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Psychology at South Kazakhstan Medical Academy and Chief Neurologist of the Turkestan Region, and Dr. Syzdykova B.R., Head of the Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System and Chief Neurologist of the Department of Public Health of Astana.
Leading neurologists from Kazakhstan joined the international consortium studying hereditary peripheral nerve diseases and inflammatory neuropathies. The focus of the Kazakh experts was on discussing the current state of diagnosis and the development of an optimal patient management algorithm for ATTR-polyneuropathy and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), as these conditions often present diagnostic challenges and are characterized by chronic, progressive, and disabling courses.
ATTR is one of the first conditions within the CMTR group for which treatment recommendations are emerging. The CMTR working group is currently developing guidelines for the management of ATTR-related neuropathy, which will be published upon completion.
Undoubtedly, participation in the PNS Annual Meeting allows for the full benefit of the networking format and scientific exchange. This enables our neurologists to expand their knowledge, enrich their experience, and enhance their professional level, which they will share with colleagues across the country through a cascade training method.
