NFCA is proud to announce that the work of two of its 2013 research collaborations have been accepted to the 15^th International Celiac Disease Symposium (ICDS), the largest, most comprehensive celiac disease meeting in the world. ICDS2013 will take place in Chicago from September 22-25.

Celiac Disease Online Course: Impact and Barriers to Diagnosis

NFCA’s free continuing medical education (CME) program for primary care providers Defining, Diagnosing and Managing Celiac Disease has served as an integral part of the organization’s mission to drive diagnosis since the activity was launched in July 2010. An evaluation of the program was conducted earlier this year, which included identifying who has participated in the CME, what impact the CME has had on the participants’ clinical practice, and what, if any, barriers remain in diagnosing celiac disease. This evaluation has helped NFCA to better understand the knowledge and behaviors of the primary care provider, a medical community on the frontlines of diagnosis, and will prove to be invaluable as we strive towards obtaining a prompt and accurate diagnosis for the 83% of celiac disease patients who remain undiagnosed. An abstract of this work was accepted to ICDS2013 as a poster presentation.

Study collaborators include NFCA’s Kristin Voorhees, MA; Kristen Sweet, PhD, former NFCA Intern with her doctorate in Genetics and Molecular Biology; and CME Faculty and NFCA Scientific/Medical Advisory Council Members Doctors Joe Murray and Dan Leffler.

Neurocognitive Effects of Gluten Exposure: Results of a Nationwide Survey

In early 2011, NFCA and the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) designed a nine-question online survey aimed to better understand the neurocognitive effects (also known as “celiac brain fog”) of gluten exposure among persons with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. While “celiac brain fog” is a commonly reported reaction to gluten exposure among these patient communities, very little is known regarding its actual symptoms or prevalence. An analysis of the survey data has helped to shed some light on this commonly reported adverse reaction and an abstract of this work was accepted to ICDS2013 as a poster presentation.

Study collaborators include NFCA’s Kristin Voorhees, MA; Kristen Sweet, PhD, former NFCA Intern with her doctorate in Genetics and Molecular Biology; Jessica B. Edwards George, PhD, NCSP, Assistant Clinical Professor at Northeastern University; and Dan Leffler, MD, MS, Director of Clinical Research at the Celiac Center at BIDMC.

At this time, the study collaborators are continuing this work by analyzing some of the survey questions using qualitative data analysis software to identify additional information that may be helpful in better understanding “celiac brain fog.”

NFCA is excited to share these abstracts with the celiac disease research community later this month at ICDS2013. We also look forward to sharing the posters with you in a PDF after the conference is over at beyondceliac.org/Researchnews.

Several of NFCA’s staff will be in attendance, including President Alice Bast; Director of Operations Nancy Ginter; Executive of NFCA’s Scientific/Medical Advisory Council Ken Kilgore, PhD, MS; Director of Gluten-Free Industry Initiatives Beckee Moreland; and Healthcare Relations Manager Kristin Voorhees, MA, to get the scoop on the latest in celiac disease research. Stay tuned for updates from the staff on their experience at the symposium!

Learn more about ICDS2013 and ticket availability in NFCA’s Upcoming Events section of beyondceliac.org.