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Creative Arts Educ Ther (2015) 1(1):81–84DOI: 10.15534/CAET/2015/1/10 Report on the 11th International Expressive Arts Therapy Association Conference in Hong Kong, China: The Flowing Tao of Expressive Arts Therapy 國際表達藝術治療協會「表達藝術•順道流形」國際會議報告 Kate Donohue, Fiona Chang, Lisa Herman, Grace Cheng and Pearl Tse Abstract The Flowing Tao of Expressive Arts Therapy, the theme of the 11th International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) created “the way” to bridge the wisdom of the East to that of the West. This conference birthed a global village at the Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village, Hong, Kong where over 400 people gathered to honor the Eastern and Western practitioners, artists, educators and their acumen in expressive arts. As the first IEATA conference in Asia, two thirds of the participants were from Asian countries, demonstrating the vibrancy of expressive arts in Asia as well as coupling with the West, with 26 countries represented! The intention of the conference was to create a community that invited formal and informal dialog, as well as making the conference affordable to many who live in developing countries through the numerous scholarships offered. The choice of the Youth Village provided a setting in which we all lived, ate, played and studied together with a taste of nature in urban Hong Kong. The feedback we received reflected our intention that the conference enhance dialog and bonding among our many international participants. 摘要 首次在亞洲舉辦的第十一屆國際表達藝術治療協會國際會議順利於二零一五年十月八日至十日在中國香港烏溪沙青年新村舉行，四百名來自二十七個國家的參加者難得聚首一堂，匯集東西方智慧，交流各地文化與表達藝術應用心得，從不同派別的理論分析、研究、臨床實踐和社區充權計劃中深入學習，擴闊視野，反思殖民化和國際化帶來的影響，在充滿挑戰和掙扎的世界裡，希望大家能夠順應善用表達藝術之道，用和平、創新和有意義的方法，建立和諧共融的地球村。

BDNF signaling through its TrkB receptor plays a pivotal role in activity-dependent refinement of synaptic connectivity of retinal ganglion cells. Additionally, studies using TrkB knockout mice have suggested that BDNF/TrkB signaling is essential for the development of photoreceptors and for synaptic communication between photoreceptors and second order retinal neurons. Thus the action of BDNF on refinement of synaptic connectivity of retinal ganglion cells could be a direct effect in the inner retina, or it could be secondary to its proposed role in rod maturation and in the formation of rod to bipolar cell synaptic transmission. To address this matter we have conditionally eliminated TrkB within the retina. We find that rod function and synaptic transmission to bipolar cells is not compromised in these conditional knockout mice. Consistent with previous work, we find that inner retina neural development is regulated by retinal BDNF/TrkB signaling. Specifically we show here also that the complexity of neuronal processes of dopaminergic cells is reduced in conditional TrkB knockout mice. We conclude that retinal BDNF/TrkB signaling has its primary role in the development of inner retinal neuronal circuits, and that this action is not a secondary effect due to the loss of visual signaling in the outer retina.

Purpose A prior study showed that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) rescues photoreceptors from collateral retinal damage caused by photodynamic therapy (PDT). This study was conducted to determine whether ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a combination of BDNF and CNTF, or pigment epithelial cell-derived growth factor (PEDF) might protect photoreceptors and retinal function more effectively than BDNF. Also investigated was whether protection would be observed after a second round of PDT with adjunctive BDNF treatment. Methods Normal rats received intravitreal injections of BDNF, CNTF, a combination of BDNF and CNTF, or PEDF in one eye and PBS in the other 2 days before PDT. Retinal function and photoreceptor survival were assessed with multifocal ERG (mfERG) and histology 1 week after PDT. Another group of rats received two courses of PDT 3 months apart, with injection of BDNF 2 days before each treatment. Results All factors significantly increased photoreceptor survival. The combination of BDNF and CNTF rescued more photoreceptors than either factor alone. Only BDNF improved retinal function 1 week after PDT, with CNTF and the combination of BDNF and CNTF reducing mfERG responses. BDNF injection before a second round of PDT improved mfERG responses and retinal structure. Conclusions BDNF is the most effective single factor among those tested for neuroprotection and improvement of retinal function after PDT, although a combination of BDNF and CNTF rescues more photoreceptors. Adjunctive treatment with BDNF also protects retinal structure and function through two rounds of PDT, suggesting its potential value for patients who require multiple treatments.

Abstract 2176 Recent advances in frontline therapy for newly diagnosed AML include increased dose of anthracycline during induction, multi-agent regimens, high dose cytarabine (HiDAC) as consolidation for core binding factor (CBF) patients (pts), and allogeneic transplantation (alloHCT) during 1st remission for poor risk pts. Prolonged low-dose cytotoxic maintenance therapy does not appear to improve clinical outcomes, but investigation of novel maintenance strategies remains appealing, affording pts an opportunity to receive new therapies without increasing the considerable toxicities of induction/ consolidation. The CALGB performed a phase II study of induction and risk-adapted consolidation, followed by one year of maintenance therapy with decitabine, for newly diagnosed AML pts Correlative investigations for CALGB 10503 are ongoing, including identification of novel prognostic markers, targets for treatment, and markers of minimal residual disease. Clearly, clinical investigation of maintenance therapy as part of a comprehensive treatment approach for frontline therapy of AML (inclusive of homogeneous induction and consolidation therapy) requires considerable up-front enrollment in order to reach maintenance accrual goals. Randomized maintenance studies will likely need intergroup participation for timely completion. However, we conclude that the benefits of up-front enrollment (relative to a post-consolidation enrollment strategy) outweigh the accrual burdens. Benefits include uniform pre-maintenance therapy and the potential for novel discovery from correlative studies. Study designs for future maintenance trials for AML in 1st CR must balance expediency with the more comprehensive approach employed in CALGB 10503. Disclosures: Blum: Celgene: Research Funding. Off Label Use: decitabine in AML. DeAngelo: Deminimus: Consultancy.

Purpose CNTF is a neuroprotective agent for retinal degenerations that can cause reduced electroretinogram (ERG) amplitudes. The goal of the present study was to determine the effects of intraocular delivery of CNTF on normal rat visual function. Methods Full-field scotopic and photopic ERG amplitudes and spatial frequency thresholds of the optokinetic response (OKR) of adult Long-Evans rats were measured before and after intravitreous injection of CNTF or subretinal delivery of adenoassociated virus-vectored CNTF (AAV-CNTF) into one eye. Visual acuity was also measured by using the Visual Water Task in AAV-CNTF-injected animals. Multiunit luminance thresholds were recorded in the superior colliculus after CNTF injection, and the eyes were examined histologically. Results In eyes injected with a high dose of CNTF, ERG amplitudes and OKR thresholds measured through CNTF-injected eyes were decreased by 45% to 70% within 6 days after injection. ERG amplitudes had begun to recover by 21 days, whereas OKR thresholds only began to recover after 56 days. Neither OKR thresholds nor ERG amplitudes fully recovered until 90 to 100 days. When measured in the superior colliculus at 2 weeks after CNTF injection, luminance thresholds were elevated by 0.35 log units. In AAV-CNTF-injected eyes, OKR thresholds, and visual acuity were reduced by approximately 50% for at least 6 months, and scotopic and photopic ERG b-waves were reduced by 30% to 50%. Photoreceptor loss occurred in the injected regions in some of the eyes. By contrast, comparison of dose-response analysis with a dose-response study of light damage strongly suggests that therapeutic doses of CNTF exist that do not suppress ERG responses. Conclusions Intraocular delivery of CNTF, which preserves photoreceptors in animal models of retinal degeneration, impairs visual function in normal rats at very high doses, but not at lower doses that still provide protection from constant light damage.