Abstracts

Abstract submission deadline: March 15, 2021, 11:59PM CST.

An individual may be the first author on a maximum of three (3) abstracts.

An individual may be a contributing author on an unlimited number of abstracts.

All submitted abstracts become the property of MDS.

All accepted abstracts are published by MDS.

Text limit of 2,500 characters (including spaces). The size limit includes characters and spaces in the Abstract Title and Abstract Body. Please note that spaces are included in the overall character count. The size limit does not include author information.

Abstracts should be arranged as follows:

• Objective
• Background
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions

*You may submit a case report using the standard abstract format

Do not include any identifying information directly on the abstract.

Only non-proprietary (generic) drug names should be used and should be written without capitals letters.

Do not include branded product names in the abstract. If the abstract is found to contain marketing, rather than scientific content, the abstract will be rejected.

Select one (1) category under which the abstract should be reviewed. If the abstract covers more than one topic, please choose the most appropriate category and indicate additional related topics via corresponding keywords. This will aid online searches and further organization of your abstract within the listed category (see “Review and Categorization” regarding re-categorizing a submitted abstract).

The use of standard abbreviations is desirable. A special or unusual abbreviation should be placed in parentheses after the first appearance of the full word for which it stands.

Please note there is a separate upload field for tables and graphs. To include tables or figures, enter the appropriate ID tag within the abstract body where the tables and/or figures should appear. Tags must be entered as shown - [table1] for your first table; [table2] for your second table; [figure1] for your first figure; [figure2] for your second figure.

To list references, enter the appropriate ID tag. [1] for your first reference, [2] for your second reference, [3] for your third reference, etc.

Abstract submissions must be received by March 15, 2021, 11:59PM CST.

The sole means of submission is via the Internet. Please do not e-mail, fax, or mail abstract submissions.

Abstracts must be submitted and presented in English.

MDS Members and non-members are eligible to submit abstracts.

There is no fee for submitting an MDS abstract.

MDS does not offer CME credit for poster viewing or submitted abstracts.

MDS International Congress faculty are not required to submit an abstract.

MDS expects that all accepted abstracts will be presented as scheduled and that no submitted abstracts will be withdrawn.

All submitted abstracts will undergo plagiarism review through an online plagiarism detection software. Should plagiarism be detected, the abstract will be rejected.

Abstracts that have been presented at other meetings may be submitted if they have not been previously published. Submitted abstracts that have been presented at other meetings must include the previous meeting name and presentation date cited accordingly in the abstract body, after the Conclusion.

MDS does not accept abstracts that have been previously published by MDS. If the abstract is found to have been previously published in another MDS publication or a previous edition of the Movement Disorders journal, the designated contact person will be notified and required to revise the abstract, or the abstract will be rejected.

All abstracts presented at a previous MDS International Congress have been published by MDS.

The MDS Congress Scientific Program Committee will review all abstracts in March of 2021. The Committee shall be directed to reject abstracts for the following reasons:

• Plagiarism detected
• Marketing detected
• Subject not related to the field of Movement Disorders
• Does not meet basic requirements

All submitted abstracts will undergo plagiarism review through an online plagiarism detection software.  Should plagiarism be detected, the abstract will be rejected.

If it is determined by the Congress Scientific Program Committee that a submitted abstract is not entered in the optimal abstract category listing, MDS reserves the right to re-categorize the abstract on behalf of the author(s) without prior notification. The new category placement will be confirmed in the official abstract notification letter.

If it is determined that the abstract should be re-categorized, MDS will ensure that the new category placement is in the best interest of the work and easily searchable by International Congress attendees as well as online researchers.

All notifications regarding a saved or submitted abstract will be sent only to the person identified as ‘Contact for Official Abstract Correspondence’. It is expected that the designated contact person will circulate updates regarding the abstract as needed.

All successfully submitted abstracts will receive a confirmation e-mail to the designated contact person. If the confirmation e-mail has not been received within 24-hours of submitting the abstract, please log in to the abstract submission site to verify the status of the submission.

Abstract acceptance notifications will be sent to the designated contact person via e-mail in June 2021.

An official abstract notification letter will be available through the submission site and can be downloaded and printed at any time after notifications have been sent in June 2021.

All confirmed abstract submissions will be reviewed for acceptance by MDS.

Abstracts with a status of ‘saved’ are not confirmed submissions and will not be reviewed by MDS.

Please ensure that noreply@omnipress.com and congress@movementdisorders.org are designated as a “safe senders” to ensure timely correspondence regarding the abstract submission.

Please check your spam and junk e-mail folders before contacting MDS regarding the status of your abstract. Abstract notices will come from noreply@omnipress.com or congress@movementdisorders.org.

Abstract status can also be checked directly on the submission site in June 2021.

January 15 – March 15, 2021

You may withdraw a submitted abstract at any time while submission is still open (before March 15, 2021). To withdraw an abstract, simply log in to your submission and click on 'Withdraw'. There is no penalty to withdraw your abstract.

March 16 – June 15, 2021

Requests to withdraw a submitted abstract after the submission deadline (March 15, 2021) must be received in writing by June 15, 2021, to congress@movementdisorders.org.

June 16, 2021 – Onward

After June 16, 2021, your abstract cannot be withdrawn and will remain a part of the 2021 MDS published abstracts. All submitted abstracts become the property of MDS.

All accepted abstracts will be published in an electronic supplement to the Movement Disorders journal online edition. All submitted abstracts become the property of MDS.

MDS only accepts original work. By submitting your abstract, you affirm that your abstract is your own, either individually or as a group. Should plagiarism be detected, the abstract will be rejected.

All accepted abstracts will be presented as an e-poster (PDF) and optional 5-min oral presentation (via pre-recorded video) during the MDS Virtual Congress 2021. Information and instructions will be available in the acceptance notification for selected abstracts in June 2021.

Select abstracts will be presented in a Guided Poster Tour or as a Top Abstract presentation. Abstracts selected will be contacted directly.

Travel Grant Awards will not be distributed for the MDS Virtual Congress 2021, as the purpose of the International Congress Travel Grant Award Program is to provide financial aid for travel and participation in the International Congress. We thank you for your interest in the program, and welcome you to apply for the 2022 International Congress Travel Grant Program.

No-Fee Member Registration Waiver Program:

No-Fee Member Registration Waivers will not be distributed in 2021, as the there is no registration fee required to participate in the MDS Virtual Congress 2021.

Application Deadline: March 15, 2021 at 11:59pm CST

Abstracts are only accepted via the abstract submission process.

The Junior Awards are given for significant contribution to clinical and basic science research in the field of Movement Disorders. Junior Award recipients will present their abstract at the Presidential Lectures Plenary Session during the MDS Virtual Congress and will receive an award plaque.

Junior Awards Application Criteria

1. Applicants must be a Junior Member of MDS or a Regular MDS Member under 40 years of age.

2. Applicants must be the first authors of their submitted abstracts.

3. Applications can only be submitted by MDS Members through the abstract submission process for the MDS Virtual Congress.

4. Applicants will be required to submit a statement regarding their contribution of work for their submitted abstract.

Here are a few tips to prepare your abstract submission:

1. Prepare your author listing:
   1. Be sure to thoughtfully organize the list of contributing authors; there is no limit to the number of contributing authors you may include on an abstract.
   2. Determine the order in which you will list all contributing authors; the order in which you arrange them on the submission website is how they will be published upon acceptance.

2. Determine the main contact:
   1. All abstract correspondence (including acceptance/rejection notifications) will be directed solely to the contact person indicated in the ‘Contact’ tab of the submission site.
   2. The first author is not presumed to be the contact person – only the designated contact person will receive notifications and updates regarding your submitted abstract; it is expected that the contact person will disseminate information as needed.

3. Proof-read your data:
   1. Be sure to review spelling and grammar before submitting (including the accurate spelling of all contributing author names) – after the submission deadline (March 15, 2021), you will not be permitted to make any changes to your submitted work.
   2. Character limit is 2,500 (including spaces) for the title and body of the abstract; there is no character limit on the other sections of the abstract.

4. Determine if an MDS-owned Rating Scale has been used in the study/abstract:
   1. If so, be prepared to indicate which scale(s) were used.
   2. Be prepared to indicate the study protocol or identification number associated with your approval to utilize the scale.

5. Determine if you will apply for a Junior Award:
   1. Only the first author of an accepted abstract is eligible for a Junior Award.
   2. The first author must fulfill all eligibility criteria to qualify, please see guidelines included on the submission website for further information.
   3. The sole means of applying for a Junior Award is in conjunction with the abstract submission process.

• There is no fee to submit an abstract.
• You do not have to be an MDS Member to submit an abstract.
• You may be the first author on a maximum of 3 submitted abstracts; there is no limit to how many abstracts you may be a contributing author on.
• You may submit a case report (using the standard abstract format).
• You may submit an abstract that has been previously presented, as long as the presentation information is included in your citation (see submission guidelines for further information).
• You may NOT submit an abstract that hast been previously published; even if it was published by MDS.
• ‘Saving’ vs. ‘Submitting’ your abstract:
  • By clicking ‘Save’ you may return to edit / proof-read your abstract at any time prior to the submission deadline (March 15, 2021).
  • By clicking ‘Submit’ you are confirming that your work is finished and ready for review.
  • Abstracts that are saved will not be submitted for review until they have been submitted.