Body and Society: Intersecting Perspectives on Environmental Intolerance

Study day, organised on 4 December from 9am to 7pm, by Dr Victor Pitron, university hospital practitioner, AP-HP Hôtel-Dieu, Université Paris Cité, with the support of INSERM and the Paris IAS.

Presentation

The environmental changes currently underway are significant. They include increased air pollution, global warming, and the explosion of digital and biotechnological applications. In this context, intolerance to new environmental agents is on the rise. Electromagnetic fields, chemicals, wind turbines, unhealthy buildings, etc. are implicated in cases of physical or cognitive symptoms without any biophysical abnormalities related to exposure being identified. The consequences of these poorly explained symptoms can be significant when strategies to avoid environmental exposure lead to intense social and professional isolation. How can we understand these debilitating symptoms? What physical and cognitive mechanisms are involved? Can growing fears and media coverage of environmental risks contribute to symptoms of environmental intolerance? If so, how can we balance the need to inform people about environmental hazards with the need to prevent adverse health effects? Speakers from various academic fields, including cognitive psychology, sociology, epidemiology and medicine, will present recent work that sheds new light on idiopathic environmental intolerances and will attempt to outline support and prevention strategies.

Program

9 am: Welcome.
9.15 am - Introduction (Victor Pitron).

Part 1. A toxicological effect? (Chair Lynda Bensefa-Colas)
9.30 am – Martin Röösli (English): “Metaanalyses of exposure studies for electrohypersensitivity”.
10.15 am - Maryse Ledent (Français) : “Etudes d’exposition co-consruites avec les personnes se déclarants électrophypersensibles".

Coffee Break

Part 2. Towards a biopsychosocial model of environmental intolerance (Chair Lynda Bensefa-Colas)
11.30 am - Tara Petzke (English): “One or many environmental intolerance(s)?”.
12.15 am - Michael Witthöft (English): “How can health scares provoke somatic symptoms?”  

Lunch Break

Part 3. Addressing environmental intolerance in clinical practice (Chair Cédric Lemogne)
2.30 pm - Victor Pitron (Français) : “Intolérance environnementale : un challenge pour le clinicien ».  
3.15 pm - Fatima-Zohra Ibouchna et Clémence Forestier-Dupuch (Français) : "Thérapies cognitives et comportementales pour l’intolérance environnementale : retours cliniques".

Coffee break

Part 4. Charting the path forward (Chair Cédric Lemogne)
4.30 pm – Omer Van der Bergh (English) : "Environmental Intolerance acrooss Europe: A call for action".
17h15 - Panel discussion (all speakers, Français / English) : "Next steps for environmental intolerance".
6 pm : Closure 

Conditions of participation

On-site event only, in French and English. Open to the public, free of charge but registration is required via the form or via the QR code in the attached programme.
Limited places.