EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 11 PM ET, April 24, 2009

AAN Launches New Website for Neurology Patients and Their Families

ST. PAUL, Minn. -

The ��ɫ���� (AAN) has redesigned its public website, TheBrainMatters.org, to provide a comprehensive resource for neurology patients and their families. The site is available for Academy members to refer patients, caregivers, health care organizations, and the public for the latest information and resources on specific neurologic disorders. “I’m very excited about TheBrainMatters.org website,” said AAN.com Editor-in-Chief Orly Avitzur, MD, MBA, FAAN. “We’ve compiled patient education information that was previously scattered throughout AAN websites and certain Internet sites, including the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and streamlined it into a clean, organized, and user-friendly site designed specifically for the general public to become better informed about neurologic disorders. Physicians will be able to send their patients to the site for valuable information to supplement their office visit.” TheBrainMatters.org features in-depth, easily searchable information on a host of disease states from NINDS, including such supporting materials as AAN patient guideline summaries, patient stories from Neurology Now®, and AAN Press Books. Future enhancements will include additional features such as patient education videos. Users will get tips on how to prepare for an office visit, contact information for voluntary health agencies, and information on the importance of research and how to support the future of neurology. One of the site’s main attractions is the Find a Neurologist search tool. “This resource is already highly popular—and one of the most utilized resources—on AAN.com,” said Avitzur. “So we’re especially pleased to be highlighting it on TheBrainMatters.org. I suspect that its popularity and usefulness will only increase over time.” Some of the latest features incorporated into the site include: -Comprehensive information on more than 250 neurologic disorders from NINDS -Personal stories from Neurology Now®, the AAN’s patient magazine that currently reaches up to 1 million readers -AAN Practice Guideline summaries providing clinical insight to patients and their families on recent research findings -Find a Neurologist search tool -Tips on how to prepare for an office visit -Contact information for voluntary health agencies Visit www.thebrainmatters.org to search the website and learn more about neurologic disorders.

The ��ɫ����, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, narcolepsy, and stroke. For more information, visit www.aan.com.