EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, January 16, 2011

Sports Neurologist Named AAN Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Advocate of the Year

ST. PAUL, Minn. -

The (AAN) has named sports neurologist Jeffrey S. Kutcher, MD, of Ann Arbor, Mich., as the AAN Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum Advocate of the Year. Kutcher was acknowledged at the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum on January 16, 2011, in San Diego, Calif. Kutcher received the award for his exemplary work in raising awareness about the role of the neurologist in treating sports . The award recognizes the efforts of graduates of the Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, a skills-development program designed by the ��ɫ���� to train selected members to be effective advocates for their patients and their profession. Kutcher, who chairs the AAN’s Sports Neurology Section, was chosen from his peers for the substantial headway he has made to help raise the profile of the neurologist’s role in the management of sports concussion. In addition, he has worked to improve the educational resources available for doctors to treat sports concussion. One of Kutcher’s many accomplishments in this arena is his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee's hearing on "Legal Issues Relating to Football Head Injuries, Part II" on January 4, 2010. Kutcher also represents the AAN as a member of a National Football League committee that addresses concussion among its athletes. He was the lead author on the AAN’s recent position statement on sports concussion and is a co-lead author on the update to the AAN’s evidence-based guideline on sports concussion, which is scheduled to be released in late 2011. Kutcher has also been featured in several high-profile media interviews examining sports concussion and its effects on athletes involved in wide range of sports. “The Forum has helped me master the power of effective communication, bringing significant attention to improving outcomes for athletes who have experienced concussions,” said Kutcher, who serves as director of Michigan NeuroSport, a comprehensive academic program in sports neurology. “Our goal is to increase the neurologist’s role in clinical care, education and research activities involving the neurological care of athletes at all levels.” The Forum was named in memory of former AAN Board of Directors member Donald M. Palatucci, MD, and honors his spirited efforts as an advocate for his patients and chosen profession.

The ��ɫ����, an association of more than 22,500 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 Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. For more information about the ��ɫ����, visit .