The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is a professional society representing over 40,000
neurologists and
neuroscientist
A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist specializing in neuroscience that deals with the anatomy and function of neurons, Biological neural network, neural circuits, and glia, and their Behavior, behavioral, biological, and psycholo ...
s. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1948 by A.B. Baker of the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
to advance the art and science of
neurology
Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix wikt:-logia, -logia, "study of") is the branch of specialty (medicine) , medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous syst ...
, and thereby promote the best possible care for patients with
neurological disorder
Neurological disorders represent a complex array of medical conditions that fundamentally disrupt the functioning of the nervous system. These disorders affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerve networks, presenting unique diagnosis, treatment, and ...
s. It is headquartered in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
and maintains a health policy office in
Washington, D.C.
In April 2012, the academy relocated its headquarters to a new 63,000-square-foot building in downtown Minneapolis.
The five-story facility cost $20 million to build.
Activities
Annual meeting
The annual meeting of the AAN is attended by more than 15,000 neurologists and neuroscientists from the US and abroad.
The American Academy of Neurology has formal policies for avoiding
conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical and device industries, and meets or exceeds all recommendations of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies Code.
Top five Choosing Wisely recommendations
The AAN partnered with the
American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation and
Consumer Reports to provide their top 5 recommendations for neurologists. Out of 178 nominations from AAN members, these 5 guidelines were selected by a panel of 4 AAN Staff and 10 experienced AAN members who voted according to a modified
Delphi method.
The guidelines were published in ''
Neurology
Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix wikt:-logia, -logia, "study of") is the branch of specialty (medicine) , medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous syst ...
'' on February 20, 2013.
# Don't perform
EEGs for headaches.
# Don't perform imaging of the carotid arteries for simple
syncope without other neurologic symptoms.
# Don't use
opioid or
butalbital treatment for migraine except as a last resort.
# Don't prescribe
interferon-beta or
glatiramer acetate to patients with disability from progressive, non-relapsing forms of
multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...
.
# Disrecommend for
asymptomatic
Asymptomatic (or clinically silent) is an adjective categorising the medical conditions (i.e., injuries or diseases) that patients carry but without experiencing their symptoms, despite an explicit diagnosis (e.g., a positive medical test).
P ...
carotid stenosis unless the complication rate is low (<3%).
See also
*
Potamkin Prize
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
1948 establishments in Minnesota
Medical and health organizations based in Minnesota
Medical associations based in the United States
Neurology organizations
Organizations established in 1948