2009 Press Kits

New Guideline: Efficacy of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in the treatment of pain in neurologic disorders

A new guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology finds that transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS), a widely used pain therapy involving a portable device, is not recommended to treat chronic low-back pain—pain that has persisted for three months or longer—because research shows it is not effective. The guideline is published in the December 30, 2009, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The guideline determined that TENS can be effective in treating diabetic nerve pain, also called diabetic neuropathy, but more and better research is needed to compare TENS to other treatments for this type of pain.

Neuro Film Festival

People who have compelling stories to share regarding how they or a loved one has been affected by a brain disorder are invited to submit a short video to the 2010 Neuro Film Festival, an AAN Foundation event that aims to raise awareness about brain disorders and the need to support research into preventions, treatments and cures. The deadline to enter is February 16, 2010.

New Guidelines: The care of the patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

New guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology identify the most effective treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often called Lou Gehrig's disease.

Guildelines
- Practice Parameter update: The care of the patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Drug, nutritional, and respiratory therapies
- Practice Parameter update: The care of the patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Multidisciplinary care, symptom management, and cognitive/behavioral impairment
Clinician Summaries
- ALS Guidelines Clinician Summary 1
- ALS Guidelines Clinician Summary 2
Q&A: Robert G. Miller Discusses New ALS Guidelines
Patient Summaries

Press Release
Public Service Announcements
- 60 Seconds (.mp3)
- 30 Seconds (.mp3)
- 20 Seconds (.mp3)
- 10 Seconds (.mp3)

New Guideline: Evaluation of the Child with Microcephaly

A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology, developed in full collaboration with the Child Neurology Society, finds that children with microcephaly—that is, children whose head size is smaller than that of 97 percent of children—are at risk of neurologic and cognitive problems and should be screened for these problems.

Practice Parameter: Evaluation of the child with microcephaly (an evidence-based review)
Clinician Summary
Microcephaly Q&A
Patient Summary
Press Release

AAN Collaborates with CDC on H1N1 Vaccine Safety Monitoring

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) are requesting neurologists to report any possible new cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following 2009 H1N1 flu vaccination using the CDC and US Food and Drug Administration Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

H1N1 E-press Kit

New Guidelines: Management Issues for Women with Epilepsy

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society show relative safety for women with epilepsy to become pregnant, but caution must be taken, including avoiding one particular epilepsy drug that can cause birth defects.