EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, SEPTEMBER 22, 2003

Tip Sheet for the September 23, 2003 Neurology Journal

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St. Paul, Minn. – Does memory become worse during menopause? According to a study of 803 women aged 40 to 55 years who were tested annually for loss of brain function over the course of six years, transition through menopause is not accompanied by a decline in working memory and perceptual speed. Peter M. Meyer, MD, of the Department of Preventative Medicine, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago, IL, led the study of randomly selected African American and white women from two Chicago communities. It was the first longitudinal study to track cognitive performance during the menopausal transition.

A related “Patient Page” article on menopause and brain function discusses the study findings and offers recommendations for improving memory. The Patient Page will be available at www.Neurology.org or can be obtained in advance from AAN Media Relations staff.

Guillain-Barre’ Syndrome in lay terms With the September 23 publication of AAN guidelines recommending early treatment of Guillain-Barre’ to speed recovery, neurologists developed a summary of the guideline for patients and caregivers. Contact AAN Media Relations staff for a copy.

Watch for a Mayo Clinic video news release on Guillain-Barre’. Also visit the Mayo Clinic’s consumer website at http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00413 for additional background information on the disease. For more information, contact Lisa Copeland, Mayo Clinic, 507-538-0844, copeland.lisa@mayo.edu.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 19,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, autism and multiple sclerosis.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com.

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