Newswise — Rolling Meadows, Ill. (March 26, 2012) — The theme of 2012 National Neurosurgery Awareness Week (NNAW), which is scheduled for April 15-21, 2012, is Make Concussion Awareness a Part of Your Playbook. NNAW is held annually in conjunction with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ (AANS’) Annual Scientific Meeting. The 80th AANS Annual Scientific Meeting program starts officially on Monday, April 16, 2012, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

In conjunction with the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, on April 16, 2012, AANS will partner with ThinkFirst (a foundation committed to preventing traumatic brain and spinal injuries) and WalkSafe™ (a program focused on improving pediatric pedestrian safety, encouraging physical activity and advocating walkability around elementary schools) for Kids Safety Day, a special head injury prevention and helmet fitting event at the Feinberg Fisher School in Miami. It is expected that nearly 100 students ranging from pre-school to eighth grade will receive bicycle helmets at this invitation-only event.

The AANS continues to take a leading role in educating the public on concussion prevention and treatment, working collaboratively with the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS); AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care; the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation; and the Council of State Neurological Societies to create the PowerPoint presentation “Concussion and Sports: Useful prevention and treatment information for your community from America’s neurosurgeons.” AANS members are using the presentation when speaking to community groups, coaches, school and park districts, and other organizations about how to reduce the likelihood of concussions, as well as what steps to take when being treated for the condition. The PowerPoint is available to all neurosurgeons who want to make such a presentation on concussion within their community. AANS members also have access to a video that can help them prepare concussion-education presentations as part of the organization’s Operative Grand Rounds series.

The AANS also has updated its Patient Information pages on concussion and sports-related head injury, found at www.AANS.org, to give visitors and media the latest information, news and statistics on these subjects. According to the University of Pittsburgh’s Brain Trauma Research Center, more than 300,000 sports-related concussions occur in the United States each year; and 62,000 concussions are sustained annually in high-school contact sports. More information about concussion is available by clicking here.

AANS Head Injury Prevention Tips

Buy and use helmets or protective head gear approved by the American Society for Testing Materials International (ASTM) for specific sports 100 percent of the time. The ASTM has vigorous standards for testing helmets for many sports; helmets approved by the ASTM bear a sticker stating this. Helmets and head gear come in many sizes and styles for many sports, and must properly fit to provide maximum protection against head injuries. In addition to other safety apparel or gear, helmets or head gear should be worn at all times for:

Baseball and Softball (when batting) CyclingFootballHockeyHorseback RidingInline SkatingPowered Recreational VehiclesSkateboards/ScootersSkiing Snowboarding Wrestling

If you are a member of the media and would like to speak with a neurosurgeon about concussion or other neurosurgery-related topics, contact John Iwanski, AANS director of member and public outreach, at 847-378-0517; or via e-mail at j[email protected].

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 8,400 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada, or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system, including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves. For more information, visit www.AANS.org.