AAN Presents 57th Annual Meeting in Miami Beach

Newswise — More than 8,000 are expected to attend the American Academy of Neurology's (AAN) 57th Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, April 9 " 16, 2005.

Held in the Miami Beach Convention Center, the very latest research findings on Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke, migraine, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders will be included in more than 1,300 scientific studies presented as platform and poster sessions. This meeting will also introduce a new magazine and a gala.

Key science presentations will be presented at four plenary sessions, starting with the Presidential Plenary Session on April 12 at 9:00 a.m. The outgoing AAN president Sandra F. Olson, MD, will give the Presidential Lecture on "Women in Neurology." Nobel Prize winner Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, will discuss "Synthetic Prions: Diagnosis and Treatment of Prion Disease." Ira Shoulson, MD, will lecture on "Equipoise and the Value of Uncertainty for Randomized Clinical Trials."

Other plenary sessions will cover Contemporary Clinical Issues and Case Studies (April 13) and Frontiers in Clinical Neuroscience (April 14). The Scientific Program Highlights will conclude the plenary sessions on April 15 beginning at 5:15 p.m. after all educational programs have ended. The chair of the AAN Science Committee, John H. Noseworthy, MD, will moderate a review of the most critical new research presented during this meeting.

The 57th Annual Meeting will mark the launch of new AAN efforts. A reception on April 11 will celebrate the premier issue of Neurology Now, the AAN's forthcoming health magazine for patients and caregivers. On April 13, the AAN Foundation's first Auction Gala: Make Research Happen will raise funds for clinical research fellowships in neurology. The Auction Gala will provide a memorable evening that includes dinner, the chance to bid on several donated items, and a live performance by multi-platinum country music star Clay Walker, who was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 1996.

For registered journalists, the on-site Press Room will host a variety of media briefings based on research presented during the meeting. The Press Room will also have information on major awards, including the Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick's, Alzheimer's, and Related Diseases and the Public Leadership in Neurology Award.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 18,000 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 Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. The 57th Annual Meeting website is http://am.aan.com.

Editor's Notes:The embargo for all abstracts to be presented at the 57th Annual Meeting is in effect until the date and time of the scientific presentation.