Free DVD and Guidebook Answers Questions for Alzheimer’s Patients and Families

Newswise — HONOLULU – Film and television actress Lea Thompson is the host of the American Academy of Neurology Foundation’s latest patient education video and guidebook, Alzheimer’s Disease: A Guide for Patients and Families. The video and guidebook are aimed at answering important questions for newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease patients and their caregivers and can be viewed and downloaded for free at www.aan.com/patients. A DVD and printed booklet can also be ordered from www.aan.com/patients. In addition, free copies of the DVD and guidebook are being made available to neurologists at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Honolulu, April 9-16, 2011, to take back to their clinics and share with patients.

Thompson, a longtime and renowned film and TV star, has starred in the blockbuster Back to the Future trilogy, as well as Some Kind of Wonderful and her own NBC television comedy Caroline in the City. She is featured on the cover of the April/May issue of Neurology Now® magazine discussing her experiences caring for family with dementia.

Fellows of the AAN David S. Knopman, MD, and Ronald C. Petersen, PhD, MD, both of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, also appear in the video with expert advice to help patients and families. The DVD presents an overview of living with Alzheimer’s disease, along with treatment options and tips on adjusting to changes that come with living daily with the disorder. The guidebook also provides a list of trusted resources for the estimated five million people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, the video will be broadcast in several television markets, including Washington, Detroit, San Francisco, Atlanta and St. Louis. Dates and air times will be announced on AAN.com in late spring. To obtain your free video or for more information, contact (800) 879-1960 or [email protected].

Alzheimer’s Disease: A Guide for Patients and Families is a presentation of the American Academy of Neurology Foundation and is sponsored by Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy Research & Development, LLC, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, LLC, and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

The American Academy of Neurology Foundation (AAN Foundation) raises money to support vital research into the prevention, treatment and cure of brain disorders. The AAN Foundation is committed to improving patient care, quality of life and public understanding of the brain and other neurologic disorders.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 22,500 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. 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 and multiple sclerosis. For more information, visit www.aan.com.