AANS Hosts National Neurosurgery Awareness Week in Miami

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) commemorated National Neurosurgery Awareness Week (NNAW) April 15-21, 2012, in conjunction with its 80th Annual Scientific Meeting in Miami, held April 14-18, 2012. National Neurosurgery Awareness Week efforts focused on the prevalence and prevention of concussions, urging athletes, coaches and the public to make concussion awareness part of their playbooks.

A concussion is an injury to the brain that results in temporary loss of normal brain function. This clinical syndrome is characterized by immediate and transient alteration of mental status and level of consciousness, resulting from mechanical force or trauma, typically by a blow to the head.

“We feel a responsibility to educate the community about the effects of concussion, especially since its risks can come with everyday activities like sports, bike riding or working around the home,” says Thomas A. Marshall, Executive Director of the AANS.

While more than 300,000 sports-related concussions occur annually in the U.S., concussions also are commonly caused by automobile and biking accidents as well as by falls around the home, especially among toddlers and older adults. To help promote awareness about concussion and other related head-related injuries, the AANS has teamed with other partners to develop a series of slides neurosurgeons can use as part of an educational presentation. These presentations can help explain to coaches, parents, park districts and others about the possible signs of concussion, what to do when a concussion occurs, and what types of action needs to be taken before an athlete may safely return to the field of play.

On April 16, 2012, the AANS partnered 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. Nearly 100 students, ranging from pre-school to eighth grade, received bicycle helmets at this invitation-only event.

The AANS presented National Neurosurgery Awareness Week concurrently with its Annual Scientific Meeting as a means to inform and educate the public about a variety of neurosurgical conditions. Past focuses include neck injury and back pain. During the AANS 80th Annual Scientific Meeting, nearly 3,000 neurosurgical medical professionals will convene in Miami for educational seminars and lectures pertaining to such specialty areas as trauma, tumor, pain, cerebrovascular and pediatrics.

For further information on concussion, sports-related head and neck trauma, and other neurosurgery-related conditions, visit the AANS Patient Information pages found on the association’s website at www.AANS.org.