FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO (April 28, 2008) - Fact or Fiction, a unique educational CD-ROM, offers children insight into the extraordinary field of neurosurgery through a series of fact or fiction slides. Some of these include: "A hammer in your head allows you to hear" (fact); "Surgery requires a scalpel" (fiction); "Brain surgery has been done through the nose for thousands of years" (fact); and "If you are paralyzed from an accident, a lot of physical therapy will get you walking again" (fiction).

The brainchild of Chicago neurosurgeon Gail Rosseau, MD, the colorful CD-ROM is geared towards schoolchildren, ages 7-17. Dr. Rosseau, a neurosurgeon at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery & Neuroresearch finds time in her busy schedule operating on patients for complex pituitary tumors and a myriad of other neurological conditions, to visit Chicago-area schools and spread her enthusiasm about neurosurgery.

"The DVD actually started as a school project for my son Brendan who wanted to show his class what his mom does for a living as a neurosurgeon. But then it grew into a bigger project through my involvement with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). I am serving as local host of the 76th AANS Annual Meeting in Chicago and as a member benefit, we are giving out more than 3,000 copies of the CD-ROM - every medical registrant at the meeting will receive one," said Dr. Rosseau.

The inevitable goal of this project is to get children interested in pursuing careers in neurosurgery. "It is not an easy career path to follow, with a longer residency than any other medical specialty, but having the privilege of operating on the delicate human brain and saving lives on a daily basis is fulfilling beyond words," remarked Dr. Rosseau.

Neurosurgery is a field that has exhibited serious manpower shortages in recent years. The AANS is committed to helping address this through several medical student outreach programs, but the idea of generating interest in the field with a program targeted towards kids is a new one. Through its members and many public partners, the AANS continues to advance the science and art of neurosurgery, and offers this CD-ROM as one of the many resources to promote the specialty. More information on pursuing a career in neurosurgery is available on the AANS Web site at: http://www.aans.org/medical%5Fstudents/.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 7,200 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.

####