AAN Embargo Policies

press room

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the world’s leading association of 40,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, allows credentialed members of the press to receive select embargoed content from its medical journal, Neurology®, as well as scientific abstracts to be presented at its Annual Meeting. The following embargo policies are strictly enforced by the AAN.

Embargo Policy for Neurology Journal Studies

Articles appearing in the AAN’s medical journal Neurology as well as other Neurology journal publications are embargoed for release to the public until 4:00 p.m. ET, on the day of online publication.

If there are any questions concerning an embargo date and time, please contact the AAN Media and Public Relations team at media@aan.com.

Credentialed journalists may request further information about Neurology journal articles, including advance copies of articles, and help coordinating interviews with researchers, by sending an email to media@aan.com. View post-embargo press releases. 

Embargo Policies for 2025 AAN Annual Meeting Abstracts

The following policies apply to AAN Annual Meeting abstracts, not including late-breaking science abstracts, to be presented at the 2025 AAN Annual Meeting, being held April 5-9 in San Diego.

  • Abstracts, not including late-breaking science abstracts, will be posted online at 4:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 6, 2025.
  • Authors of abstracts featured in an AAN press release must abide by AAN Embargo Policies.

    • Authors will be notified at acceptance if their abstract has been selected for AAN press release. Embargo dates for these abstracts will be communicated to the authors.

    • The AAN strictly enforces its embargo policy for abstracts featured in an AAN press release, which prohibits the distribution or publication of the contents of abstracts ahead of the embargo date and time.

    • When the embargo lifts for an abstract featured in an AAN press release, the embargo also lifts on additional research data related to but not included in the abstract. This includes data to be presented at the AAN Annual Meeting in presentations and posters. While additional data beyond the abstract may be included in an external press release after the embargo lifts, posters or slide presentations created for the AAN Annual Meeting must not be shared ahead of their presentation time at the AAN Annual Meeting.

  • Embargoed press releases on newsworthy abstracts, not including late-breaking science abstracts, will be distributed to credentialed journalists by late February 2025.

  • Authors may present an accepted abstract at a subspecialty meeting ahead of 4:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 6, 2025, if the abstract has not been selected for the AAN Annual Meeting press release program and is not a late-breaking science abstract.

The following policies apply to all late-breaking science abstracts to be presented at the 2025 AAN Annual Meeting, April 5-9 in San Diego.

  • The embargo for all late-breaking science abstracts will be announced closer to the Annual Meeting. Late-breaking science abstracts will be posted online when the embargo lifts.
  • All authors of all late-breaking science abstracts must abide by AAN Embargo Policies.
  • Authors who must report their findings publicly before the embargo date due to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations are asked to notify the AAN by sending an email to media@aan.com.
  • When the embargo lifts for late-breaking science abstracts, the embargo also lifts for additional research data related to but not included in the late-breaking science abstracts. This includes data to be presented at the AAN Annual Meeting in presentations and posters. While additional data beyond the abstract may be included in an external press release after the embargo lifts, posters or slide presentations created for the AAN Annual Meeting must not be shared ahead of their presentation time at the AAN Annual Meeting.
  • Late-breaking science abstracts are accepted from neurologists, neuroscientists, and other researchers whose work is of major scientific importance, warranting expedited presentation and publication. Key aspects of the research must have been conducted after October 15, 2024.

For questions regarding AAN Annual Meeting policies, please send an email to media@aan.com.

Sanctions for Embargo Violators

Failure to abide by the AAN embargoes will result in suspension of press credentials, which will affect access privileges to embargoed content for the journal Neurology, embargoed press materials, and embargoed abstracts presented at the AAN Annual Meeting.

Press Credentials for Embargoed Material

Journalists must provide the following credentials for review by AAN staff in order to receive embargoed content from the Neurology journal and the AAN Annual Meeting press release program:

  • Business card or a link to a staff bio page on a publication's website clearly showing press affiliation (a print, online, or broadcast news organization) and position (editor, writer, producer, reporter, videographer). If a business card is used, an additional form of identification may be requested. 
  • Letter of assignment on official company letterhead from an editor of a recognized publication or a producer of a broadcast program certifying that you are covering the study or abstract for the respective news organization.
  • At least two published bylined samples of editorial and/or news work.
  • Published bylined samples of coverage from previous articles about the Neurology journal or the AAN Annual Meeting (if applicable).