Abstract Details

Title Gender Authorship in Accepted AAN Abstracts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Topic Health Care Disparities

Presentation(s) S28 - Health Care Disparities (1:00 PM-1:12 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 001

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to deleterious effects on productivity of female scientists. The AAN changed the review guidelines to blind reviewers to author names and affiliations in 2021. We analyzed the trends of gender authorship over two years given the pandemic and abstract blinding.

Objective We aimed to analyze gender authorship of accepted AAN abstracts in the year prior to and during the pandemic.

Design/Methods Abstracts were reviewed manually (n=3211 in 2020; n=2188 in 2021). Data were collected regarding gender of first and senior authors, types of research (case report, series, or trial), subspecialty, and origin of research (USA, international, or corporate-affiliated). We compared the percentages of female first and senior authors in the two years using Z-test for two independent proportions.

Results The percentages of female first and senior authors did not significantly change from the 2020 to 2021 AAN meetings. The analysis of subspecialties with more than 100 abstracts showed the lowest percentages of female senior authors were cerebrovascular disease (29%) and headache (29%) in 2020. Cerebrovascular disease continued to have the lowest percentage (29%) in 2021. For case reports and case series, the percentages of female first and senior authors were 51%, 37% in 2020 and 52%, 36% in 2021. For clinical trials, the percentages were 33%, 25% in 2020 and 28%, 20% in 2021. In analysis of the origin of research, corporate-affiliated had the lowest percentages of female first (34%, 36%) and senior authors (23%, 30%).

Conclusions Our study did not show significant changes of female authorship in accepted AAN abstracts during the pandemic. This may be due to positive changes instituted by the AAN such as increasing awareness of disparity, blinding of abstracts, and increased female leadership. Nevertheless, clinical trials and corporate-affiliated research still had significantly low proportions of female authors.

Authors/Disclosures
Minseon Kim, MD PRESENTER	Dr. Kim has nothing to disclose.
Reniba Babu (UT Health Houston (McGovern Medical School))	Ms. Babu has nothing to disclose.
Anjail Sharrief, MD (University of Texas)	The institution of Dr. Sharrief has received research support from NIH. The institution of Dr. Sharrief has received research support from University of Houston . Dr. Sharrief has a non-compensated relationship as a Consultant with Abbott that is relevant to AAN interests or activities.
Kristin A. Brown, MD (University of Texas, Houston)	Dr. Brown has nothing to disclose.
Suur Biliciler, MD	Dr. Biliciler has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Efficient CME. Dr. Biliciler has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Argenyx.
Thy Nguyen, MD (University of Texas Health Science Center)	Dr. Nguyen has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for ArgenX. Dr. Nguyen has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for UCB. Dr. Nguyen has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care.