Thats why the American Academy of Neurology became the American Brain Institute

Roger Ressmeyer/Corbis

The big news out of the recent American Academy of Neurologys 64th annual meeting in New Orleans had nothing to do with the latest wonder drug or a research breakthrough: it was the American Academy of Neurology Foundations decision to change its name to the American Brain Institute. The simplerand easier to remembermoniker is part of a larger rebranding exercise by the 20-year-old organization, wrote John Mazziotta, the chair of the foundations board of trustees.

By adopting a broader label, the institute hopes to make itself the worlds leader in raising money for research to cure brain diseasesa list that includes Alzheimers disease, stroke, Parkinsons disease, autism and epilepsy. Hence the American Brain Institutes smart new image, location (its offices moved to Saint Paul from Minneapolis, Minn.), and advertising campaign to educate neurologists, patients, caregivers and the public about the need to donate money to research to cure brain disease.

One gambit to increase coffers is selling virtual brains in honour of donors friends and relatives for as little as US$5. In replacing neurology, a term coined in 1681 by British neuroanatomist Thomas Willis, with brain, the institute is slow to the semantic trend; the NeuroScience Canada Foundation folded into Brain Canada last year. Whether neurologists will demand to be known as brainologists next remains to be seen.

Read more:
‘Brain’ beats ‘neurology’ at fundraisers