Articles
Clinical/Scientific Notes
Review Articles
Neurology Clinical Pathological Conferences
Issues of Neurologic Practice
Historical Neurology
Reflections: Neurology and the Humanities
Resident and Fellow Section
New Categories of the Resident and Fellow Section
Clinical Reasoning
Right Brain
Child Neurology Section
Pearls and Oy-sters
International Issues
Emerging Subspecialties in Neurology
NeuroImages
Video NeuroImages
Correspondence

Articles are full-length reports of original research. Maximum length is 3000 words not including abstract, figure legends, table legends, and references. They require a structured abstract of 250 words or less. Forty references and 5 figures OR tables are allowed. Multiple citations for a single point are usually duplicative; authors should cite the best references. Avoid citing non-peer reviewed work. Additional references and tables may be submitted as Supplemental Data and published online at the discretion of the editor.

The Brief Communication Classification has been eliminated.

Clinical/Scientific Notes are abbreviated reports on cases or preliminary studies. They contain no more than 750 words, excluding references, have no abstract, no more than one table or figure, and no more than seven references.

Review Articles are either a review  or an opinion statement  that provide a summary of the most important recent information on a topic. In general, they should not exceed 3500 words, excluding references and an abstract that is 250 words or less. References should cite the most important papers in the field (not more than 60). Up to 6 figures are allowed. Neurology welcomes inquiries on Review Articles content or format and will consider manuscripts proposing a Hypothesis only if written by an acknowledged contributor to the field.

Neurology Clinical Pathological Conferences will present the details of a specific patient case with neurologic implications—-unusual or common—including presenting symptoms, medical history and physical examination. It will include a discussion by a well-known expert as to the likely underlying diagnosis. The manuscript should not exceed 2000 words and may include a maximum of four figures and tables (total) and 20 references.

Issues of Neurologic Practice are articles related to the contemporary practice of Neurology in the United States.

Historical Neurology articles present original research on historical aspects of Neurology: neurologists, diagnostic methods, or particular events that have shaped the field. In general, they should be a maximum of 2000 words. They should have an abstract of not more than 250 words (a structured abstract is optional) and no more than two figures or tables.

Reflections: Neurology and the Humanities submissions may be in the form of poetry or prose. Many neurologists are talented writers. 'Reflections' is intended as an arena for them. Its purpose is to encourage creative writing about topics of interest to neurologists. There are no hard and fast rules about subject matter, but items that illustrate facets of the neurologic profession, particularly if written from a new perspective, are preferred. The quality of the writing style will be as important as the content in deciding on publication. Submissions may be fiction or non-fiction. Privacy rules apply. The manuscript must be 2000 words or less. Accepted, published submissions to Reflections are eligible for the Annual AAN Creative Express of Human Values in Neurology Award. Published submissions are reviewed at the end of December each year.  The Award is then presented the following year at the Annual AAN Meeting. Consult the Awards Section of the AAN website for details. Only authors who are members of the AAN can be considered for the Award.

Resident and Fellow Section is an on-line only feature that serves the resident and fellow readership. Residents and fellows are expected to be the primary authors for most submissions but those highly involved in graduate medical education (e.g. program directors) may also author submissions on appropriate topics. Submissions should be 750 - 1000 words. Articles can be up to 2500 words but should be much shorter. The number of references should be ten or less and one table or figure can be incorporated. The topic must be mentioned in the cover letter of the submission. The article topics include: teaching, ethics, practice, career choices, residency training, editorial, international education, research, historical, opinion, book review, training videos, or teaching NeuroImages. Teaching NeuroImages have the same requirements as NeuroImages (see below) but are especially valuable to the trainee audience and will be published in the online Resident and Fellow Section. A number of new categories have been added this year.

New Categories of the Resident and Fellow Section
Clinical Reasoning

Clinical Reasoning is a new initiative of the Resident and Fellow Section of Neurology. It focuses on case presentations with the aim of developing clinical reasoning skills among trainees. Appropriate cases for publication would include uncommon presentations of common neurological disorders and also typical presentations of more exotic disorders. The emphasis of the case presentation should be on generating a sound, thorough differential diagnosis; logically arriving at the correct diagnosis; and thoughtfully discussing the teaching-points of the case. Cases discussed in the section should utilize data presented serially in 2-4 segments that could be opened sequentially by the reader, allowing them to challenge themselves by thinking through the differential diagnosis or treatment options at each step. The manuscript should indicate where each break would occur, with specific questions for the reader to consider as they work their way through the case. The final section should provide the experienced clinician's discussion (or resident author's literature review). Ideally the individual sections will also include visually presented data, such as radiology, EEG, EMG, or other studies.

Right Brain

"Right Brain" is a new feature devoted to the relationship between neurology and the medical humanities, with submissions either written by trainees or with a focus on the experience of the trainee. Appropriate submissions include articles, commentaries and reflections on the interaction between neurology and history, literature, ethics, theology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, poetry, theater, film, fine arts or the media.  "Right Brain" also will publish original works of fiction, poetry, and reflection written by residents and fellows relating to the practice of neurology or neurology training. 

Child Neurology Section

A new child neurology section in the Resident and Fellow Section of Neurology will focus on contemporary educational issues in child neurology. The goal of the section is to provide up-to-date reviews on important topics in child neurology that are relevant to all neurologists, both adult and child, particularly those still in their training. Examples include management of acute stroke in children, childhood demyelinating disease, neuroimaging in metabolic disorders, and the neurobiology of autism. Each piece will begin with a patient case, followed by a brief discussion about the differential diagnosis and a detailed discussion about the topic of focus. Submissions are welcome from residents and fellows in either child or adult neurology. Ideally, submissions will include the patient case as well as the discussion, but submission of timely review articles without an accompanying case will also be considered. In this situation, the editors of this section may supply an appropriate patient case.

Pearls and Oy-sters

"Pearls and Oy-sters" is a new feature of the Resident and Fellow Section of Neurology that will focus on fundamental clinical neurology. Each article should address a specific niche of neurological disease and provide expertise in the form of clinical insights and tips, i.e., "pearls," as well as advice for avoiding mistakes, or "oy-sters." The author may choose to address a particular facet of the approach to neurological disease such as localization, elaboration of a differential diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment. The article should concentrate on what may be found in a textbook and/or provide what textbooks cannot, in the form of knowledge rendered from clinical experience. The target audience consists of those in training; however, the subject matter should be of interest to all in the world of clinical neurology.

International Issues

More than 85% of the world's population lives in low and middle income countries, where the burden of neurological disease is the largest. Relatively little is known, however, about patients and practitioners of neurology in most countries. This section aims to explore international issues in neurology education. We welcome manuscripts describing international educational exchanges, personal rotations and experiences in low and middle income countries, and work by neurology trainees from around the globe. Descriptions of notable differences in training between countries are of interest. Inclusion of practical information regarding how interested residents might get involved in international programs would also be of use.

Emerging Subspecialties in Neurology

These manuscripts will review the history and development of emerging subspecialties in neurology, including fields such as Pain Medicine, Headache, Neurocritical Care, Interventional Neurology, and others. The focus should be on educating residents with a possible interest in this subspecialty. Those interested in writing these manuscripts should contact the Resident and Fellow Section Editor before submission to inquire about the need for an article on a particular topic.
NeuroImages are interesting, previously unpublished photomicrographs, patient photographs, neuroradiologic images, or other pictorial material. They should consist of no more than two separate figures and have a title of 96 characters or less (including spaces and punctuation), a legend of 50 words or less, a case summary of 100 words or less, and up to two references. Authors submitting in this category do so with the understanding that, if accepted, their NeuroImage might appear only in the online journal. Preference for acceptance will be given to well-written, superbly illustrated novel examples from neurological practice. Particularly clear examples of established observations may be considered for the online Resident and Fellow section of the journal.

Video NeuroImages have the same requirements as NeuroImages except they are accompanied by a video. Authors should submit Video NeuroImages according to the requirements listed in the Video Format section. These submissions should portray activity (e.g., seizure activity, movement disorders, tics). A static portion of the video should also accompany the submission and will be published in print if it is accepted. Print readers will be alerted that the online version contains the full-length video.

Correspondence is restricted to comments about published articles.  Correspondence must be submitted within six weeks of the article’s publication. Neurology does not consider letters pertaining to published correspondence. Letters should be a maximum of 400 words with no more than five references. Reference 1 should be the article to which the correspondence refers.  Readers wishing to submit Correspondence should access the online version of the article at www.neurology.org and click on "Submit a response to this article" in the box at the opening page. Accepted comments will usually be posted within 21 days of acceptance. Correspondence will be edited for content and clarity. Posted comments will be considered for subsequent print publication in the Correspondence section of Neurology. Note that if Correspondence is chosen for subsequent print publication, the letter writer will not see page proofs. Online-only Correspondence is not indexed by PubMed. To submit comments, you must be a member of the American Academy of Neurology or have a current subscription to Neurology. Correspondence cannot be uploaded through our online submission system.

Authors of Correspondence sent to Neurology should keep the following statement from the Uniform Requirements for Medical Journal Editors regarding Correspondence in mind:

"Although editors have the prerogative to sift out correspondence material that is irrelevant, uninteresting, or lacking in cogency, they have a responsibility to allow a range of opinion to be expressed. The correspondence column should not be used merely to promote the journal's or the editors' point of view. In all instances, editors must make an effort to screen out discourteous, inaccurate, or libelous statements, and should not allow ad hominem arguments intended to discredit opinions or findings."

 

FORMS REQUIRED

Corresponding Author Disclosure Form
Co-Author Disclosure Form
Copyright Transfer Agreement
CONSORT Statement
STARD Statement
MOOSE Statement

Corresponding Author Disclosure Form - applicable for all submissions, only corresponding author must sign

Co-Author Disclosure Form - should be signed by all co-authors and then sent to and kept by Corresponding author

Copyright Transfer Agreement - will be requested by the editorial office at the accept stage. Each author must sign this form

CONSORT Statement - applicable only for clinical trials.

STARD Statement - applicable only for studies of diagnostic accuracy.

MOOSE Statement– applicable only for meta data studies

Please indicate the assigned manuscript number on all submitted forms. This number is provided to the corresponding author at conclusion of upload and in the e-mail verification of a successfully uploaded manuscript.

Signed forms can be uploaded into the Additional File section at the online submission site or faxed to the editorial office, fax (651) 332-8608.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

General Formatting
Cover Letter
Title page
Abstract
Figures
Color Figures
Tables
Supplemental Data
Reference Style
Permissions and Patient Consent  

General Formatting

Manuscript submissions to Neurology should be prepared electronically and submitted in a standard word processing format; Microsoft Word is preferred. Although conversions can be made from other word processing formats and PDF files, the vagaries of the conversion process may introduce errors. Do not submit ASCII text files.
 
The manuscript should be formatted so as to print out double-spaced at standard 8½" x 11" or A4 (international) paper dimensions, using a 12 pt. font size and a default typeface (e.g., recommended fonts are Times, Times New Roman, Courier, Helvetica and Arial). Set the left margin at one inch, and the right margin at one-half inch or more. Do not justify the right margin; leave it unaligned.

Place the page number and lead author's last name in the upper right corner of each page (including the reference pages, tables, and figure legends).

Observe the following guidelines in preparing your electronic manuscript file:

• Use hard returns only at the end of paragraphs and display lines (e.g., titles, subheadings)
• Do not insert a tab, indent, or extra spaces before the beginning of a paragraph or for list entries
• Do not indent run-over lines in references
• Set line spacing at 2 (not 1.5 or 2.5)
• Turn off automatic hyphenation and justification
• Do not use automatic references
• Do not insert hard page breaks
• Take care to enter "one" (1) and lowercase "el" (l), as well as "zero" (0) and capital "oh" (O), correctly

Key dashes as follows: Use a single hyphen with space before it for a minus sign, and a double hyphen (with space before and after) to indicate an em-dash (long dash) in text. Use only single hyphens in the references.

Nonstandard characters (Greek letters, mathematical symbols, etc.) should be coded consistently throughout the text. Please make a list of such characters and provide a key to the codes used.

Cover Letter

The cover letter for the new submission should include: 

• Manuscript title
• Manuscript classification (e.g., Article, Clinical / Scientific Note)
• List of all contents included in the submission
• If color illustrations are included in the manuscript, please indicate willingness to pay for color reproduction. For further information on cost, see Color Illustrations.
• Disclosures of financial interest, or notification of redundant or duplicate publication to Editor-in-Chief (if applicable)
• Author's statement of responsibility for clinical trial data (if applicable)
• Author's statement that permission was received from author(s) of any "personal communications" cited in the article
• Author's declaration that all authors have agreed to conditions noted on the Author Disclosure Form
• Author's declaration that patient consent in the form of a signature was received for any figure or video of a recognizable patient. (If applicable). This form should be kept by the author but should indicate specific use of patient's image and contain patient's signature.

Title Page

The title should be no more than 96 characters in length, including spaces, punctuation, and subtitle. Titles should be clinically interesting and informative. They may include widely accepted abbreviations (click here for a complete list).

Provide a word count for the paper and abstract, and a character count for the title (including spaces and punctuation).

The title page should include the names of the authors followed by their highest academic degrees (MD, PhD) and their institutional affiliations. Authors may use either full names or initials except when there are more than four; in that case, use only initials. Include the name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the author who will be receiving correspondence and proofs.

Include a section titled "Disclosure" on the title page. This section must include each financial or nonfinancial disclosures for each author. This must be consistent with disclosures made on the Corresponding Author and Co-Author Disclosure forms. If there are no disclosures, the corresponding author is responsible for including the following statement on the title page: "Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest."

On the title page of the manuscript, author must specify who conducted the statistical analysis with their professional affiliation listed.

If applicable, the title page should indicate "Supplemental Data" below the authors' affiliations. All Supplemental Data and electronic file names should also be listed on the title page.

Authors should choose 3-5 terms that cover the aspects of the submitted article. Click here for the list of Search Terms. Please designate the term and include the number to which it corresponds.

Abstract

Articles require structured abstracts that should not exceed 250 words (one double-spaced typed manuscript page). A structured abstract should be organized by: objective (or background), methods, results, and conclusions. For Review Articles, provide a 150- to 200-word abstract, structured if possible. Clinical/Scientific Notes should not have an abstract.

Figures

Authors should examine a recent issue of Neurology to plan the appropriate layout and size when preparing their figures. The width of a photograph should not be less than 8 cm (3.5 inches or 20.5 picas). Symbols, lettering, and numbering should be sufficiently large to remain legible after a figure has been reduced to fit the width of a single column (i.e., they should measure at least 2 mm in the reduced figure).  Multipart figures should be labeled with capital roman letters, A, B, C, etc. Please submit multipart figures as composite files.

In graphs, standard symbols should be used for data points in the following order: Symbols like the following are not acceptable: To prevent wasted space, axes should end no more than one increment beyond the final data points. Explanatory lettering should not extend beyond the ends of the axes.

Figures should not include titles, abbreviation keys, or patient initials. Titles and abbreviations should be placed in the figure legend, not on the figure itself. Avoid patient initials and other identifying elements. Internal scale markers must appear on microscopic photographs. Remove white type from MRIs, CTs, etc. Labeling should be in all capital letters Use American spellings. Remove extraneous lines from graphs (only include X, Y axis). Figure legends should be double-spaced and appear on a separate page of the manuscript document file. Number figures in the order of their mention in the text. For supported electronic file requirements see the section on Electronic and Video Submission.

Color Figures

Neurology no longer charges for publication of color figures.

Tables

Submit tables as part of the manuscript document file. Authors should consult a recent issue of Neurology before designing tables. Tables should be brief and easily understood without referring to the text. Do not use color or shading within tables. Extensive tabular data may be posted on Neurology's web site when the article is published (see Supplemental Data/Additional Files).

Put each table, including a title and legend (if applicable), on a separate page. All tables must be double-spaced. Number tables in the order of their mention in the text.

Supplemental Data

Tables and other illustrative material submitted to Neurology should be succinct and easily interpreted by the general readership. Often there are lengthy data that are important to the study, yet difficult to summarize in print. These data, which may take the form of tables, figures, data, references, or appendices, can be posted on the Neurology web site and can also be referenced in the print journal.

Authors who wish to submit detailed data to be considered with their manuscript should upload these data upon submission. The online data should also be referenced within the text. The title page of the paper should indicate "Supplemental Data" below the authors' affiliations. All Supplemental Data and electronic file names should also be listed on the title page (e.g., Supplemental Table, electronic file name: E-Table 1, Supplemental Appendix, electronic file name: E-Appendix 2). See section on Supplemental Data/Additional Files for upload information.

If the manuscript is accepted, this supplemental data will be posted as submitted and will not be professionally copyedited or proofread. For this reason, authors should carefully review their material. Neurology will not be responsible for errors or omissions. See Supplemental Data/Additional Files for upload information.

 Reference Style

Cite references in numerical order in the text. List all authors when there are six or fewer; for seven or more, list only the first three and add "et al." Use Index Medicus abbreviations for journal names but eliminate U.S. cities cited in parentheses after the name of a journal. Do not reference papers that are "submitted"; these should be mentioned in the body of the text. Authors must provide "submitted" and "in press" manuscripts clearly labeled as such by uploading them as supplemental files with submission or faxing them to the editorial office.

Personal communications should also be mentioned in the body of the manuscript. Author must state in writing in the cover letter of the submission that permission was obtained by the author of any personal communication cited in the article.

References should follow the Vancouver style described in the "Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals" with the exception that pagination should be complete. The following are sample styles:

Journal article
Saunders-Pullman R, Soto-Valencia J, Costan-Toth C, et al. A new screening tool for cervical dystonia. Neurology 2005;64:2046–2049.

Journal article published online before print (when article is published, use print citation) Vucic S, Black K, Tick Chong PS, Cros D. Multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block: distribution of demyelination and axonal degeneration. Clin Neurophysiol Epub 2006 Nov 7.

Published abstract
van den Bent MJ, Keime-Guibert F, Brandes AA, Taphoorn MJB, Eskens FALM, Delattre J-Y. Temozolomide chemotherapy in recurrent oligodendroglioma. Neurology 2000;54(suppl 3):A12. Abstract.

Conference paper
Mark MH, Dickson DW, Schwarz KO, et al. Familial diffuse Lewy body disease. Presented at the 10th International Symposium on Parkinson's Disease; October 19, 1991; Tokyo.

In press (forthcoming)

Tian D, Araki H, Stahl E, Bergelson J, Kreitman M. Signature of balancing selection in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (in press).

Letter
Neurology Assessment Panel. Assessment of neuropsychological testing. Neurology 1997;49:1183–1185. Letter 

Book

Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Kobayashi GS, Pfaller MA. Medical Microbiology, 4th ed. St Louis: Mosby; 2002.

Gilstrap LC 3rd, Cunningham FG, VanDorsten JP, editors. Operative Obstetrics, 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002.

Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome Alterations in Human Solid Tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The Genetic Basis of Human Cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002:93-113.

Online book or Web site
Garrow A, Weinhouse G. Anoxic brain injury: assessment and prognosis. In: UpToDate Cardiovascular Medicine [online]. Available at: www.UpToDateInc.com. Accessed February 22, 2000.

Online journal article
Miyamoto O, Auer RN. Hypoxia, hyperoxia, ischemia, and brain necrosis. Neurology [serial online] 2000;54:362-371. Available at: www.neurology.org. Accessed February 23, 2000.

Monograph in electronic format
Chee M, Chiappa K. Waveguide: an EEG atlas on CD-ROM. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1998.

Computer file
EMG analyzer software [computer program]. Version 1.0. Tustin, CA: B & L Engineering, 1998.

Online Correspondence
Henderson VW, Drachman DA. Dementia and voter competence [electronic response to Swerdloff, Post-election anecdote]. Neurology 2002. http://www.neurology.org/cgi/eletters/58/7/995 (accessed 21 May 2002).

Permissions and Patient Consent

Authors must submit written permission from the copyright owner (usually the publisher) to use direct quotations, tables, or illustrations that have appeared in copyrighted form elsewhere, along with complete details about the source. Any permissions fees that might be required by the copyright owner are the responsibility of the authors requesting use of the borrowed material, not the responsibility of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Author is responsible for obtaining patient consent for any figure or video of a recognizable patient. This form should indicate specific use of patient's image and contain patient's signature. Author must also declare in cover letter to Editor-in-Chief that consent was obtained but form must be kept by the author.

ELECTRONIC AND VIDEO SUBMISSION

Digital Figure Format (For Review Purposes)
Digital Figure Format (At Acceptance)
Video Format
Supplemental Data/ Additional Files

Digital figure format (For Review Purposes) For maximum quality, figures should be developed as separate files in an approved format and should not be embedded in the text document. Upload each figure as a separate Image File not as part of the manuscript file. Composite figures (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D)  should be submitted as a single, composite file.  JPG , PPT, PDF, and GIF files may be submitted for review purposes only. Multi-page Power Point (.ppt) files are not supported but one slide per file is acceptable for review purposes. If the manuscript is accepted, EPS or TIF files for digital art will be required. Digital files must be saved at the size authors would like them to appear in print.

Digital Figure Format (At Acceptance) If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the author will be required to submit print-quality electronic files for all art that will appear in the printed article. Electronic art must be submitted as either a TIF (tagged image file format) or an EPS (encapsulated postscript) file.  Digital images must be saved at the size at which the author would like them to appear. Crop and size images properly before importing them so that further adjustment is not necessary.

Line art (graphs, charts, pedigrees) must have a resolution of at least 1200 dpi (dots per inch) and half-tones (radiographs, CT scans) must have a resolution of at least 600 dpi. Combination half-tones (CT scan with lines or fonts) or any color photographs must be 600 dpi. Files containing color photographs should include the word “color” in the file name.  Combination color with lines or fonts should also be 600 dpi. If fonts are used in the artwork, they must be converted to paths or outlines or they must be embedded in the files. Color art should be saved as CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) images. Art saved as RGB (red, green, blue) cannot be reproduced in print and cannot be accepted.

Images to appear in black and white must be saved as a grayscale image (not as CMYK). Formats not supported include: files utilizing OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) technology to display information or embed files, .bmp, .pict, .xls, .psd, .cnv, .cdr and locked or encrypted .pdfs. Artwork downloaded from the internet will not be accepted for publication.

Please note that artwork generated from Office Suite programs such as Power Point, Corel Draw, and MS Word and artwork downloaded from the Internet (JPG or GIF files) will not be accepted for publication. Authors who are unable to provide figures in an approved electronic format must follow the conventional submission guidelines in the Neurology Information for Authors.  In some cases, hard glossies may be requested for figures if conversion or proper formatting is not possible.

Video Format
Submit videos as separate Supplemental Data with your original manuscript submission. A brief description of each video, titled "Video legend," should be uploaded as a separate supplemental file.

Videos should be named in the order of their text citation (e.g., video1.mov). If a video is directly related to a figure or table, name it accordingly (e.g., Fig4video3.mov). Avoid lengthy file names.

Video formats that are preferred include .wma, .mpg and .mov files. To create high-quality video for the web at small file sizes, download the free Windows Media Encoder at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx.

Author is responsible for obtaining patient consent for any figure of a recognizable patient. This form should indicate specific use of patient's image and contain patient's signature but must be kept by the author. Author must declare in cover letter to Editor-in-Chief that the patient did consent and their signature is on file.

Windows Media files can be seen by users on all computers, but the tool to create the files can only be used on Windows machines. For those authors who work on Macs, QuickTime creates good high-quality files, but authors should be careful to select options that keep file sizes small. If the author can create the video as an mpg file, this will work for all users and result in a compressed file size.

Videos must be no larger than 10 MB. We recommend Sorenson or Cinepak compression, though other codecs may be used. Color depth should be kept to a minimum, using grayscale for black and white videos. Frame size should be limited to 450 x 375 pixels for best viewing within a browser on most monitors. If necessary, split the video into several clips.

Supplemental Data/ Additional Files

Supplemental Data is content that the author wishes to make available online if the article is accepted for publication. This material may include tables, figures, references and appendices. Before submission, carefully review all information because it will not be read by a professional copyeditor. Neurology and the Publisher are not responsible for errors or omissions contained in data supplements. The following are the accepted formats for Supplemental Data (other formats are not accepted): Adobe PDF, GIF, HTML, JPG, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Plain text. All files may be compressed using the ZIP® compression utility. Please name your files and cite (within manuscript text) in the following way:

Tables: E-Table 1, E-Table 2, E-Table 3…

Figures: E-Figure 1,  E-Figure 2, E-Figure 3…

Appendices: E-Appendix 1, E-Appendix 2, E-Appendix 3…

Any type of data not listed here can be listed by the full name (e.g. Acknowledgement, Questionnaire) preceded by E.

Table and Figure Legends should be included on the same pages as the Tables/ Figures.

Additional Files are CONSORT, STARD, MOOSE files or In Press articles. These are examples of documents that will not appear online if the article is published but are necessary for the review process.

When uploading Supplemental Data or Additional Files, you will be prompted to label them. Include as much information as possible in the label. “Supplemental Data E- Table 1” or “Supplemental Data E-Appendix 2”, “Additional File CONSORT checklist”, “Additional File In Press Ref 7” are examples of labels which are helpful in determining the purpose of the material.

Please remember that the larger the file size, the longer it will take for users to download; therefore, whenever possible, optimize your graphics files for Web publishing by reviewing the Help information included with the application in which you have saved the graphics so that you are providing the most compressed file size possible. Files should be no larger than 10 MB.

Registering with Bench>Press

Neurology’s online submission and manuscript tracking system is Bench>Press located at http://submit.neurology.org. Users must register when accessing the Bench>Press system for the first time. A password will be created which applies to all journals using the system. Once you have registered for your first Bench>Press journal, you do not need to re-register in order to use another journal's system. Simply log in with your existing email address and password.

To set up your personal Bench>Press access, click on "Create a new account." You will be asked to complete three steps:

• Email/Password
  Enter your email address. This is your unique user identification and will be needed to log onto the system on all occasions (as a reviewer or author). Enter a password. This will be encrypted for security reasons, and will not be known to Neurology or Bench>Press staff.
• Verification
  A verification e-mail containing a URL will be emailed to you at the address you used to register. When you click it, you will need to click on the URL provided in the e-mail or copy and paste it into the address field in your web browser. This will verify your e-mail address and helps to ensure that your e-mail address is not being used fraudulently.
• Profile
  Once you have verified your e-mail address, you will be asked to provide a basic profile consisting of your contact information plus expertise terms. Although you may use the same e-mail address and password to access any journal using the Bench>Press system, you must create an individual profile with each journal.
   

Online Help and Feedback

Detailed HELP files are available throughout Bench>Press and can be used without stopping the submission process. If you experience problems, you may contact the Editorial Office at journal@neurology.org . Users are also encouraged to give us feedback on the system. A Feedback link appears on the navigation bar throughout the Bench>Press web site: Neurology-BP-feedback@highwire.stanford.edu.


Uploading a Manuscript

At the Bench>Press home page, enter the author area and click on the "Submit a new manuscript" hyperlink. You will be presented with a series of fields for entering your manuscript information and uploading your manuscript (with tables), Image Files (figures), and supplemental/ additional files (videos, etc.)

The system will automatically convert your files to a single PDF for reviewing purposes. You will be asked to approve the conversion before your manuscript is considered formally submitted to the journal. The conversion process can take up to 30 minutes. An e-mail will be sent informing you when the conversion is complete. Click on "Ready for you to proof" in the author area to approve your article. During conversion, the system will automatically hyperlink the references to Medline (or, if the online journal is hosted by HighWire, the journal in which the article was published). Be sure to include the heading "References" at the top of the citations and follow Neurology's Reference Style for optimum linkage.

You may begin a submission and continue the process later by clicking on "Save/Continue" at the bottom of the screen when entering your manuscript information. This enables you to save that page or continue to the next page. If you choose not to complete the submission at that time, your manuscript will appear in the "Submissions/Revisions in progress" queue in the Author Area. If you decide not to complete the submission at all, you should choose "Withdraw." Do not submit the same paper more than once.

Please note:
Do not include the cover letter in the body of the manuscript. It should be copied/pasted into the designated field.
Include the title page as the first page of the manuscript file.
Copy and paste the abstract into the designated field. The abstract should also be page 2 of the manuscript file.
If your paper does not require an abstract, type "None".

See - Supplemental Data/Additional Files

Manuscript Status

Authors who submit online through Bench>Press can keep track of the status of their manuscript throughout the peer-review process. Enter the Author Area and click on "Manuscripts under review/check status."

Submitting a Revision

To submit a revised manuscript via Bench>Press, enter the author area and click on "Submit a revised manuscript." You will be presented with your original manuscript information, which should be edited as necessary. You will then be required to upload your revised manuscript files (see "Submitting a Manuscript" for further details). Do not submit revisions with the edits displayed (e.g., the editing or track changes tool should be turned off when making edits). Upload the tracked changes version as a Supplemental File labeled “Revised Manuscript with Changes Tracked.” Please include your response to the reviewers' comments and a cover letter to the Editor-in-Chief. If an author is dropped or added upon revision, the responsible author must explain the reason(s) in the cover letter of revision.

Invited Submissions

An invitation to write an Editorial for the journal may be requested through the Bench>Press system. Enter the Author Area and click on "Invited papers." You can accept or decline the invitation online. When submitting your commissioned article, click on "Invited papers to be submitted." The procedure for submission is the same as an unsolicited article (see Submitting a Manuscript).

Correspondence

Correspondence cannot be submitted through Bench>Press. See Correspondence for format and submission requirements.

STYLE MATTERS

Suggestions to Authors - Neurology's preferences for writing style

Widely Accepted Abbreviations - These abbreviations may be used in the manuscript without providing definition.

Naming Standards for Online-Only Content Index Medicus journal abbreviations

Supported Electronic Formats - authors who use other formats may be required to resubmit their material

Most Common Requests of Neurology’s Authors

Title

• 96 characters in length, including spaces, punctuation, and subtitle. 
• Title should be clinically interesting and informative
• Use Widely Accepted Abbreviations in title

Abstract

• Neurology requires a structured abstract for a full-length article.  A structured abstract should not exceed 250 words and must include Objective (or Background), Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

Manuscript

• Use Widely Accepted Abbreviations. Spell out the abbreviation at first mention in the abstract and put the abbreviation in parentheses.  In the remainder of the manuscript, please use only the abbreviation.
• In general, multiple citations for a single point are duplicative.  Cite the best ones. Avoid citing non-peer reviewed work.
• The introduction should be no more than 250 words.
• Do not include a conclusion/summary in your discussion; having a conclusion in the abstract should suffice.

General Usage and Style

• Reserve "significant" for statistics.
• Do not use a p-value and “significant(ly)” for the same point. Use one or the other.
• Do not say “statistically” significant.
• Use American spellings.
• Avoid using “and/or”.
• Do not say "positive (or negative or inverse) correlation (or association or relationship)". Say what happened.
• Reserve "parameters"  for scientific measurements
• Do not use "respectively" – it  is often incomprehensible and always delays the reader.
• Unless a person is of known historical importance to the field, do not cite last names in the body of your manuscript. (e.g., In 1993, Jones et al reported…).
• If necessary, have your manuscript reviewed by a professional editor and submit it in grammatically and syntactically acceptable, idiomatic English. You may want to enlist the services of free-lance editors: http://www.boldfaceeditors.com/
• Avoid priority claims  (e.g, “This is the first study performing…” , “We do not know of another study…”) Instead of generating interest in a study, they tend to trivialize the findings. In addition, such claims may offend authors whose earlier papers on the topic may have appeared elsewhere.
• Do not use patients' names, initials, or hospital numbers anywhere in the manuscript (including figures). Arabic numerals should be used for numbers above nine, for designators (e.g., case 5, day 2, etc.), and for units of measure, including time. Numbers should be spelled out if below 10 (including ordinals), at the beginning and end of sentences, and for fractions less than one.
• Generic drug names should generally be used. When proprietary brands are used in research, include the brand name in parentheses once in the Methods section.

References

• If more than six authors are listed in a reference cite only the first three and add et al.
• If there are six or fewer authors cite all of them.
• Use continuous pagination ( e.g. 33-37, not 33-7)

Figures

• Keys should be within the confines of the figure or included in figure legend
• Figure Legend should be on a separate page from figure

CONTACT INFORMATION

Editorial Office
Bench>Press Inquiries
Permissions
Noneditorial
Advertising
Supplements
Media
AAN Annual Meeting
Ombudsman

Editorial Office 
John H. Noseworthy, MD
Editor-in-Chief 
Neurology
20 Second Ave. SW, Suite 214
Rochester, MN 55902
Tel. 507-538-8453
Fax 651-332-8608
e-mail: journal@neurology.org

Editorial Inquiries
journal@neurology.org

Bench>Press (Peer Review Submission) Inquiries
Neurology-BP-feedback@highwire.stanford.edu

Requests for permission/copyright release
Permissions Department
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
351 West Camden Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Attn.: Neurology
fax (410) 528-8550
journalpermissions@lww.com

Noneditorial and Business Inquiries
Publisher, Neurology
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
530 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Fax (215) 521-8326
david.marshall@wolterskluwer.com  

Advertising
Kelly Adamitis
kelly.adamitis@wolterskluwer.com  

Supplements
Wendi Anderson
wendi.anderson@wolterskluwer.com  

AAN Member Services and AAN Annual Meeting Information
AAN Member Services
(800) 879-1960 (US)
(651) 695-2717 (International)
membership@aan.com

Media Inquiries
Robin Stinnett
rstinnet@aan.com

Ombudsman
Lewis P. Rowland, MD,
Neurological Institute
710 West 168th Street
Columbia University Medical Center
New York NY 10032
Phone: 212-305-8551
lpr1@columbia.edu