BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The European Academy of Neurology (EAN) has adhered to the global plan for reducing the burden of neurological disorders and promoting brain health launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders. This study reports the results of an EAN survey among national neurological societies (NNSs) on their awareness of brain health policies. METHODS: The EAN survey on the current state of national brain health policies was conducted among the 47 presidents of the NNSs affiliated with the EAN, with the aim of developing the best strategy for close collaboration among stakeholders. RESULTS: From June 2023 to February 2024, 36/47 responses (77%) were collected. Among respondents, 67% were in contact with their Ministry of Health and 78% were aware of and in contact with one or more national neurological patient organisation, while 17% had no contacts with any association. Ninety-two percent declared a high to medium degree of awareness of the need to support brain health and of brain health plans and strategies in their country. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest good awareness of the importance of brain health and of the strategies implemented at the national level among the EAN-affiliated NNSs and representatives. Efforts towards improvement may be directed towards cooperation between NNSs and political institutions, as well as patient organisations, to optimise brain and global public health and neurological care in each country.

1st Department of Neurology St Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Brain and Mind Research Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Centre for Biomedical Education and Research Witten Herdecke University Witten Germany

Centre for Narcolepsy and Hypersomnolence Disorders Professorship for Narcolepsy and Hypersomnolence Research Department of Medicine Witten Herdecke University Witten Germany

Cognitive Neurology Unit Neurological Institute Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Tel Aviv Israel

Complex Operative Unit of Neurology F Ferrari Hospital ASL Lecce Italy

Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria

Department of Neurology 4Brain Institute for Neuroscience Reference Center for Refractory Epilepsy Ghent University Hospital Ghent Belgium

Department of Neurology Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega Valladolid Spain

Department of Neurology Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria

Department of Neurology Semmelweis University Budapest Hungary

Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics University of Liverpool Liverpool UK

Department of Psychiatry Neurology and Neurological Rehabilitation Grenoble Alpes University Hospital Grenoble France

Division of Neurology University Medical Centre Ljubljana Slovenia

Epilepsy Center Neurocenter School of Medicine Institute of Clinical Medicine Kuopio University Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences University of Eastern Finland Kuopio Finland

ERN NMD Centre for Neuromuscular Disorders of Messina Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine University of Messina Messina Italy

European Academy of Neurology Vienna Austria

Experimental Neurophysiology Unit Institute of Experimental Neurology INSPE IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Milan Italy

Medical Directorate University Hospital Würzburg Würzburg Germany

Neurology Department Inselspital University Hospital University of Bern Bern Switzerland

Neurology Department St Antoine Hospital APHP Paris France

Neurology Public Health Disability Unit and Coma Research Centre Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C Besta Milan Italy

Odense University Hospital Odense Denmark

Paris Brain Institute ICM CNRS INSERM Sorbonne Université Paris France

Scientific and Educational Center for Neurology and Applied Neuroscience Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University Almaty Kazakhstan

University Vita Salute San Raffaele Milan Italy

See more in PubMed

World Health Organization . Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022‐2031. 2023. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240076624 PubMed

Grisold W, Freedman M, Gouider R, et al. The Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP): a unique opportunity for neurology across the globe. J Neurol Sci. 2023;15(449):120645. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2023.120645 PubMed DOI

Bassetti CLA, Endres M, Sander A, et al. The European academy of neurology brain health strategy: one brain, one life, one approach. Eur J Neurol. 2022;29(9):2559‐2566. doi:10.1111/ene.15391 PubMed DOI

Kolappa K, Seeher K, Dua T. Brain health as a global priority. J Neurol Sci. 2022;439:120326. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2022.120326 PubMed DOI

GBD 2021 Nervous System Disorders Collaborators . Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Neurol. 2024;23(5):e9. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00038-3 PubMed DOI PMC

Winter SF, Walsh D, Catsman‐Berrevoets C, et al. National plans and awareness campaigns as priorities for achieving global brain health. Lancet Glob Health. 2024;12(4):e697‐e706. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00598-3 PubMed DOI PMC

Owolabi MO, Leonardi M, Bassetti C, et al. Global synergistic actions to improve brain health for human development. Nat Rev Neurol. 2023;19(6):371‐383. doi:10.1038/s41582-023-00808-z PubMed DOI PMC

Owolabi MO, Leonardi M, Bassetti C, et al. The neurology revolution. Lancet Neurol. 2022;21(11):960‐961. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(22)00394-5 PubMed DOI

Boon PAJM, Berger T, Leonardi M, et al. A roadmap towards promoting and improving brain health in Europe and closing the awareness and funding gap. Eur J Neurol. (in press).

Boon P, Lescrauwaet E, Aleksovska K, et al. A strategic neurological research agenda for Europe: towards clinically relevant and patient‐centered neurological research priorities. Eur J Neurol. 2024;31(3):e16171. doi:10.1111/ene.16171 PubMed DOI PMC

Bassetti CLA, Heldner MR, Adorjan K, et al. The Swiss Brain Health Plan 2023–2033. Clin Transl Neurosci. 2023;7(4):38. doi:10.3390/ctn7040038 DOI