NINDS is a part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Please visit the HHS website for detailed information regarding the department's privacy policy.

The following summarizes how NINDS will use information we gather about you from your visit to our website. The privacy of our visitors is of utmost importance.

Information Automatically Collected and Stored:

When you browse through any web site, certain personal information about you can be collected. We automatically collect and temporarily store the following information about your visit:

• the name of the domain you use to access the Internet (for example, aol.com, if you are using an American Online account, or stanford.edu, if you are connecting from Stanford University's domain);
• the date and time of your visit;
• the pages you visited; and
• the address of the web site you came from when you came to visit.

We use this information for statistical purposes and to help us make our site more useful to visitors. Unless it is specifically stated otherwise, no additional information will be collected about you.

Personally Provided Information:

You do not have to give us personal information to visit our web sites.

If you choose to provide us with additional information about yourself through an e-mail message, form, survey, etc., we may store the names, addresses, and other information you provide in order to respond to the request or to otherwise resolve the subject matter of your E-mail. This information has never been used for any other purpose than to respond to your request.

However, all communications addressed to NINDS staff or the NINDS Webmaster are maintained, as required by law, for historical purposes. These communications are protected by the Privacy Act which restricts our use of them, yet permits certain disclosures.

(NOTE: For information on the Medical Privacy, please go to www.hhs.gov/Privacy.html .)

Intrusion Detection:

This site is maintained by the U.S. Government. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, U.S. Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in federal court.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations, and pursuant to any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify an individual.

Systems of Records:

Information originally collected in traditional paper systems can be submitted electronically, i.e., electronic commerce transactions and information updates about funding opportunities. Electronically submitted information is maintained and destroyed pursuant to the Federal Records Act, and in some cases may be subject to the Privacy Act. If information that you submit is to be used in a Privacy Act system of records, there will be Privacy Act Notice provided.

Will my privacy be protected?

Yes. As the study progresses, researchers may report the results of the trial at scientific meetings, in medical journals, and to various government agencies, but individual names will remain secret. Certain professionals involved in the study will require access to your medical records. Their roles will be listed on the informed consent document that you will receive before you decide whether or not to participate.

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