What is the NIH Toolbox, and what will it mean to neurology?

In 2004, the NIH announced its Blueprint for Neuroscience Research ([www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov][1]), an ambitious set of projects led by the 15 NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices that support neuroscience research to advance several missions related to the nervous system. One of these, the NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function (NIH Toolbox) project, was conceived to fulfill a critical need for standardized instruments to assess neurologic and behavioral function. These instruments are now available for widespread use by clinicians and clinical researchers (see inset). [1]: http://www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov