Neuroepidemiology in Resource-Limited Areas

Neuroepidemiology is a branch of epidemiology involving the study of neurological disease distribution and determinants of frequency in human populations. Neuroepidemiology has been perceived for a long time as a science of incidence, prevalence, risk factors, natural history and prognosis of neurological disorders. However, the other integral part of neuroepidemiology is experimental neuroepidemiology, which is research based on clinical trials of effectiveness or efficacy of various interventions in neurological disorders. Neuroepidemiological researches have been conducted since 1960’s, with the development of epidemiological methodology and advance of the clinical neurology. Most improvement of neuroepidemiology was in western countries, largely in US and European countries. This study field has been developed quite late in resourcelimited areas, where 60% of world’s populations are living in. Disease burden of neurological disorders, such as stroke, epilepsy, migraine, neurodegenerated diseases (AD, PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are extremely heavy in low and middle income countries (LAMICs), especially with the increasing aging population in these regions. Because of their progressive and disabling nature, these neurological disorders have major adverse personal, social, and economic consequences. Prevention and early detection are critical, because there are no cures and the clinical diagnosis typically occurs after substantial and often irreversible neuronal loss.