About this Research Topic
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 resource-limited 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.
We are calling research papers involving the application of epidemiological methods to identify 1) prevalence, incidence, mortality of neurological disorders; 2) factors on the conduction of large retrospective or prospective studies into the effects of nutrition, environment, life style, and infectious agents on neurological disease risk, as well as the identification of biomarkers and genetic determinants of neurological disorders susceptibility; 3) evaluation of intervention strategies or clinical trials to treat or control the development of neurological disorders. 4) disease burden of neurological disorders. We welcome researches of both nationally and regionally in LAMICs, where these studies can contribute to the discovery of disease burden estimation, as well as new approaches to the prevention and treatment of these neurological diseases.
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 resource-limited 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.
We are calling research papers involving the application of epidemiological methods to identify 1) prevalence, incidence, mortality of neurological disorders; 2) factors on the conduction of large retrospective or prospective studies into the effects of nutrition, environment, life style, and infectious agents on neurological disease risk, as well as the identification of biomarkers and genetic determinants of neurological disorders susceptibility; 3) evaluation of intervention strategies or clinical trials to treat or control the development of neurological disorders. 4) disease burden of neurological disorders. We welcome researches of both nationally and regionally in LAMICs, where these studies can contribute to the discovery of disease burden estimation, as well as new approaches to the prevention and treatment of these neurological diseases.
Keywords: Epidemiology, prevalence, population-based study, risk factors, neurological disorders
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