Neuroepidemiology 

About: Neuroepidemiology is an academic journal published by Karger Publishers. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Stroke. It has an ISSN identifier of 0251-5350. Over the lifetime, 2112 publications have been published receiving 83006 citations.

Prevalence of dementia in the United States: the aging, demographics, and memory study.

Abstract: Aim: To estimate the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias in the USA using a nationally representative sample. Methods: The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study sample was composed of 856 individuals aged 71 years and older from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS) who were evaluated for dementia using a comprehensive in-home assessment. An expert consensus panel used this information to assign a diagnosis of normal cognition, cognitive impairment but not demented, or dementia (and dementia subtype). Using sampling weights derived from the HRS, we estimated the national prevalence of dementia, AD and vascular dementia by age and gender. Results: The prevalence of dementia among individuals aged 71 and older was 13.9%, comprising about 3.4 million individuals in the USA in 2002. The corresponding values for AD were 9.7% and 2.4 million individuals. Dementia prevalence increased with age, from 5.0% of those aged 71–79 years to 37.4% of those aged 90 and older. Conclusions: Dementia prevalence estimates from this first nation

Update on the Global Burden of Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke in 1990-2013: The GBD 2013 Study

Abstract: Background: Global stroke epidemiology is changing rapidly. Although age-standardized rates of stroke mortality have decreased worldwide in the past 2 decades, the absolute numbers of people who have a stroke every year, and live with the consequences of stroke or die from their stroke, are increasing. Regular updates on the current level of stroke burden are important for advancing our knowledge on stroke epidemiology and facilitate organization and planning of evidence-based stroke care. Objectives: This study aims to estimate incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) and their trends for ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) for 188 countries from 1990 to 2013. Methodology: Stroke incidence, prevalence, mortality, DALYs and YLDs were estimated using all available data on mortality and stroke incidence, prevalence and excess mortality. Statistical models and country-level covariate data were employed, and all rates were age-standardized to a global population. All estimates were produced with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results: In 2013, there were globally almost 25.7 million stroke survivors (71% with IS), 6.5 million deaths from stroke (51% died from IS), 113 million DALYs due to stroke (58% due to IS) and 10.3 million new strokes (67% IS). Over the 1990-2013 period, there was a significant increase in the absolute number of DALYs due to IS, and of deaths from IS and HS, survivors and incident events for both IS and HS. The preponderance of the burden of stroke continued to reside in developing countries, comprising 75.2% of deaths from stroke and 81.0% of stroke-related DALYs. Globally, the proportional contribution of stroke-related DALYs and deaths due to stroke compared to all diseases increased from 1990 (3.54% (95% UI 3.11-4.00) and 9.66% (95% UI 8.47-10.70), respectively) to 2013 (4.62% (95% UI 4.01-5.30) and 11.75% (95% UI 10.45-13.31), respectively), but there was a diverging trend in developed and developing countries with a significant increase in DALYs and deaths in developing countries, and no measurable change in the proportional contribution of DALYs and deaths from stroke in developed countries. Conclusion: Global stroke burden continues to increase globally. More efficient stroke prevention and management strategies are urgently needed to halt and eventually reverse the stroke pandemic, while universal access to organized stroke services should be a priority.

The reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke study: objectives and design.

Abstract: The REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study is a national, population-based, longitudinal study of 30,000 African-American and white adults aged ≧45 years. The objectiv

Systematic review of observational studies.

Abstract: Review Question and Eligibility The first step in conducting a systematic review is to define the review question and to outline the eligibility criteria for including studies. For descriptive studies, the review question will state the types of participants included, such as age, gender, disease, diagnostic criteria and setting. Feigin et al. [4] proposed to update knowledge of stroke morbidity and early case-fatality and to review secular trends in stroke incidence and case fatality. All population-based studies with comprehensive case ascertainment were included. Most of the criteria related to those of ‘ideal’ stroke incidence studies [5] , but the authors also needed to calculate specific rates. This necessitated a decision to include only those studies that published the appropriate raw numbers to calculate these figures. Adding to the rigour of the analysis by increasing the number of studies that could be used, Feigin et al. [4] obtained some of these missing data from the authors of the original articles.

Global Epidemiology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a Systematic Review of the Published Literature

Abstract: Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is relatively rare, yet the economic and social burden is substantial. Having accurate incidence and prevalence es