Neurological Disorders by the Numbers

Ivanhoe Newswire
Tuesday, January 30, 2007; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Neurological disorders like stroke and Alzheimer's disease are in the news all the time. But how many people are affected by these devastating conditions?

New research from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reveals the prevalence of some conditions has gone up in the last few decades, though whether this effect is caused by improved detection techniques remains to be seen.

The number of multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer's disease diagnoses is up from previous estimates. About one out of 1,000 people have multiple sclerosis, up 50 percent from a previous study conducted in the early 1980s. The research reveals 67 out of 1,000 elderly people have Alzheimer's disease, up significantly from previous findings.

Some more encouraging findings include a 50-percent decrease in the estimated number of people experiencing traumatic brain injury every year. Now, it's only 101 out of every 100,000 people. Better motor vehicle safety could be playing a role.

Other results include:

• 183 out of 100,000 suffer a stroke each year, with one in 100 a repeat victim
• 10 out of 1,000 elderly people have Parkinson's disease
• Four out of 100,000 have Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS)
• Five out of 100,000 experience a spinal cord injury each year
• Six out of every 1,000 children have autism
• Two out of every 1,000 children have cerebral palsy

The authors write these findings can help guide researchers as they work to find better treatments for these conditions, as well as patients, families, and society as whole as they try to meet the special needs of people afflicted with neurological conditions.

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SOURCE: NEUROLOGY, published online Jan. 30, 2007