Epidemiological Study of Neurodegenerative Parkinsonism in "Hornacko", a Specific Region of the South-eastern Moravia, Czech Republic
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Česká a Slovenska neurologie a neurochirurgie |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.14735/amcsnn2014714 |
| Field | Neurology, neurosurgery, neurosciences |
| Keywords | parkinsonism; neuroepidemiology; prevalence study; three-stage ascertainment method; inheritance |
| Description | Introduction: It has been suggested that the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases in small, isolated European communities might be higher than in the general population. We recently observed this phenomenon in a small specific region of south-eastern Moravia. Objective: To assess the prevalence of neurodegenerative parkinsonism in an isolated region with a rural population in south-eastern Moravia. Methods: A three-stage method of data collection was used. In the first phase, originally designed questionnaires were distributed to general practitioners and completed by all patients who visited them for any reason during a three-month period. In the second phase, positive responders were examined by trained primary care neurologists. Finally, the diagnosis was confirmed or excluded by a movement disorders specialist. Results: The overall prevalence in the population older than 50 years of age was 2.8% (95% CI: 2.2-3.4); the prevalence in the population from 50 to 64 years was 1.9% (95% CI: 1.2-2.5), and it was 4.06% (95% CI: 2.9-5.1) in the population over 65 years of age. Three large families with an autosomal-dominant inheritance patterns of parkinsonism were identified. Conclusions: The prevalence rates were surprisingly high; they substantially differed from the published prevalence rates in other European countries. Due to the characteristics of the region, we expected a particular impact of genetic factors, most probably the autosomal-dominant inheritance of parkinsonism. Our current research focusses on the genetic background and DNA analysis of probands from the families in which autosomal-dominant parkinsonism was identified. |