Summary
A pilot study on the prevalence of neurological disorders in Sicily was carried out with a protocol nerve previously used in Italy. A screening questionnaire was administered to 1,601 subjects of a community, designed to identify patients with cerebrovascular diseases, epilepsy, extrapyramidal syndromes, peripheral neuropathies, migraine and intracranial neoplasms. Of 262 subjects who were identified as likely to be suffering from neurological illness, 248 (94.6%) were examined by a neurologist. Of these, 8.9% were found to be normal, 46.8% were suffering from non-neurological diseases, 44.3% had one or more neurological diseases (prevalence of 6.8%). This pilot study proved to be a good starting-point for a future major survey.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bramanti P, Messina C, Scuderi D, Vita G (1978) An epidemiological study of multiple sclerosis in the province of Messina (Italy). Acta Neurol (Naples) 33:532–539
Brown MJ, Asbury AK (1984) Diabetic neuropathy. Ann Neurol 15:2–12
Dean G, Grimaldi G, Kelly R, Karhausen L (1979) Multiple sclerosis in southern Europe. I. Prevalence in Sicily in 1975. J Epidemiol Community Health 33:107–110
Dean G, Savettieri G, Giordano D, Butera C, Taibi G, Morreale S, Karhausen L (1981) The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Sicily. II. Agrigento city. J Epidemiol Community Health 35:118–122
Haerer AF, Anderson DW, Schoenberg BS (1982) Prevalence of essential tremor: results from the Copiah County study. Arch Neurol 39:750–751
Haerer AF, Anderson DW, Schoenberg BS (1987) Survey of major neurologic disorders in a biracial United States population: the Copiah County study. South Med J 80:339–343
Kurtzke JF (1982) The current neurologic burden of illness and injury in the United States. Neurology 32:1207–1214
Kurtzke JF (1984) Neuroepidemiology. Ann Neurol 16:265–277
Kurtzke JF, Kurland LT (1983) The epidemiology of neurologic disease. In: Baker AB, Baker LH (eds) Clinical neurology, vol 4. Harper and Row, Philadelphia, pp 1–143
Osuntokun BO, Adeuja AOG, Schoenberg BS, Bademosi O, Nottidge VA, Olumide AO, Ige O, Yaria F, Bolis CL (1987) Neurological disorders in Nigerian Africans: a community-based study. Acta Neurol Scand 75:13–21
Pirart J (1978) Diabetes mellitus and its degenerative complications: a prospective study of 4,400 patients observed between 1947 and 1973. Diabetes Care 1:168–188, 252–263
Savettieri G, Giordano D, Lupo L, Piccoli S, Natalè E, Marforio S, Chiaravalle E, Cazzullo CL (1978) Epidemiological survey on multiple sclerosis in the city of Palermo (Italy). Acta Neurol (Naples) 33:526–531
Savettieri G, Daricello B, Giordano D, Karhausen L, Dean G (1981) The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Sicily. I. Monreale city. J Epidemiol Community Health 35:114–117
Savettieri G, Elian M, Giordano D, Grimaldi G, Ventura A, Dean G (1986) A further study on the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Sicily: Caltanissetta city. Acta Neurol Scand 73:71–75
Wade DT, Hewer RL (1987) Epidemiology of some neurological diseases with special reference to work load on the NHS. Int Rehabil Med 8:129–137
Zielinsky JJ (1982) Epidemiology. In: Laidlaw J, Richens A (eds) A textbook of epilepsy. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, pp 16–33
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vita, G., Morgante, L., Grigoletto, F. et al. Prevalence survey of major neurological disorders in Sicily. J Neurol 236, 315–318 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00314371
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00314371