Screening for common neurologic diseases among Israeli adolescents

Neurologic disorders are the common causes of morbidity among adolescents. The estimated prevalence of common neurologic disorders relies on relatively small samples. We aimed to identify the prevalence of common neurologic disorders among Israeli adolescents. In Israel, all 17-year-old Israeli nationals are required to undergo a health-screening examination at the Israel Defense Forces recruiting office. Neurology specialists evaluate and classify suspected neurologic disorders. The findings included a high prevalence of neurologic morbidity among the 94 805 adolescents (61.5% males and 39.5% females) examined in 2001. The most prevalent diagnoses were headaches and learning disorders. The frequency of chronic headache in this study was relatively low. A significant difference in morbidity patterns between male and female adolescents was noted. Overall, we found that the prevalence of chronic, frequent headaches among adolescents is much lower than that reported previously. Headache, learning disability, epilepsy, and infectious or traumatic head injury were the most common diagnoses.