Prevalence of Parkinson's disease in Baskale, Turkey: a population based study

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, and its prevalence rate varies between 15 and 250/100.000. The data on the prevalence of PD in Turkey are limited. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of PD in Baskale, Turkey. The study area is a rural small area in the eastern part Turkey, with a population of 26.991 inhabitants. The first stage of the study was undertaken between February and October 2011. Field workers performed a door to door population screening for the cardinal symptoms of PD and identified cases were reevaluated by an experienced movement disorders specialist. In this population based study, 19 PD patients were identified in the screened population, indicating that the estimated age standardized prevalence of PD in Turkey was 202/100.000. This study is the first large population based study for identifying prevalence of PD in Turkey. Our prevalence rate is slightly lower than those of European countries, which may be caused by ethnical differences or environmental factors.