Neurological disorders and disability in Pakistan: A cross-sectional multicenter study.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Neurological disorders (NDs) represent a significant health burden globally.
• Understanding the prevalence of NDs and associated disability is crucial for healthcare planning, especially in diverse settings like Pakistan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequencies of various neurological disorders (NDs).
• To assess the associated disability in patients attending neurology clinics in Pakistan.
• To compare prevalence across rural and urban settings.

Main Methods:

• An observational study was conducted across 39 neurological centers in Pakistan (August 2017 - December 2019).
• Data were collected from 28,845 adult patients across public and private sectors in both rural and urban areas.
• Demographic data, medical comorbidities, neurological diagnoses, and disability levels were recorded.

Main Results:

• Vascular diseases (20%) were the most common ND, followed by headache disorders (18.6%) and epilepsy (12.5%).
• Hypertension (26.4%) and diabetes (11.8%) were the most frequent comorbidities.
• 53.7% of patients had no neurological disability, 36.2% had minor disability, and 10% had moderate to severe disability.

Conclusions:

• Vascular diseases, headache disorders, and epilepsies are the leading neurological conditions presenting in Pakistani clinics.
• A substantial percentage of patients (10%) present with moderate to severe neurological disability.
• Prevalence varied by age and sex, with certain disorders more common in women or specific age groups.