Spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders in neurology outpatient department: A cross-sectional study

Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are a growing global health concern with a rise in prevalence with the aging population, leading to increased healthcare utilization and costs. Understanding its prevalence is crucial for effective diagnostics and resource allocation, especially in developing nations with limited resources. This study aims to explore the frequency and types of NDDs, while also collecting demographic, clinical, and neuro-radiological data from patients with NDDs attending a tertiary care hospital in Nepal.

This was a single-center based cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at a Neurology outpatient department in a tertiary level hospital in Nepal in which patients aged 18 and above diagnosed with NDDs (May 2023-July 2023) were included. Data were collected and analyzed in SPSS Inc. This study has been presented by the STROBES guidelines.

The mean age of the 71 patients included in the study was 65.6 ± 13.3 years. Parkinsonian disorder (n = 41, 57.7%) was the most common NDD diagnosed. Patients belonging to the age group 60-79 years represented 62% of all outpatient visits. Tremors of the upper extremity and impairment of memory were the most commonly encountered first symptoms at onset. Predominant cognitive changes in our study were memory impairment and mood changes. Extrapyramidal features such as gait disturbance, resting tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia were present. More than half of the patients had age-related cerebral atrophy on neuroimaging followed by chronic small vessel ischemic changes.

Diagnosing NDDs poses challenges, and our study underscores Parkinsonian disorder, specifically Parkinson's disease, as the prevailing neurodegenerative condition in our population. Emphasizing its prevalence among the elderly, particularly with tremors as the primary presenting symptom, highlights the necessity for targeted interventions in this demographic.