The Burden of Neurological Disorders: Insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study
Neurological disorders, encompassing a wide spectrum from neurodevelopmental conditions to late-life neurodegeneration, represent a significant global health challenge. The Global Burden of Disease Study 20211, published in The Lancet Neurology 2024, offers a comprehensive insight into the impact of 37 neurological conditions worldwide, marking a significant step forward in understanding the full scope of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease.
Neurological Conditions – a Growing Public Health Crisis
For the first time, this extensive study has included a wide array of conditions affecting the nervous system, capturing the global, regional, and national burden from 1990 to 2021. The conditions range from stroke, migraine, and neonatal encephalopathy to emerging challenges such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. This wider perspective has revealed that neurological conditions collectively rank as the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally, affecting over 3.4 billion individuals or 43.1% of the global population in 2021. This figure represents an 18.2% increase in global DALY counts over three decades, underscoring a growing public health crisis.
The Alarming Rise of Cases in Alzheimer's Disease
Within the bandwidth of neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias stand out for their rapid ascent in global disease burden rankings. The study reveals a significant 168.7% increase in the burden of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias from 1990 to 2021. This dramatic rise highlights the escalating impact of these conditions on individuals, families, and healthcare systems worldwide. Alzheimer's disease, characterized by the progressive decline in cognitive functions, memory loss, and eventually, loss of ability to perform daily tasks, now demands urgent attention from global health policymakers, researchers, and healthcare providers.
Implications for Global Health
The findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 serve as a crucial call to action. They underscore the need for effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies to address the growing impact of neurological disorders.
Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) has emerged as an add-on therapy option for treating patients with Alzheimer's disease. It provides a relatively new avenue for managing its symptoms, enhancing global cognitive performance & functioning, as well as alleviating depression symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
The efforts in providing TPS around the world as a potential add-on intervention are in line with the global commitment to combat neurological conditions, exemplified by the World Health Assembly's adoption of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Neurological Disorders for the decade 2022–2031. These strategies are crucial for adequately supporting both patients and their caregivers.
Read more about Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) as an add-on treatment option.
Reference:
1Steinmetz, J. D., Seeher, K. M., Schiess, N., Nichols, E., Cao, B., Servili, C., ... & Atalell, K. A. (2024). Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet Neurology, 23(4), 344-381.
