Prevalence Of Common Neurological Diseases In A Rural Community Of India

Abstract

To find out the prevalence of clinical diagnosable neurological disorders three important symptoms were used for screening of patients. These were convulsions, paralysis and chronic headache. The field workers were explained how to enquire for these symptoms in the community. Those who were screened positive by them were later examined by the investigators. The prevalence of common disorders was found to be as follows, chronic headache was more prevalent in females above the age of 15 years, the prevalence being 30.9/1000 females. Paralysis, which was mostly represented by post polio residual paralysis, accounted for a prevalence of 7.2/1000 in males and 6.6/1000 in females. The prevalence of convulsions was 3.2/1000 in males and 8.5/1000 in females.