Prevalence of dementia in Latin America: a collaborative study of population-based cohorts

Background: Dementia is becoming a major public health problem in Latin America (LA), yet epidemiological information on dementia remains scarce in this region. This study analyzes data from epidemiological studies on the prevalence of dementia in LA and compares the prevalence of dementia and its causes across countries in LA and attempts to clarify differences from those of developed regions of the world. Methods: A database search for population studies on rates of dementia in LA was performed. Abstracts were also included in the search. Authors of the publications were invited to participate in this collaborative study by sharing missing or more recent data analysis with the group. Results: Eight studies from six countries were included. The global prevalence of dementia in the elderly (≥65 years) was 7.1% (95% CI: 6.8–7.4), mirroring the rates of developed countries. However, prevalence in relatively young subjects (65–69 years) was higher in LA studies The rate of illiteracy among the elderly was 9.3% and the prevalence of dementia in illiterates was two times higher than in literates. Alzheimer’s disease was the most common cause of dementia. Conclusions: Compared with studies from developed countries, the global prevalence of dementia in LA proved similar, although a higher prevalence of dementia in relatively young subjects was evidenced, which may be related to the association between low educational level and lower cognitive reserve, causing earlier emergence of clinical signs of dementia in the LA elderly population

Pronostic de la sclérose amyotrophique en Limousin (France) et en Uruguay.

International audienc

Pronostic de la sclérose amyotrophique en Limousin (France) et en Uruguay. Etude comparative.

International audienc

Supplementary Material for: INCIDENCE OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IN URUGUAY. A PROSPECTIVE POPULATION-BASED STUDY

Background The worldwide incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is estimated at 0.5-10 cases per 100,000 person-years and is probably increasing. In 2014, a previous study estimated the incidence of multiple sclerosis in Uruguay at 1.2 cases per 100.000 person-years. Objectives We conducted an observational, prospective, population-based study to determine MS incidence from diagnosis in Uruguay. Methods The population studied included people older than 18 years of age, who were living in Uruguay between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021. The diagnosis was based on 2017 McDonald criteria. Multiple data sources were employed including neurologists, magnetic resonance imaging centers, laboratories performing oligoclonal band testing, neurophysiology laboratories, neurorehabilitation centers, the institution Fondo Nacional de Recursos, and the MS Patients’ Association of Uruguay (EMUR). The capture-recapture method was used to estimate incidence. Results 155 new MS cases were confirmed after review. The median age was 35 (range 18-62). Thirteen patients (8.38%) were diagnosed with late onset MS. The crude incidence rate was 2.89 cases per 100,000 person-years, 3.95 among female and 1.72 among male patients. The incidence rate estimated using the capture-recapture method was 3.18 (95% CI 3.02-3.34). Conclusions According to the Atlas of MS, Uruguay has a low incidence rate (2.0-3.99), even though it is one of the highest in Latin America. Our country aligns with the global trend of increasing incidence. Age and sex distribution were similar to other studies, with a high incidence of patients with late onset multiple sclerosis. The capture-recapture method confirms the exhaustivity of our investigation

Comparison of the clinical and genetic features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis across Cuban, Uruguayan and Irish clinic-based populations

Objectives This study compares the clinical characteristics of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) within three clinic-based populations from Cuba, Uruguay and Ireland and determines the impact of known ALS-associated genetic variants on phenotypic manifestations within the Cuban population.Methods Demographic and clinical information was collected on 115 Cuban, 220 Uruguayan and 1038 Irish patients with ALS attending national specialist clinics through 1996-2017. All Cuban patients and 676 Irish patients underwent next-generation DNA sequencing and were screened for the pathogenic C9orf72 repeat expansion.Results The mean age of onset was younger in the Cuban (53.0 years, 95% CI 50.4 to 55.6) and Uruguayan (58.2 years, 95% CI 56.5 to 60.0) populations compared with the Irish population (61.6 years, 95% CI 60.9 to 62.4). No differences in survival between populations were observed. 1.7 % (95% CI 0.6 to 4.1) of Cubans with ALS carried the C9orf72 repeat expansion compared with 9.9% (95% CI 7.8 to 12.0) of Irish patients with ALS (p=0.004). Other known variants identified in the Cuban population included ANG (one patient), CHCHD10 (one patient) and DCTN1 (three patients).Conclusions and relevance This study is the first to describe the clinical characteristics of ALS in Cuban and Uruguayan populations and report differences between the Cuban and Irish genetic signature in terms of known ALS-associated genetic variants. These novel clinical and genetic data add to our understanding of ALS across different and understudied populations