Abstract

Neurological diseases are becoming more prevalent as the world’s population ages, and their burden is expected to increase globally. The number of people living with neurological conditions in the world is rising and will continue to increase. The increase in the frequency of disabling, currently incurable neurologic disorders is likely to have a devastating impact on individuals, families, and societies, unless effective means to reduce the incidence and progression of these diseases are discovered. Moreover, neurological diseases are associated with a high risk for adverse health outcomes, including mortality, disability, institutionalization, and hospitalization. Ageing is associated with accumulation of many pathologies, notably cerebrovascular disease, but also with the emergence of neurodegeneration. Some of the more common neurological disorders that affect older adults include stroke, polyneuropathy, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease alone affects between one-third and one-half of people above 85 years of age; thus, the number of people affected, estimated at 40 million worldwide in 2015, is anticipated to increase to 135 million by 2050. Every year, 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke. About 6 million of these people die within hours, and another 5 million are left disabled. The prevalence of Parkinson’s disease increases with age, with no levelling off in the highest age categories. Polyneuropathy occurs in 5.5% of the elderly population and increases with age with a prevalence of 13.2% in the group of people over the age of 80. Epilepsy is comparatively more frequent in the older population compared with children and adults, and its increasing incidence in the elderly is related to the rise in age-related epileptogenic conditions with specific underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that may represent therapeutic targets. Because of a peak of incidence around after 75 years of age, ageing of the global population will also result in a great increase in the number of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the coming years. Since the aging population is a real public health issue, it is essential to identify the incidence and prevalence of neurologic diseases in the elderly population in order to develop strategies for prevention and management.