The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in central Italy

Millefiorini, Enrico; Cortese, Antonio; Rezze, S. Di; Barletta, Giovanna; Bellantonio, Paolo; Batocchi, Anna Paola; Battista, Giancarlo Di; Fiore, Stefania; Gasperini, Claudio; Grasso, Maria Grazia; Koudriatseva, Tatiana; Totaro, Rocco; Durastanti, Valentina

doi:10.1177/1352458510373263

Cited by 23 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The other towns are equally spatially distributed; that is to say we do not observe any geographical gradient between North and South in terms of Google Trends query and search fluxes and volumes, as confirmed by many detailed epidemiological Italian surveys, which have proven to be against the “latitude theory” introduced by Millefiorini et al [63]. However, it must be noticed that some scholars while criticizing the latitudinal gradient theory for incidence maintain that the latitudinal gradient theory for prevalence may be still valid [64].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Infodemiology and Infoveillance of Multiple Sclerosis in Italy

Bragazzi

2013

Multiple Sclerosis International

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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic debilitating disease of probable autoimmune inflammatory nature, whose aetiology is not fully understood, despite the many efforts and investigations. In this manuscript, we review the concept of “Multiple Sclerosis 2.0”, that is to say the Internet usage by MS patients, for seeking health and disease-related material for self-care and self-management purposes, and we introduce a Google Trends-based approach for monitoring MS-related Google queries and searches, called MS infodemiology and infoveillance. Google Trends has already proven to be reliable for infectious diseases monitoring, and here we extend its application and potentiality in the field of neurological disorders.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Infodemiology and Infoveillance of Multiple Sclerosis in Italy

Bragazzi

2013

Multiple Sclerosis International

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“…Among the 28 reviewed studies from this region, nine were conducted in Sicily [13,20,31-37], seven in Northern Italy [38-44], seven in Sardinia [45-51], two in Central Italy [52,53], and one each in the south of Italy [54], San Marino [55] and Malta [15]. The Poser diagnostic criteria were used to identify cases in 25/28 of the studies.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Europe: a systematic review

et al. 2013

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BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults worldwide and approximately half of those affected are in Europe. The assessment of differential incidence and prevalence across populations can reveal spatial, temporal and demographic patterns which are important for identifying genetic and environmental factors contributing to MS. However, study methodologies vary and the quality of the methods can influence the estimates. This study aimed to systematically review European studies of incidence and prevalence of MS and to provide a quantitative assessment of their methodological quality.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was performed to obtain all original population-based studies of MS incidence and prevalence in European populations conducted and published between January 1985 and January 2011. Only peer-reviewed full-text articles published in English or French were included. All abstracts were screened for eligibility and two trained reviewers abstracted the data and graded the quality of each study using a tool specifically designed for this study.ResultsThere were 123 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The study estimates were highly heterogeneous, even within regions or countries. Quality was generally higher in the more recent studies, which also tended to use current diagnostic criteria. Prevalence and incidence estimates tended to be higher in the more recent studies and were higher in the Nordic countries and in northern regions of the British Isles. With rare exceptions, prevalence and incidence estimates were higher in women with ratios as high as 3:1. Few studies examined ethnicity. Epidemiological data at the national level was uncommon and there were marked geographical disparities in available data, with large areas of Europe unrepresented and other regions well-represented in the literature. Only 37% of the studies provided standardized estimates.ConclusionsDespite the breadth of the literature on the epidemiology of MS in Europe, inter-study comparisons are hampered by the lack of standardization. Further research should focus on regions not yet studied and the evaluation of ethnic differences in MS prevalence and incidence. National-level studies using current diagnostic criteria, validated case definitions and similar age- and sex-standardization would allow better geographical comparisons.

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“…In keeping with previous results, a higher prevalence rate for females than males was recorded. Age-specific prevalence rate was higher in the 25–34 year, 35–44 year and 45–54 year age groups [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Presence and Significant Determinants of Cognitive Impairment in a Large Sample of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

et al. 2013

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ObjectivesTo investigate the presence and the nature of cognitive impairment in a large sample of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and to identify clinical and demographic determinants of cognitive impairment in MS.Methods303 patients with MS and 279 healthy controls were administered the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological tests (BRB-N); measures of pre-morbid verbal competence and neuropsychiatric measures were also administered.ResultsPatients and healthy controls were matched for age, gender, education and pre-morbid verbal Intelligence Quotient. Patients presenting with cognitive impairment were 108/303 (35.6%). In the overall group of participants, the significant predictors of the most sensitive BRB-N scores were: presence of MS, age, education, and Vocabulary. The significant predictors when considering MS patients only were: course of MS, age, education, vocabulary, and depression. Using logistic regression analyses, significant determinants of the presence of cognitive impairment in relapsing-remitting MS patients were: duration of illness (OR = 1.053, 95% CI = 1.010–1.097, p = 0.015), Expanded Disability Status Scale score (OR = 1.247, 95% CI = 1.024–1.517, p = 0.028), and vocabulary (OR = 0.960, 95% CI = 0.936–0.984, p = 0.001), while in the smaller group of progressive MS patients these predictors did not play a significant role in determining the cognitive outcome.ConclusionsOur results corroborate the evidence about the presence and the nature of cognitive impairment in a large sample of patients with MS. Furthermore, our findings identify significant clinical and demographic determinants of cognitive impairment in a large sample of MS patients for the first time. Implications for further research and clinical practice were discussed.

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The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in central Italy

Abstract: The results confirm that MS occurs more frequently in central Italy than might be expected on the basis of the geographic-related distribution model, thus supporting the view that this is a high-risk area for the disease.

Cited by 23 publications

References 30 publications

Infodemiology and Infoveillance of Multiple Sclerosis in Italy

Infodemiology and Infoveillance of Multiple Sclerosis in Italy

Incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Europe: a systematic review

Presence and Significant Determinants of Cognitive Impairment in a Large Sample of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

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