TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence of essential tremor in Araihazar, Bangladesh
T2 - A population-based study
AU - Louis, Elan D.
AU - Hafeman, Danella
AU - Parvez, Faruque
AU - Alcalay, Roy N.
AU - Islam, Tariqul
AU - Siddique, Abu Baker
AU - Patwary, Tajul Islam
AU - Melkonian, Stephanie
AU - Argos, Maria
AU - Levy, Diane
AU - Ahsan, Habibul
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Background: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common neurological diseases. Few prevalence studies have been conducted in South Asia, and none in Bangladesh, one of the most populated countries in the world. We estimated the prevalence of ET in a population-based study in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Methods: As part of an in-person evaluation in a health outcomes study, each study participant produced 2 handwriting samples, from which ET diagnoses were assigned by 2 independent movement disorder neurologists. Results: The crude prevalence of ET (age ≥18 years) was 19/1,229 [1.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0-2.4], and was similar in men and women. The crude prevalence was 2.5% in participants aged ≥40 years and was one half that (1.3%) among younger participants (<40 years), although the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.18). The age-adjusted prevalence (United States 2000 census) was 2.0% (95% CI = 1.2-2.8). Conclusion: The crude prevalence of ET in Araihazar, Bangladesh, was 1.5%. There is 1 other population-based study in a developing country (Turkey) which, like ours, did not restrict enrollment to middle-aged or elderly individuals and did not rely on screening questionnaires; the crude prevalence in the 2 studies is very similar.
AB - Background: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common neurological diseases. Few prevalence studies have been conducted in South Asia, and none in Bangladesh, one of the most populated countries in the world. We estimated the prevalence of ET in a population-based study in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Methods: As part of an in-person evaluation in a health outcomes study, each study participant produced 2 handwriting samples, from which ET diagnoses were assigned by 2 independent movement disorder neurologists. Results: The crude prevalence of ET (age ≥18 years) was 19/1,229 [1.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0-2.4], and was similar in men and women. The crude prevalence was 2.5% in participants aged ≥40 years and was one half that (1.3%) among younger participants (<40 years), although the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.18). The age-adjusted prevalence (United States 2000 census) was 2.0% (95% CI = 1.2-2.8). Conclusion: The crude prevalence of ET in Araihazar, Bangladesh, was 1.5%. There is 1 other population-based study in a developing country (Turkey) which, like ours, did not restrict enrollment to middle-aged or elderly individuals and did not rely on screening questionnaires; the crude prevalence in the 2 studies is very similar.
KW - Bangladesh
KW - Essential tremor, prevalence
KW - Movement disorders
KW - Population-based study
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=78651526339&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1159/000323389
DO - 10.1159/000323389
M3 - Article
C2 - 21252586
AN - SCOPUS:78651526339
SN - 0251-5350
VL - 36
SP - 71
EP - 76
JO - Neuroepidemiology
JF - Neuroepidemiology
IS - 2
ER -