scholarly journals The Interplay Between Neuroinfections, the Immune System and Neurological Disorders: A Focus on Africa

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Ngarka ◽  
Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo ◽  
Esraa Aly ◽  
Willias Masocha ◽  
Alfred K. Njamnshi
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Peripheral Neuropathy ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Primary Headaches ◽  
Headache Disorders ◽  
Motor Neuron Diseases ◽  
High Prevalence

Neurological disorders related to neuroinfections are highly prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), constituting a major cause of disability and economic burden for patients and society. These include epilepsy, dementia, motor neuron diseases, headache disorders, sleep disorders, and peripheral neuropathy. The highest prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is in SSA. Consequently, there is a high prevalence of neurological disorders associated with HIV infection such as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, motor disorders, chronic headaches, and peripheral neuropathy in the region. The pathogenesis of these neurological disorders involves the direct role of the virus, some antiretroviral treatments, and the dysregulated immune system. Furthermore, the high prevalence of epilepsy in SSA (mainly due to perinatal causes) is exacerbated by infections such as toxoplasmosis, neurocysticercosis, onchocerciasis, malaria, bacterial meningitis, tuberculosis, and the immune reactions they elicit. Sleep disorders are another common problem in the region and have been associated with infectious diseases such as human African trypanosomiasis and HIV and involve the activation of the immune system. While most headache disorders are due to benign primary headaches, some secondary headaches are caused by infections (meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess). HIV and neurosyphilis, both common in SSA, can trigger long-standing immune activation in the central nervous system (CNS) potentially resulting in dementia. Despite the progress achieved in preventing diseases from the poliovirus and retroviruses, these microbes may cause motor neuron diseases in SSA. The immune mechanisms involved in these neurological disorders include increased cytokine levels, immune cells infiltration into the CNS, and autoantibodies. This review focuses on the major neurological disorders relevant to Africa and neuroinfections highly prevalent in SSA, describes the interplay between neuroinfections, immune system, neuroinflammation, and neurological disorders, and how understanding this can be exploited for the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics for improved patient care.

scholarly journals Tormented Sunrises

2019 ◽  
pp. 418-434
Author(s):  
Maha Alattar
Keyword(s):  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
General Population ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Headache Disorders ◽  
Distinct Subset ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter covers the relationship between sleep-related headaches and sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep apnea headache (SAH), a type of sleep-related headache that is classified in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, is a distinct subset of headache that is caused by OSA and occurs distinctly on awakening. Once recognized, treatment of OSA is associated with significant improvement in, and often resolution of, SAH. Given the high prevalence of headaches in the general population, sleep disorders must be considered in the evaluation of patients with headaches. A comprehensive sleep evaluation should be an integral part of the assessment of headache disorders. Sleep apnea headache and other types of headaches associated with sleep are reviewed in this chapter.

The MEP in clinical neurodiagnosis

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedhelm Sandbrink
Keyword(s):  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Evoked Potential ◽  
Motor Evoked Potential ◽  
Motor Neuron Diseases ◽  
Motor Pathway ◽  
Pathway Function ◽  
Transcranial Electric Stimulation ◽  
Lumbar Spinal ◽  
Stimulation Of

This article gives information on the clinical application of motor-evoked potential (MEP). Transcranial stimulation of the cerebral cortex to elicit MEPs is a noninvasive method for assessing the integrity of the central motor pathway function. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is used in diagnosing and monitoring neurological disorders. This article highlights the neurophysiological differences between TMS and transcranial electric stimulation. All the different MEP parameters that can be measured by TMS, the latency of the MEP is generally regarded as the most reliable and useful. TMS studies have been described in many neurological disorders. The sensitivity of TMS in detecting subclinical upper motor neuron lesion varies in different disorders, depending on number of muscles and different parameters used. This article talks about the application of MEP in pathophysiology, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron diseases, meyloptahy, cerebral infarction, movement disorders, epilepsy, Lumbar spinal stenosis and radiculopathies, peripheral nerve disorders etc.

scholarly journals Motor Neuron Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Need for More Population-Based Studies

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Quansah ◽  
Thomas K. Karikari
Keyword(s):  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Muscular Atrophy ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Motor Neuron Diseases ◽  
African Populations ◽  
Sub Saharan

Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are devastating neurological diseases that are characterised by gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons. Major types of MNDs include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). These diseases are incurable, with limited disease-modifying treatment options. In order to improve MND-based biomedical research, drug development, and clinical care, population-based studies will be important. These studies, especially among less-studied populations, might identify novel factors controlling disease susceptibility and resistance. To evaluate progress in MND research in Africa, we examined the published literature on MNDs in Sub-Saharan Africa to identify disease prevalence, genetic factors, and other risk factors. Our findings indicate that the amount of research evidence on MNDs in Sub-Saharan Africa is scanty; molecular and genetics-based studies are particularly lacking. While only a few genetic studies were identified, these studies strongly suggest that there appear to be population-specific causes of MNDs among Africans. MND genetic underpinnings vary among different African populations and also between African and non-African populations. Further studies, especially molecular, genetic and genomic studies, will be required to advance our understanding of MND biology among African populations. Insights from these studies would help to improve the timeliness and accuracy of clinical diagnosis and treatment.

scholarly journals Burden of adult neurological diseases in Odeda Area, Southwest Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. e000062
Author(s):  
Folajimi Morenikeji Otubogun ◽  
Rufus Akinyemi ◽  
Sola Ogunniyi
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Morbidity Rate ◽  
Primary Headaches ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Southwest Nigeria

BackgroundFew population-based studies have been conducted to determine the burden of neurological diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. A better understanding of the magnitude and impact of these disorders is pivotal to effective planning and provision of neurological services.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 2392 adults in Odeda Local Government Area, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria was conducted between May and June 2015. Trained non-medical interviewers administered a screening instrument designed to measure the prevalence of neurological diseases and disability, while positive responders were subsequently examined by neurologists. Diagnoses were made clinically according to well-established criteria.ResultsThe mean age of respondents was 37.2±16.1 years. A total of 842 cases of neurological diseases/disability were diagnosed in 815 individuals (26 individuals with more than one disorder). The all-cause neurological morbidity rate was 352 per 1000, while the crude prevalence rates of common neurological disorders were 304.3 per 1000 for primary headaches, 16.3 per 1000 for tropical ataxic neuropathy, 7.11 per 1000 for stroke, 5.85 per 1000 for essential tremor and 4.18 per 1000 for Parkinson’s disease. Neurological years lost due to disability was 2806.18 per 100 000.ConclusionThis study provides evidence of a high neurological disease burden within the communities surveyed, which may be representative of Southwest Nigeria. In comparison with findings from previous studies within the same region, this report suggests a persistence of toxiconutritional disorders and postinfectious neurological sequelae on one hand and increased prevalence of non-communicable neurological disorders such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease.

An Alert for Motor Neuron Diseases and Peripheral Neuropathy: Monoclonal Paraproteinemia May Be Missed by Routine Electrophoresis

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Zuckerman ◽  
M. A. Pesce ◽  
L. P. Rowland ◽  
W. Sherman ◽  
M. E. Shy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Neuropathy ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Motor Neuron Diseases

Advocacy for patients with headache

2019 ◽  
pp. 339-346
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Steiner ◽  
Jes Olesen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Headache Disorders ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
Global Campaign ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
The Many ◽  
Health Organization

Despite irrefutable evidence of the high prevalence, burden, and cost of headache disorders, advocacy for headache—for more headache research and better headache care—has been largely in vain so far. Headache receives little respect and few resources. There are scientific, public health, and financial arguments for change, which are evidence-based and sound. They make compelling messages, which nonetheless have not yet reached the consciousness of health policymakers. Headache disorders are the least funded of all neurological disorders, while accounting for more disability than all other neurological disorders combined. This is a remediable failure. The worldwide programme of activities of the Global Campaign against Headache, and its collaboration with the Global Burden of Disease studies, are generating an unstoppable flow of evidence to support change. The World Health Organization has acknowledged the global public health importance of headache, and committed to advocacy on its behalf at macro level. A momentum is building. The arguments for change are, for now, unanswerable, but they have to be put to those who can make change happen, and repeated again and again. If they work with these organizations, the many national and supranational professional and lay groups will find previously closed doors are, at last, slowly opening.

Musical Anhedonia

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-68
Author(s):  
Sara E. Holm ◽  
Alexander Schmidt ◽  
Christoph J. Ploner
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Brain Damage ◽  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Precise Information ◽  
Exact Localization ◽  
High Prevalence

Abstract. Some people, although they are perfectly healthy and happy, cannot enjoy music. These individuals have musical anhedonia, a condition which can be congenital or may occur after focal brain damage. To date, only a few cases of acquired musical anhedonia have been reported in the literature with lesions of the temporo-parietal cortex being particularly important. Even less literature exists on congenital musical anhedonia, in which impaired connectivity of temporal brain regions with the Nucleus accumbens is implicated. Nonetheless, there is no precise information on the prevalence, causes or exact localization of both congenital and acquired musical anhedonia. However, the frequent involvement of temporo-parietal brain regions in neurological disorders such as stroke suggest the possibility of a high prevalence of this disorder, which leads to a considerable reduction in the quality of life.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document