Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Steinmetz, Jaimie D; Seeher, Katrin Maria; Schiess, Nicoline; Nichols, Emma; Cao, Bochen; Servili, Chiara; Cavallera, Vanessa; Cousin, Ewerton; Hagins, Hailey; Moberg, Madeline E; Mehlman, Max L; Abate, Yohannes Habtegiorgis; Abbas, Jaffar; Abbasi, Madineh Akram; Abbasian, Mohammadreza; Abbastabar, Hedayat; Abdelmasseh, Michael; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Abdollahi, Mozhan; Abdollahifar, Mohammad-Amin; Abd-Rabu, Rami; Abdulah, Deldar Morad; Abdullahi, Auwal; Abedi, Aidin; Abedi, Vida; Abeldaño Zuñiga, Roberto Ariel; Abidi, Hassan; Abiodun, Olumide; Aboagye, Richard Gyan; Abolhassani, Hassan; Aboyans, Victor; Abrha, Woldu Aberhe; Abualhasan, Ahmed; Abu-Gharbieh, Eman; Aburuz, Salahdein; Adamu, Lawan Hassan; Addo, Isaac Yeboah; Adebayo, Oladimeji M; Adekanmbi, Victor; Adekiya, Tayo Alex; Adikusuma, Wirawan; Adnani, Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah; Adra, Saryia; Afework, Tsion; Afolabi, Aanuoluwapo Adeyimika; Afraz, Ali; Afzal, Saira; Aghamiri, Shahin; Agodi, Antonella; Agyemang-Duah, Williams; Ah...

Abstract

Background
Disorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.

Methods
We estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.

Findings
Globally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.

Interpretation
As the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed.

Citation

Steinmetz, J. D., Seeher, K. M., Schiess, N., Nichols, E., Cao, B., Servili, C., …Dua, T. (2024). Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Neurology, 23(4), 344-381. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422%2824%2900038-3

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 14, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Mar 14, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-04
• Deposit Date: Apr 9, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 11, 2024
• Journal: The Lancet Neurology
• Print ISSN: 1474-4422
• Electronic ISSN: 1474-4465
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 344-381
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422%2824%2900038-3
• Keywords: Neurology (clinical)
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021; Journal Title: The Lancet Neurology; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00038-3; CrossRef DOI link to the associated document: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00086-3; CrossRef DOI link to the associated document: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00085-1; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2024 World Health Organization; licensee Elsevier Ltd.