Incidence of neurological disorders rising in Punjab, says ICMR study

Chandigarh: Neurological illnesses such as stroke, headaches, and epilepsy have more than doubled in Punjab during the last 30 years, according to experts in the field.

The empirical result that has been established is that in 1990, 4% of all disorders were neurological disorders; in 2019, this percentage doubled to 8%. Neurological disorders affect the brain and nerves, especially in the spinal cord.

The Indian Council of Medical Research and the Public Health Foundation of India conducted the research.

Their findings have been published under the title ‘The burden of neurological disorders across states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2019’ in one of the leading global medical journals, Lancet Global Health, on July 14 (Wednesday), under the name of India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative.

The study aimed at increasing awareness about these disorders, early identification, cost-effective treatment, and rehabilitation.

Speaking on the trend of neurological disabilities in Punjab, Dr Gagandeep Singh, professor, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, said, “The burden of non-communicable neurological disorders is increasing across the country. In Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh, these spread mainly due to the ageing population. Communicable diseases contributed to the majority of total neurological disorders burden in children younger than five years, non-communicable neurological disorders were the highest contributor in all other age groups.”