Prevalence of parkinsonism in Assiut clinical and epidermiological study

ABSTRACT

Parkinson's disease probably occurs throughout the world. Epidemiological study of parkinsonism in Egypt is deficient. The present work aimed to study epidemiological and clinical data about parkinsonism in Assiut Upper Egypt. A representative sample of 42.000 subjects [7,000 families] which included different communities [urban, suburban and rural] were studied. Prevalence of parkinsonism in Assiut was 226/100,000. The atherosclerotic type was the most prevalent one [155/100,000] followed by post-encephalitic type [33/100,000] then drug-induced parkinsonism [24/100,000] and lastly paralysis agitans [14/100,000]. Paralysis agitans was observed at an age range from 50 to < 60 years, post-encephalitic from 30 to 40 years and atherosclerotic type from age period 50 t o < 70 years with maximum age range from 60 < 70 years and drug induced type in age period from 30 to < 40 years. All types of parkinsonism were more prevalent in rural areas than suburban and urban areas except paralysis agitans which was more prevalent in urban areas. Tremors, rigidity and hypokinesia represented the main presentation of different types of prkinsonism. Hypertension and diabetes were significantly higher in atherosclerotic parkinsonism than in controls [P < 0.05]. Heavy smoking was significantly [P < 0.05] incriminated among paients with the atherosclerotic type