Neurological disorders in Northern Tanzania: a 6-year prospective hospital-based case series
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background:The burden of neurological disorders is large and altered by the HIV epidemic.
Objectives: We describe the pattern of neurological disorders and their association with HIV infection in adult patients attending a consultant hospital in Northern Tanzania.
Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we collected data on adult neurological referrals over a 6-year period between 2007-13. The odds of HIV infection, across neurological categories adjusted for age and sex, was calculated.
Results: Of 2037 participants, 54.8% were male and 45.2% were female. The median age of participants was 43 years. The results for HIV screening were available for 992/2037 (48.7%) patients, of whom 306 (30.8%) were seropositive. The most frequent neurological disorders were cerebrovascular disease (19.9%), paraplegia (13.6%), and peripheral neuropathies (8%). Taken together CNS infection accounted for 278/2037 (13.6%). The adjusted odds (aOR) of HIV infection was highest amongst infections; brain abscesses (aOR 107, 95% CI 35.1-470.4) and meningitis/encephalitis (aOR 40.1, 95% CI 13.6-172.9), but also raised in cerebrovascular disease, paraplegia, peripheral neuropathies, cranial nerve palsies, seizures, cerebllar disorders, movement disorders, motor neuron disease and
headache.
Conclusion: The main pattern of neurological disorders in Northern Tanzania is presented. The odds of HIV infection was highest in CNS infections and in a wide range of non-communicable neurological disorders.
Objectives: We describe the pattern of neurological disorders and their association with HIV infection in adult patients attending a consultant hospital in Northern Tanzania.
Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we collected data on adult neurological referrals over a 6-year period between 2007-13. The odds of HIV infection, across neurological categories adjusted for age and sex, was calculated.
Results: Of 2037 participants, 54.8% were male and 45.2% were female. The median age of participants was 43 years. The results for HIV screening were available for 992/2037 (48.7%) patients, of whom 306 (30.8%) were seropositive. The most frequent neurological disorders were cerebrovascular disease (19.9%), paraplegia (13.6%), and peripheral neuropathies (8%). Taken together CNS infection accounted for 278/2037 (13.6%). The adjusted odds (aOR) of HIV infection was highest amongst infections; brain abscesses (aOR 107, 95% CI 35.1-470.4) and meningitis/encephalitis (aOR 40.1, 95% CI 13.6-172.9), but also raised in cerebrovascular disease, paraplegia, peripheral neuropathies, cranial nerve palsies, seizures, cerebllar disorders, movement disorders, motor neuron disease and
headache.
Conclusion: The main pattern of neurological disorders in Northern Tanzania is presented. The odds of HIV infection was highest in CNS infections and in a wide range of non-communicable neurological disorders.
Date Issued
2022-05-03
Date Acceptance
2022-04-01
Citation
African Health Sciences, 2022, 22 (1), pp.269-284
ISSN
1680-6905
Publisher
Makerere University Medical School
Start Page
269
End Page
284
Journal / Book Title
African Health Sciences
Volume
22
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2022 Howlett WP et al. Licensee African Health Sciences. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36032440
PII: jAFHS.v22.i1.pg269
Subjects
BURDEN
DISEASE
disorder
EPIDEMIOLOGY
General & Internal Medicine
GUILLAIN-BARRE-SYNDROME
HIV
HIV-INFECTION
hospital
IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS-INFECTION
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Medicine, General & Internal
neurological
neurological disease
PREVALENCE
PRIMARY HEADACHE DISORDERS
Science & Technology
SOUTH-AFRICA
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Tanzania
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Uganda
Date Publish Online
2022-04-29