Background: With aging, there is a parallel increase in the prevalence of dementia worldwide. The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of dementia among the population of Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt. Methods: Screening of all subjects aged ≥50 years (n = 8,173 out of 62,583 inhabitants) was done through a door-to-door survey by 3 neurologists, using a short standardized Arabic screening test and a modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were subjected to full clinical examination, psychometric assessment using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Hachinski Ischemic Score, DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations, when indicated. Results: The prevalence rate of dementia was 2.26% for the population aged ≥50 years. It increased steeply with age to a maximum of 18.48% for those aged ≥80 years. Alzheimer’s disease (51.2%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (28.7%), dementia due to general medical conditions (12.8%), and lastly dementia due to multiple etiologies (7.3%). Mild dementia was the commonest (53.7%). Conclusion: Dementia is prevalent in Egypt as elsewhere. Detection through a door-to-door surveyis the best method in developing countriesfor early detection of mild cases.

Dementia is one of the most important public health problems as a result of the rapid increase in the number of elderly persons worldwide. Improvement of prevention strategies and caring for people with dementia should be undertaken. We performed a door-to-door study to screen all subjects aged 50 years and older (n=4,329 of 33,285 inhabitants) in Al-Quseir city. The screening was performed by 3 neuropsychiatrists, using a modified form of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were subjected to case ascertainment according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, diagnostic criteria for dementia; full clinical assessment; psychometric assessment using Cognitive Abilities Screening Instruments, Hachinski Ischaemic Score, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale and the Geriatric Depression Scale; neuroimaging (computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging); and laboratory investigations for selected patients when indicated. The prevalence of dementia was 2.01% for participants aged 50 years or older and 3.83% for those aged 60 years or older. It increased steeply with increasing age to a maximum of 13.5% for those aged 80 years or older. Alzheimer's dementia (48.3%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (36.8%), dementia resulting from general medical conditions (11.5%), and last, dementia resulting from multiple etiologies (3.4%).

Farghly WMA, Ali FA. A clinical and neurophysiological study of scorpion envenomation in Assiut, Upper Egypt. Acta Paediatr 1999; 88: 290-4. Stockholm. ISSN 0803-5253 Scorpion envenomation (SE) represents an agonizing problem in many countries, especially in rural areas. This clinical and neurophysiological study aimed to determine the relative frequency of scorpion envenomation in the Assiut area, in Upper Egypt. Full clinical evaluation was carried out for all children 18 y of age included in the study. Electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG) and motor conduction velocity measurements were carried out for a variable number of children. SE was recorded in 302 cases per year in this area. Of these, 78.5% were 18 y of age. SE occurred most commonly during the summer months. Clinical evaluation revealed that SE results in marked autonomic manifestations, principally sinus tachycardia (78.1%), vomiting (70.5%) and hyperthermia (53.2%). It also results in many neuropsychiatric manifestations, such as agitation and restlessness (17.7%) and disturbance of consciousness (8.0%). Electroencephalographic study of 184 cases of SE in paediatric patients aged 18 y revealed abnormalities in 77.7%. Study of mean distal latency and motor conduction velocity revealed that patients had a significantly shorter distal latency and a more rapid motor conduction velocity compared with the control group. This was true for both the inflicted limb and the contralateral limb. Most of the complications of SE are due to irritability of the central and peripheral nervous systems. & Diffuse intravascular coagulopathy, distal latency, electroencephalography, electromyography, motor conduction velocity, scorpion envenomation

The knowledge of the prevalence of spinal cord disorders (SCD) is important to understand specific causes in each part of the worldand to allow to potentially adapt health care and public policy including law enforcement to the main causes. SCD have important personal, biopsychological, socio-economic, short-term and long-term consequences. An SCD is the underlying cause for 1 of every 40 patients admitted to a major trauma centre. The affected population consists primarily of young male adults. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and cause of SCD in Al-Quseir City, using a door-to-door method. The total of inhabitants was 33,285 in Al-Quseir City screened by 3 specialists of neurology. Suspected cases were subjected to full clinical assessment and MRI or CT of the spine. The prevalence rate of SCD was 63/100,000 for the total population. Traumatic spinal cord injury had a prevalence of 18/100,000, while non-traumatic SCD was found in 45/100,000. Degenerative cervical disc prolapse was the most common aetiology of SCD with a prevalence rate of 27/100,000.

No abstract