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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2008;79:30-32 doi:10.1136/jnnp.2007.117788
  • Paper

Epidemiology and clinical features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Ireland between 1995 and 2004

  1. O O’Toole1,
  2. B J Traynor2,
  3. P Brennan1,
  4. C Sheehan1,
  5. E Frost3,
  6. B Corr1,
  7. O Hardiman1,4
  1. 1
    Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital and RCSI, Dublin, Ireland
  2. 2
    SDGE, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
  3. 3
    Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association, Dublin, Ireland
  4. 4
    Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  1. Dr O Hardiman, Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, and Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 9, Ireland; ohard{at}iol.ie
  • Received 6 February 2007
  • Revised 17 June 2007
  • Accepted 25 June 2007
  • Published Online First 18 July 2007

Abstract

Background: We conducted a prospective, population based study to examine trends in incidence and prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Ireland from 1995 to 2004.

Methods: The Irish ALS Register was used to identify Irish residents diagnosed with ALS between the 3 year period from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1997 and the 3 year period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004.

Results: 465 Irish residents were diagnosed with ALS during the study periods. The annual incidence rate of ALS in Ireland remained stable over this time (2.0 cases per 100 000 person-years; 95% CI 1.9, 2.2). Median survival of Irish ALS patients was 16.4 months and did not change during the study period. Demographics and clinical features of the incident and prevalent Irish ALS cohorts were markedly different.

Footnotes

  • Funding: This research was supported by the Intramural Program of the NIMH (BJT) and by a grant from the ALS Association (PB and CS).

  • Competing interests:None.

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