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Background: Clinical disease registries are useful for quality improvement in care, benchmarking standards, and facilitating research. Collaborative networks established thence can enhance national and international studies by generating more robust samples and credible data and promote knowledge sharing and capacity building. This report describes the methodology, baseline data, and prospects of the Nigeria Parkinson Disease Registry., Methods: This national registry was established in November 2016. Ethics approval was obtained for all sites. Basic anonymized data for consecutive cases fulfilling the United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Brain Bank criteria (except the exclusion criterion of affected family members) are registered by participating neurologists via a secure registry website (www.parkinsonnigeria.com) using a minimal common data capture format., Results: The registry had captured 578 participants from 5 of 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria by July 2019 (72.5% men). Mean age at onset was 60.3 ± 10.7 years; median disease duration (interquartile range) was 36 months (18-60.5 months). Young-onset disease (<50 years) represented 15.2%. A family history was documented in 4.5% and 7.8% with age at onset <50 and ≥ 50, respectively. The most frequent initial symptom was tremor (45.3%). At inclusion, 93.4% were on treatment (54.5% on levodopa monotherapy). Per-capita direct cost for the registry was $3.37., Conclusions: This is the first published national Parkinson's disease registry in sub-Saharan Africa. The registry will serve as a platform for development of multipronged evidence-based policies and initiatives to improve quality of care of Parkinson's disease and research engagement in Nigeria. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society., (© 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.)

This study is aimed at assessing the impact of seizure frequency on the cognitive performance of epileptic adult patients in a rural community in South Eastern Nigeria. A total of 51 patients with epilepsy (33 males and 18 females) with a mean age of 30.7 ± 12.1 years and 51 age and sex matched controls participated in this study. The cognitive performances of the people with epilepsy and controls were assessed using the Community Screening Interview for Dementia (CSID) and the computerized cognitive assessment test battery, the FePsy. The control group performed better in almost all the neurocognitive tests compared with the low seizure frequency (LSF) and high seizure frequency (HSF) groups. Analysis of covariance revealed that patients with LSF performed better (p = 0.04) in visual reaction time - dominant hand (VRT-D) compared with the HSF group. There was lack of significant differences in mean total CSID scores and mean sub-total scores for language, memory, orientation, attention, constructional praxis, auditory reaction time-dominant hand and non-dominant hand, VRT - non-dominant hand and figure recognition. HSF patients indicated significantly greater prevalence (80% vs. 20%; p = 0.020) and risk (OR, 8.0; 95% CI, 1.8-33.8)) of memory impairment, but not in the other neurocognitive domains compared with the LSF group. In conclusion, the present study indicated that adults with epilepsy performed poorly in a wide range of neurocognitive variables compared with the controls. However, no significant adverse effects of high seizure frequency were observed on almost all the neurocognitive variables., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Epilepsy is the commonest neurological disorder encountered in Sub-Saharan Africa. The quality of life of patients with epilepsy (PWEs) is adversely affected by cognitive impairments., Aim: This study investigated the prevalence and pattern of cognitive impairments in PWE in Ukpo community located in a South-Eastern state in Nigeria using Community Screening Interview for Dementia (CSID) and a computer-assisted cognitive test battery (FePsy)., Methods and Patients: Fifty-one PWEs were studied and compared with 51 age-, sex-and level of education-matched healthy controls. Diagnosis of epilepsy was confirmed clinically with eye-witness corroboration. Sociodemographic data and information on epilepsy variables were obtained with the aid of a questionnaire. Cognitive domains assessed include language, memory, orientation, attention, psychomotor speed and constructional praxis., Results: The prevalence rate of cognitive impairment using total CSID score was 19.6%. Analysis of CSID scores revealed significant impairment in language (17.6%), memory (29.4%), orientation (15.7%), attention (7.8%) and constructional praxis (15.7%) compared to healthy controls. A similar pattern was observed with FePsy but with better sensitivity indices for detecting cognitive impairment., Conclusion: This study indicated significant prevalence rate of cognitive impairment among treatment-naïve PWE with profound affectation of memory, mental speed and language. In addition, the FePsy was found to be more sensitive and specific in assessment of cognitive function in PWE.

Distal sensory polyneuropathy is a source of morbidity in HIV infection. This study aims to determine the frequency and effect of demographic and clinical variables on distal sensory polyneuropathy, among HIV-positive participants in south-east Nigeria. The study involved highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-naive, patients on HAART and HIV-negative matched controls conducted at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu south-east Nigeria. Distal sensory polyneuropathy was diagnosed with clinical evaluation and the use of Bio Thesiometer, 10 g monofilament and ankle reflex. There were 100 participants in each of the groups, comprising 109 (36.3%) men and 191 (63.7%) women, with median age of 35 years. About 42.5% (85/200) of the HIV-positive participants (37 drug naive and 48 on HAART) had distal sensory polyneuropathy. None in the control group had distal sensory polyneuropathy. Age (p = 0.02), height (p = 0.002), low haemoglobin (p = 0.03) and mean duration on HAART (p = 0.006) were significantly associated with distal sensory polyneuropathy, while gender (p = 0.497), body mass index (p = 0.657) and CD4 count (p = 0.482) did not affect distal sensory polyneuropathy. Low haemoglobin, height, and duration on HAART were independent risk factors for distal sensory polyneuropathy. Addressing correctable causes of anaemia, and alternatives to neurotoxic HAART may minimize the risk of distal sensory polyneuropathy.

Objectives: To ascertain incidence rates of central nervous system infections and provide information for health care planners., Design: A two-stage screening through supervised case referrals and diagnostic evaluation at referral centre to establish a register of CNS infections., Setting: A rural community in the rainforest zone of Nigeria with land area of 186500 m2, average daily temperature of 28 degrees C, annual rainfall of 2080 mm, adult population of 109851 and served by 26 primary, three secondary and twelve comprehensive care facilities. More than two per cent of the populations live in waterlogged areas., Subjects: Adults aged sixteen years and above, constituting incident cases of CNS infections., Main Outcome Measures: Incident CNS infections per 100,000 populations averaged over a two year observational period., Results: Incidence rates were 3.6, 4.1, 2.3, 09, 1.8, 0.9 for acute bacterial meningitis, aseptic meningitis, rabies encephalitis, non-rabies encephalitis, tuberculous meningitis and chronic non-tuberculous meningoencephalitis, respectively. Syphilitic neuroarthropathy had 0.46., Conclusions: Mortality from acute pyogenic meningitis and tuberculous meningitis remained distressingly high. Aseptic meningitis had the highest incidence rate, yet remained inadequately emphasised. Rabies encephalitis was the third commonest cause of CNS infection in the area.

A questionnaire was administered to 53 male and female leprosy patients aged 17-78 years, randomly selected from four clinics in two Local Government Areas of the Eastern part of Nigeria to determine the impact of socio cultural factors on, and also to predict the chances of compliance at, leprosy control measures. About 60% of the patients indicated that traditional concepts were the likely factors explaining the aetiology of leprosy. Four patients were convinced about the microbial aetiology of leprosy. Traditional concepts of leprosy aetiology were significantly associated with mode of entry into the control programme (P < 0.025) and tendency to live within the vicinity of the leprosy clinics (P < 0.01) but not with clinic attendance rate of leprosy patients. The distance of patient's abode from clinic attended, some formal education and whether or not patient's spouses were alive, were not significantly associated with clinic attendance rate. There was a significant association between maleness, age less than 55 years (P < 0.025) as well as negative family attitude (P < 0.05) and irregular clinic attendance. Its implications therefore are to broadly categorize these at risk group at first contact and target towards them patient-holding methods as well as health education, targetted towards patients, their relations and the community.

Fifty-one patients were selected from 4 leprosaria in eastern Nigeria and were examined for evidence of syphilis. They were screened serologically for treponemal and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. Information about their sexual behaviour and demographic data were obtained to determine the factors associated with increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STD). They were compared with 115 controls. The results showed that positive treponemal tests were more common in those patients living outside the leprosaria (P < 0.05). Age and sex of the patients living inside the leprosaria were not factors associated with treponemal infections. Leprosy appeared to be a factor for T. pallidum infection when compared with the control group (P < 0.05; OR 476; CI 1.16, 19.5). One leprosy patient and one control subject had positive HIV tests and there was no significant association between leprosy and HIV infection. These findings suggest the possibility of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases amongst the leprosy patient population. The importance with respect to control measures is that leprosy patients living outside leprosaria may constitute a potential reservoir for introducing sexually transmitted diseases into the leprosaria.

Sixty-seven patients (27.9%) between 16 and 45 years, out of 240 cases of stroke seen over 33 months were further studied with respect to stroke type, aetiological and social factors. The frequency of non-embolic cerebral infarction was 58.2%, cerebral embolism 7.5%; cerebral haemorrhage 17.9%; primary subarachnoid haemorrhage 11.9%. Hypertension was the commonest aetiological factor occurring in 35.8% of the cases. Cervical spine hyperflexion, stenosing carotid arteritis, cocaine ingestion, mitral valve prolapse, non-valvular atrial fibrillation and chorion cancer featured among other less frequent but important factors presenting different diagnostic problems. The frequency of unexplained stroke was under 12%. The authors suggest that previously encountered cervical spine trauma among young stroke cases represent underreporting and that the relationship between young age, grand-multiparity and non-valvular atrial fibrillation be further elucidated.