title: Neurological disease in a defined population: the results of a pilot study in two general practices.
abstract: A pilot study was set up to ascertain incident neurological disorders occurring in 25,000 people attending two general-practice surgeries for a period of 1 year. To achieve completeness of ascertainment and diagnostic validity poses considerable logistical and theoretical difficulties, and these are discussed. The commonest disorders (incidence in parentheses) were headaches (210/100,000), back syndromes (319/100,000), acute cerebrovascular disease (128/100,000), and migraine (64/100,000), with non-specific symptoms the most common problem overall (514/100,000). The incidence of Parkinson's disease was 26/100,000 and that of epilepsy 23/100,000. The pilot study will form the basis for a more comprehensive linkage scheme between the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London and surrounding general practices with a total base population of 100,000.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK.
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Cockerell
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Goodridge
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brodie
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Shorvon
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012923:Social Class