title: Epidemiological characteristics of motor neuron disease in Chinese patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of motor neuron disease (MND) in Chinese patients are ill known.
  
  
  METHODS
  A registered study of 461 MND patients was conducted across 10 facilities in 7 Chinese cities from February 2009 to March 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were classified as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (84.4%), progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) (4.1%), progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) (10.4%), or primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) (0.9%). MND was predominant in men (men/women; 1.6:1.0). Mean onset age was 52.6 years, with the highest incidence being observed between 51 and 60 years. Notably, 26.0% of MND patients were employed in forestry, fishery, or animal husbandry industries. Ten cases (2.7%) reported family history of MND, and 54.2% exhibited cervical onset. MND was also associated with head/neck trauma. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation was the most common supportive therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a novel comprehensive report of a Chinese population, this study reveals that epidemiological characteristics of MND patients were similar to those observed in international populations. MND is age-related, male gender predominant, and may be associated with both environmental and genetic risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Riluzole; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; epidemiology; motor neuron disease; nervous system disease