title: Population-based epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in an ageing Europe--the French register of ALS in Limousin (FRALim register).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of establishing the French register of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Limousin region (FRALim), was to assess the incidence of ALS, in this ageing region of Europe, over a 12-year period (2000-2011).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were included if they lived in Limousin at the time of diagnosis of ALS according to El Escorial revised criteria and were identified by at least one of the following sources: (i) the French national body coordinating ALS referral centres; (ii) public and private hospitals in the region; (iii) health insurance data related to long-term diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FRALim register identified 279 incident cases (2000-2011). The crude and European population standardized incidences of ALS were as high as 3.19/100,000 person-years of follow-up (95% CI 2.81-3.56) and 2.58/100,000 person-years of follow-up (95% CI 2.27-2.89) respectively. Median age at onset was 70.8 years (interquartile range 63.1-77.1). The standardized sex incidence ratio (male/female) was 1.3 overall, but 1.1 under the age of 65 years, 1.7 between 65 and 75 years and 1.9 above 75 years. The exhaustiveness of the register has been estimated at 98.4% (95% CI 95.6-99.4) by capture-recapture analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was possible for the first time in France to monitor accurately the incidence of ALS over a long time period. It appears to be in the upper range of data reported in western countries. Patterns displayed here might anticipate the epidemiology of ALS in ageing western countries.
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Limoges, France; Université de Limoges, School of Medicine, Institute of Neuroepidemiology and Tropical Neurology, CNRS FR 3503 GEIST, Limoges, France; CHU Limoges, Unité Fonctionnelle de Recherche Clinique et de Biostatistique, Limoges, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamidou
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Couratier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicol
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delzor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raymondeau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Druet-Cabanac
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lautrette
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boumediene
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Preux
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: France; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; epidemiology; incidence; population register