Global, Regional, and National Epidemiological Burden of Motor Neuron Disease: A Comprehensive Assessment of Prevalence, Incidence, Mortality, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years with Projections to 2036.

BACKGROUND

Motor neuron disease (MND), a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, poses significant challenges to healthcare systems. Existing research has limitations, such as sparse data in some regions, insufficient exploration of sociodemographic impacts, and a lack of long-term burden projections. Understanding its global, regional, and national impact is crucial for healthcare planning.

OBJECTIVE

This study comprehensively evaluates the worldwide MND burden from 1990 to 2021, forecasts trends until 2036, and identifies key determinants of disease burden changes. The findings aim to support evidence-based healthcare resource allocation and policy-making.

METHOD: Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database were analyzed for 204 countries and territories. Analytical methods included trend analysis, Joinpoint regression, sociodemographic index (SDI) correlation, age-period-cohort modeling, decomposition analysis, and autoregressive integrated moving average projections.

RESULTS

From 1990 to 2021, global MND cases, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) increased, while age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates declined. Disease burden varied by gender and age, and had nonlinear associations with SDI. Decomposition analysis showed population growth and aging worsened the absolute burden. Projections indicated different post-2021 trends by gender, with a projected rise in male DALYs.

CONCLUSIONS

MND burden has grown globally, with variations by gender, age, and socioeconomic status. Targeted public health interventions, better diagnostic strategies, and more research on etiological factors are needed. The findings help with healthcare planning for MND.