[Methodology of neuroepidemiological studies in tropical countries: a challenge?].

Pierre-Marie Preux (1, 2, 3) , Voa Ratsimbazafy (1, 4, 5) , Devender Bhalla (1) , Edgard Brice Ngoungou (1, 6) , Fabrice Quet (1) , Michel Druet-Cabanac (1, 7)

1 NET - Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale
2 SIME - Service de l'Information Médicale et de l'Évaluation [CHU Limoges]
3 Laboratoire de Biostatistique et d'Informatique Médicale
4 Service de Pharmacie Centrale [CHU Limoges]
5 UNILIM - Université de Limoges
6 Département de Parasitologie, Mycologie et Médecine Tropicale
7 Service de Santé au Travail [CHU Limoges]

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the difficulties of applying neuroepidemiological methods in low income countries or developing countries, which are mostly tropical countries, taking advantage of the experience of the Institute of Neuroepidemiology and Tropical Neurology, which was created in Limoges in 1982. These difficulties could be related to several aspects: methodological, logistical, political or economical, linked to ethical issues, even difficulties to publish the studies. However, concept and neuroepidemiological methods should stay the same worldwide, even if their translation into practice could sometimes raise some problems in developing countries. Study protocol should be more detailed. Some specific epidemiological methods could be useful. Collection of data should be standardized. True cooperation at every level is needed for these researches to be valid.

Domaines: Santé publique et épidémiologie

Pierre-Marie Preux, Voa Ratsimbazafy, Devender Bhalla, Edgard Brice Ngoungou, Fabrice Quet, et al.. [Methodology of neuroepidemiological studies in tropical countries: a challenge?].. Revue Neurologique, 2012, 168 (3), pp.211-5. ⟨10.1016/j.neurol.2011.12.003⟩. ⟨hal-00920792⟩