Neuroepidemiology is a science of incidence,

prevalence In epidemiology, prevalence is the proportion of a particular population found to be affected by a medical condition (typically a disease or a risk factor such as smoking or seatbelt use) at a specific time. It is derived by comparing the number o ...

risk factor In epidemiology, a risk factor or determinant is a variable associated with an increased risk of disease or infection. Due to a lack of harmonization across disciplines, determinant, in its more widely accepted scientific meaning, is often use ...

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

and

prognosis Prognosis ( Greek: πρόγνωσις "fore-knowing, foreseeing"; : prognoses) is a medical term for predicting the likelihood or expected development of a disease, including whether the signs and symptoms will improve or worsen (and how quickly) ...

of neurological disorders, as well as of experimental neuroepidemiology, which is research based on

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human subject research, human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel v ...

s of effectiveness or efficacy of various interventions in neurological disorders.

Publications

In 1982,

Karger Karger Publishers, also known as Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers and S. Karger AG, is an academic publisher of scientific and medical journals and books. The current CEO is Daniel Ebneter. History The company was founded in 1890 in Ber ...

set up a new

journal A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of personal secretive thoughts and as open book to personal therapy or used to feel connected to onesel ...

titled '' Neuroepidemiology''. This periodical was the first major international journal devoted to the study of neurological disease distribution and determinants of frequency in human populations. It publishes manuscripts on all aspects of epidemiology of neurological disorders, including clinical trials,

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

, health care delivery, as well as

research methodology In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...

. The founding editor-in-chief was Bruce Schoenberg. , George Jelinek, Head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit at The University of Melbourne, was posted as Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Neurology section.

Congresses

To present advances in non-experimental and experimental (clinical trials) epidemiology of neurological disorders, the First International Congress on Clinical Neurology and Epidemiology was held in 2009.

Programs and training

Several institutions in the United States offer formal training and research experience in neuroepidemiology, including: *Training scholarships are offered for pre- and post-doctoral scholars by the Epidemiology Department at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health *The Neuroepidemiology Training Program offered by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and *The University of Maryland Neuroepidemiology Training Program. In addition, the Center for Stroke Research in the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation at the

University of Illinois College of Medicine The University of Illinois College of Medicine offers a four-year program leading to the MD degree at four different sites in Illinois: Chicago, Peoria, Illinois, Peoria, Rockford, Illinois, Rockford, and formerly Champaign–Urbana metropolitan ...

offers a

fellowship A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...

in neuroepidemiology. Michigan State University also offers a neuroepidemiology fellowship as part of the International Neurologic & Psychiatric Epidemiology Program. As the field of neuroepidemiology continues to expand, research groups have developed at some of the leading medical research institutes across the United States. Currently active research groups can be found at: *The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health's e-Brain research group has multiple ongoing research projects. Their conceptual model highlights the use of

neuroimaging Neuroimaging is the use of quantitative (computational) techniques to study the neuroanatomy, structure and function of the central nervous system, developed as an objective way of scientifically studying the healthy human brain in a non-invasive ...

in their research. *Harvard University's School of Public Health. At HSPH the Neuroepidemiology Research Group is actively investigation neurological diseases including

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

, and

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...

, among others. *The University of California, San Francisco has developed a Neuroepidemiology Research Group through the USCF Department of Neurological Surgery. Other prominent organizations such as the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Kaiser Permanente have established research programs in neuroepidemiology. The

American Academy of Neurology The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is a professional society representing over 40,000 neurologists and neuroscientists. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1948 by A.B. Baker of the University of Minnesota to advance the a ...

provides additional information on career paths in neuroepidemiology.American Academy of Neurology Career Paths in Neuroepidemiology
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References

{{Neuroscience Clinical neuroscience Epidemiology