Neuroepidemiology: from science to medical practice

Neuroepidemiology is the study of geographical and temporal distribution of incidence and mortality rates and determinants of neurological disorders in human populations. These data are becoming essential because neurological disorders are a major concern in public health due to their frequency, their severity, the fact that they can now be treated and their cost. Neuroepidemiology includes all types of studies in humans from case reports to randomized controlled trials. It is situated in the context of human ecology. It concerns interactions between populations and their environment characterized by a great diversity of endogenous and exogenous factors acting on individuals. It evaluates also the impact of medical practices on the natural history of neurological disorders. To measure the burden of disease as well as geographical and temporal trends of disease markers, data from hospital and extra-hospital sources are necessary. This underlines the importance of population-based data, while big-data will be a useful complementary tool. Finally, epidemiological data are also necessary to design therapeutic trials and to provide support and orientations to public health policy. This issue of Revue Neurologique attempts to respond to all these questions.