Background: The rapid advancement in telecommunications on the African continent has opened up avenues for improving medical care to underserved populations. Although the greatest burden of neurological disorders is borne by Low-and-Middle Income Countries (LMICs) including sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there is a profound paucity of neurologists to serve the population. Telemedicine presents a promising avenue for effective mobilization and utilization of the few neurologists in Africa.
Objective: To systematically review the published literature on the use of telemedicine for improved care and outcomes for patients with neurological disorders in SSA.
Methods: We searched PubMed and Cochrane library from January 1, 1980 to April 30, 2017 using the following keywords: "Telemedicine neurology Africa", "Teleneurology Africa", "Telestroke Africa", "Telerehabilitation Africa", "Telemedicine for epilepsy", "Telemedicine for Parkinson's disease Africa", "Telemedicine for dementia Africa", "Telehealth neurology Africa". Our inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials, or case series that reported the utilization of telemedicine for care/education of individuals with neurological disorders in sub-Saharan Africa.
Results: This search yielded 6 abstracts. By consensus between two investigators, 1 publication met the criteria for inclusion and further review. The one study identified utilized telemedicine for the purpose of improving education/knowledge of 16 doctors and 17 allied health professionals in Parkinson's disease (PD) in Cameroon. The study noted feasibility and satisfaction of participants with telemedicine as well as improved knowledge base of participants after the educational course but noted access to healthcare by patients did not change. No studies have evaluated the use of telemedicine for care of patients with neurological disorders.
Conclusion: The indication is that teleneurology may be feasible in SSA and studies are needed to assess feasibility, acceptability, efficacy, cost-effectiveness of this promising discipline of neurology in these resource-limited settings. We propose the setting up of trans‑continental, inter-regional, intra-regional, and national networks of neurologists to utilize teleneurology platforms to improve the reach of neurology care in SSA.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5678757 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2017.07.037 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Development and application of a clinical core data set for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease, dystonia or tremor: from data collection to data exchange and data sharing.
Neurol Res Pract
January 2025
Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), Haus D7, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Background: Comprehensive clinical data regarding factors influencing the individual disease course of patients with movement disorders treated with deep brain stimulation might help to better understand disease progression and to develop individualized treatment approaches.
Methods: The clinical core data set was developed by a multidisciplinary working group within the German transregional collaborative research network ReTune. The development followed standardized methodology comprising review of available evidence, a consensus process and performance of the first phase of the study.
Understanding retinal tau pathology through functional 2D and 3D iPSC-derived in vitro retinal models.
Acta Neuropathol Commun
January 2025
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
The generation of retinal models from human induced pluripotent stem cells holds significant potential for advancing our understanding of retinal development, neurodegeneration, and the in vitro modeling of neurodegenerative disorders. The retina, as an accessible part of the central nervous system, offers a unique window into these processes, making it invaluable for both study and early diagnosis. This study investigates the impact of the Frontotemporal Dementia-linked IVS 10 + 16 MAPT mutation on retinal development and function using 2D and 3D retinal models derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUlinastatin treatment mitigates glycocalyx degradation and associated with lower postoperative delirium risk in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a multicentre observational study.
Crit Care
January 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Background: Ulinastatin (UTI), recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties, holds promise for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between intraoperative UTI administration and the incidence of delirium following cardiac surgery.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on a retrospective cohort of 6,522 adult cardiac surgery patients to evaluate the relationship between UTI treatment and the incident of postoperative delirium (POD) in patients ongoing cardiac surgery.
Molecular and cellular characteristics of cerebrovascular cell types and their contribution to neurodegenerative diseases.
Mol Neurodegener
January 2025
The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Many diseases and disorders of the nervous system suffer from a lack of adequate therapeutics to halt or slow disease progression, and to this day, no cure exists for any of the fatal neurodegenerative diseases. In part this is due to the incredible diversity of cell types that comprise the brain, knowledge gaps in understanding basic mechanisms of disease, as well as a lack of reliable strategies for delivering new therapeutic modalities to affected areas. With the advent of single cell genomics, it is now possible to interrogate the molecular characteristics of diverse cell populations and their alterations in diseased states.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSexual dysfunction and quality of life across age groups in multiple sclerosis patients: a prospective cross-sectional analysis.
BMC Neurol
January 2025
School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Introduction: As the most frequent chronic neurological disorder in young adults, Multiple sclerosis (MS) significantly affects neurological function, particularly the autonomic nervous system. While the physical symptoms are visible, MS also causes hidden effects like sexual dysfunction. Research indicates that sexual disorders are more prevalent in MS patients compared to other neurological conditions and are approximately five times more common than in the general population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!