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Biomedical subjects

G Gururaj

Publications and source records attributed to G Gururaj.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Epilepsy control program in India: a district model.

Based on data originating from neuroepidemiologic studies in India, epilepsy has been identified as a public health problem. The treatment gap varies from 50 to 70% among persons with epilepsy and is compounded further by limited availability of neurologists, often working in urban metropolises, thus restricting the availability of services in a predominantly rural agrarian country. Cost-effective, sustainable epilepsy care programs are urgently required in India. To bridge this wide gap, a district model was developed with the central focus on training the district medical officers in providing epilepsy care with sensitization of state health administrators and nodal neurologists to support and sustain the program. Workshops were conducted for all three groups during the period 1999-2001, with the involvement of 21 state health administrators, 148 district medical officers, and 28 neurologists. Preliminary evaluation indicates a growing interest, enthusiastic commitment, and willingness among health professionals to expand epilepsy care to the periphery. The program revealed that it is possible to reach people with epilepsy on the premise of early diagnosis and management, need-based referral network, and a rational planning for uninterrupted availability of antiepileptic drugs along with education of families. Policy-level initiatives are required further to transform this on a wider scale and to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of this approach.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed2002

Epidemiology of traumatic brain injuries: Indian scenario.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, disability and socioeconomic losses in India and other developing countries. Specific topics addressed in this paper include magnitude of the problem, causes, context of injury occurrence, risk factors, severity, outcome and impact of TBIs on rapidly transforming societies. It is estimated that nearly 1.5 to 2 million persons are injured and 1 million succumb to death every year in India. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause (60%) of TBIs followed by falls (20%-25%) and violence (10%). Alcohol involvement is known to be present among 15%-20% of TBIs at the time of injury. The rehabilitation needs of brain injured persons are significantly high and increasing from year to year. India and other developing countries face the major challenges of prevention, pre-hospital care and rehabilitation in their rapidly changing environments to reduce the burden of TBIs.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2001

Hunting genes in Parkinson's disease from the roots.

Parkinson's disease (PD), a common, neurodegenerative disorder, has a worldwide distribution. The genetic basis of PD is not well understood, although some recent leads have emerged. Epidemiological studies suggest that there is significant variation in the prevalence of PD between different populations and rates are highest in populations of European origin. Significant differences in molecular pathology in PD and control brain tissue have been observed between African, British and Indian populations. In view of this epidemiological and pathological evidence, it is proposed that allelic variations in genes that predispose to PD may account for the ethnic variation. Advances in our knowledge about the human genome will allow us to make detailed comparisons between affected and control subjects in different populations. This may help us to understand the reasons for the variation, and a better understanding of the genetic processes underlying the disease process.

Genetics, Population↗
PubMed1996

Neuro-epidemiological pilot survey of an urban population in a developing country. A study in Bangalore, south India.

A feasibility study was conducted in an urban population of 3,040 in Bangalore, South India, to understand the baseline characteristics, evaluate screening questionnaires, identify potential problems and determine the magnitude of the problems. The target population was selected by a random method, from four census enumeration blocks of a specific urban area. A two-phase study design was adopted consisting of screening by trained field investigators in the initial stage and clinical examination by a neurologist in the second stage. The information was collected by an interview method on a house-to-house basis. Evaluation of the screening instruments yielded high sensitivity and specificity rates, and it became clear that there is a need to reduce false-positive results in the screening questionnaire for individuals above 7 years of age. The prevalence of neurological disorders was 32.8 per 1,000 population (with a rate of 7.8/1,000 for epilepsy). It appears feasible to detect a wide range of neurological disorders using the methods described.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Suicidal ideas during premenstrual phase.

The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of suicidal ideas and death wish among 296 women from urban, rural, industrial and college populations. Suicidal ideas and/or death wish during premenstrual period were reported by 30 (10%) subjects, more so among college students and industrial working women and less among housewives. Premenstrual symptoms, like depression, irritability, mood swings, sense of losing control and water retention, were significantly more often reported by women who had suicidal ideas as compared with women without suicidal ideas.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Correlates of hot water epilepsy in rural south India: a descriptive study.

Seizures precipitated by the stimulus of hot water known as 'hot water epilepsy' (HWE) have been commonly reported from South India. The present report outlines certain descriptive epidemiological aspects of 78 cases from two rural satellite clinics of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India. Geographical clustering was observed in one of the centres. HWE was common in the age group of 26-35 years with a male to female ratio of 3.6:1. The frequency of seizure occurrence was more than 1-4 attacks/month in 89% of cases. Past history of febrile convulsions and family history of HWE was noticed in 27 and 18% of our cases, respectively. The conversion of reflex to nonreflex epilepsy occurred in 30.8% of cases. Population-based epidemiological studies are essential for further understanding of HWE for developing strategies towards prevention and control.

Adolescent↗