Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. At present, an estimated 46.8 million are afflicted with AD, or a similar dementia; however an aging population and rising life expectancies are expected to quadruple prevalence by 2050 (Prince et al., 2015; Brookmeyer et al., 2007).
Among the most common are epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and stroke. Neurological disorders are central and peripheral nervous system diseases, that is, they occur in the brain, spine, and multiple nerves that connect both.
Neurodegenerative disorders are primarily characterized by neuron loss. The most common neurodegenerative disorders include Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Although there are several medicines currently approved for managing neurodegenerative disorders, a large majority of them only help with associated symptoms.
Alzheimer's disease affects more than 6 million people. Autism spectrum disorder occurs in about 1 in 44 children. Brain tumors and other nervous system cancers are relatively rare, accounting for 1.3% of all cancers. Epilepsy impacts 1.2% of the population, including 3 million adults and 470,000 children.
Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are the most common neurodegenerative diseases. In the United States, as many as 6.2 million people may have Alzheimer's disease, ing to a report from the Alzheimer's Disease Association in 2022.