Global, regional, and national burden of motor neuron diseases, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

Abstract

Purpose: Healthcare planning and resource allocation require accurate estimates of the burden of motor neuron diseases (MNDs). This study evaluated the global impact of MNDs from 1990 to 2021 as part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021.

Methods: GBD 2021 data were used to assess the global burden of MNDs from 1990 to 2021 in terms of prevalence, incidence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and deaths. The relationship between MND burden and the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) was also examined.

Results: Globally, MNDs accounted for 272,732 prevalent cases (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 236,195-313,676), 64,178 incident cases (95% UI, 58,506-70,270), 1,040,566 DALYs (95% UI, 963,064-1,123,956), and 39,082 deaths (95% UI, 35,757-42,433) in 2021. The corresponding age-standardized rates per 100,000 people were 3.31 (95% UI, 2.86-3.80) for prevalence, 0.46 (95% UI, 0.42-0.49) for mortality, and 12.17 (95% UI, 11.24-13.15) for DALYs. From 1990 to 2021, the numbers of prevalent and incident cases increased, but their age-standardized rates decreased by 1.36% and 4.69%, respectively. By contrast, the age-standardized mortality rate increased by 19.84%. MND burden was generally higher in regions with a high SDI, although rates in high-income Asia Pacific were relatively low compared with those in regions with similar SDI values.

Conclusion: From 1990 to 2021, the absolute burden of MNDs increased, age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates declined slightly, and mortality-related burden increased. These trends underscore the need for evidence-based national and global healthcare planning. Geographic variation in MND burden may reflect regional differences in the roles of sociodemographic and genetic factors.