THE KINMEN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS SURVEY (KINDS) - A STUDY OF A CHINESE POPULATION

We conducted an epidemiological study of several neurological disorder s among the Chinese aged 50 years or older on the islet of Kinmen. All participants were interviewed and examined by neurologists. From the targeted population of 5,061 individuals, 3,915 (77.4%) of them comple ted the evaluations, Among the 4,087 individuals with whom face-to-fac e contact was made, the refusal rate was 4.2%. The disorders of intere st were dementia, Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, stroke, trans ient ischemic attacks, and migraine. Among the 3,915 participants, 366 cases were found with 1 or more of the surveyed neurological disorder s on the prevalence day, August 1, 1993, yielding a prevalence of 93.5 /1,000. The purpose of this study, the general methodology, anti same overall findings are presented in this communication in order to provi de a common background for detailed findings on each disorder to be re ported separately.