Background: Neurological disorders impose a significant health burden globally, particularly in regions like North Africa and the Middle East (NAME) with unique healthcare and societal challenges. Despite progress in addressing neurological conditions, understanding the burden in pediatric and adolescent populations remains limited. This study analyzes the trends and burden of neurological conditions in individuals under 20 years old across the NAME super region from 1990 to 2021 using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data. Methods: GBD 2021 data were analyzed to assess prevalence, incidence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and mortality rates. The data were stratified by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI). Population attributable fraction was used to estimate the burden attributable to risk factors, and uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated using 500 posterior draws, reporting 95% UIs based on the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. All visualizations and analyses were conducted using Python (version 3.12.4). Results: Neurological condition prevalence in 2021 was 21,797.5 per 100,000, with tension-type headaches and migraines accounting for the majority of cases. Idiopathic epilepsy remained a leading cause of mortality, although it had a decrease of −50.9% in YLLs compared to 1990. Migraine affected about 9,161.9 per 100,000, increasing by 9.9% from 1990. It also accounted for the highest YLD rate (350.9). Despite decreases in YLLs and deaths, YLDs showed minimal change. Similarly, DALYs did not show significant change from 1990 (17.9%; 95% UI: −12.17 to 36.05). Higher SDI was associated with reduced DALYs but increased prevalence and YLDs. Conclusion: The burden of neurological disorders in pediatric and adolescent populations in NAME highlights regional disparities and the need for targeted healthcare strategies. Enhanced screening, early diagnosis, and management are essential to reducing the burden of these disorders.

1.
GBD 2016 Neurology Collaborators
.
Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
.
Lancet Neurol
.
2019
;
18
(
5
):
459
80
.
2.
World Health Organization
.
World report on ageing and health
.
World Health Organization
;
2015
.
3.
GBD 2021 Nervous System Disorders Collaborators
.
Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
.
Lancet Neurol
.
2024
;
23
(
4
):
344
81
.
4.
World Health Organization
.
Optimizing brain health across the life course: WHO position paper
.
World Health Organization
;
2022
.
5.
Kanmounye
US
,
Abu-Bonsrah
N
,
Shlobin
NA
,
Djoutsop
OM
.
Letter: the world health organization's intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022-2031
.
Neurosurgery
.
2022
;
90
(
6
):
e201
3
.
6.
Koenig
HG
,
Al Shohaib
S
.
Religious involvement and psychological well-being in the Middle East
.
Int J Psychiatry Med
.
2024
;
59
(
3
):
341
59
.
7.
Phillimore
P
,
Sibai
AM
,
Rizk
A
,
Maziak
W
,
Unal
B
,
Abu Rmeileh
N
, et al
.
Context-led capacity building in time of crisis: fostering non-communicable diseases (NCD) research skills in the Mediterranean Middle East and North Africa
.
Glob Health Action
.
2019
;
12
(
1
):
1569838
.
8.
Alshehari
AH
,
Al-Selwi
AA
,
Agu
SA
,
Younes
MA
.
Measuring progress towards universal health coverage in 22 Middle East and North African countries
.
Dialogues Health
.
2024
;
5
:
100191
.
9.
GBD 2021 Risk Factors Collaborators
.
Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
.
Lancet
.
2024
;
403
(
10440
):
2162
203
.
10.
GBD 2021 Diseases and Injuries Collaborators
.
Global incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
.
Lancet
.
2024
;
403
(
10440
):
2133
61
.
11.
Naghavi
M
,
Ong
KL
,
Aali
A
,
Ababneh
HS
,
Abate
YH
,
Abbafati
C
, et al
.
Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
.
Lancet
.
2024
;
403
(
10440
):
2100
32
.
12.
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
.
GBD compare data visualization
;
2017
. Available from: http://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare
13.
Afghanistan epilepsy society.
14.
Sawyer
SM
,
Afifi
RA
,
Bearinger
LH
,
Blakemore
S-J
,
Dick
B
,
Ezeh
AC
, et al
.
Adolescence: a foundation for future health
.
The lancet
.
2012
;
379
(
9826
):
1630
40
.
15.
GBD 2021 Diseases and Injuries Collaborators
;
Santomauro
DF
,
Aali
A
,
Abate
YH
,
Abbafati
C
,
Abbastabar
H
.
Global incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
.
Lancet
.
2024
;
403
(
10440
):
2133
61
.
16.
GBD 2016 Epilepsy Collaborators
.
Global, regional, and national burden of epilepsy, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
.
Lancet Neurol
.
2019
;
18
(
4
):
357
75
.
17.
Zimmern
V
,
Korff
C
.
Status epilepticus in children
.
J Clin Neurophysiol
.
2020
;
37
(
5
):
429
33
.
18.
Mateen
FJ
,
Carone
M
,
Haskew
C
,
Spiegel
P
.
Reportable neurologic diseases in refugee camps in 19 countries
.
Neurology
.
2012
;
79
(
9
):
937
40
.
19.
Sen
A
,
Hallab
A
,
Cross
JH
,
Sander
JW
,
Newton
CR
.
Optimising epilepsy care throughout the Afghan refugee crisis
.
Lancet
.
2021
;
398
(
10311
):
1563
.
20.
Akdaǧ
R
.
Lessons from health transformation in Turkey: leadership and challenges
.
Health Syst Reform
.
2015
;
1
(
1
):
3
8
.
21.
Bener
A
,
Alayoglu
N
,
Çatan
F
,
Torun
P
,
Yilmaz
ES
.
Health services management in Turkey: failure or success
.
Int J Prev Med
.
2019
;
10
:
30
.
22.
GBD 2019 North Africa and the Middle East Neurology Collaborators
.
The burden of neurological conditions in north Africa and the Middle East, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
.
Lancet Glob Health
.
2024
;
12
(
6
):
e960
82
.
23.
Thompson
AJ
,
Banwell
BL
,
Barkhof
F
,
Carroll
WM
,
Coetzee
T
,
Comi
G
, et al
.
Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: 2017 revisions of the McDonald criteria
.
Lancet Neurol
.
2018
;
17
(
2
):
162
73
.
24.
Anazodo
UC
,
Ng
JJ
,
Ehiogu
B
,
Obungoloch
J
,
Fatade
A
,
Mutsaerts
H
, et al
.
A framework for advancing sustainable magnetic resonance imaging access in Africa
.
NMR Biomed
.
2023
;
36
(
3
):
e4846
.
25.
GBD 2016 Multiple Sclerosis Collaborators
.
Global, regional, and national burden of multiple sclerosis 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
.
Lancet Neurol
.
2019
;
18
(
3
):
269
85
.
26.
D’Amico
E
,
Chisari
CG
,
Gitto
L
,
Zanghì
A
,
Toscano
S
,
Patti
F
.
Pharmacoeconomics of synthetic therapies for multiple sclerosis
.
Expert Opin Pharmacother
.
2019
;
20
(
11
):
1331
40
.
27.
Heydarpour
P
,
Khoshkish
S
,
Abtahi
S
,
Moradi-Lakeh
M
,
Sahraian
MA
.
Multiple sclerosis epidemiology in Middle East and North Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
.
Neuroepidemiology
.
2015
;
44
(
4
):
232
44
.
28.
Abbastabar
H
,
Bitarafan
S
,
Mohammadpour
Z
,
Mohammadianinejad
SE
,
Harirchian
MH
.
The trend of incidence, prevalence, and DALY of multiple sclerosis in the Middle East and Northern Africa region compared to global, West Europe and, Iran's corresponding values during 1990–2017: retrieved from global burden of diseases data
.
Mult Scler Relat Disord
.
2021
;
52
:
102949
.
29.
Özoğuz
A
,
Uyan
Ö
,
Birdal
G
,
Iskender
C
,
Kartal
E
,
Lahut
S
, et al
.
The distinct genetic pattern of ALS in Turkey and novel mutations
.
Neurobiol Aging
.
2015
;
36
(
4
):
1764.e9
e18
.
30.
Tunca
C
,
Şeker
T
,
Akçimen
F
,
Coşkun
C
,
Bayraktar
E
,
Palvadeau
R
, et al
.
Revisiting the complex architecture of ALS in Turkey: expanding genotypes, shared phenotypes, molecular networks, and a public variant database
.
Hum Mutat
.
2020
;
41
(
8
):
e7
45
.
31.
Steiner
TJ
,
Stovner
LJ
,
Jensen
R
,
Uluduz
D
,
Katsarava
Z
;
Lifting The Burden: the Global Campaign against Headache
.
Migraine remains second among the world's causes of disability, and first among young women: findings from GBD2019
.
J Headache Pain
.
2020
;
21
(
1
):
137
.
32.
Samara
M
,
Hammuda
S
,
Vostanis
P
,
El-Khodary
B
,
Al-Dewik
N
.
Children's prolonged exposure to the toxic stress of war trauma in the Middle East
.
BMJ
.
2020
;
371
:
m3155
.
33.
GBD 2019 Diseases and Injuries Collaborators
.
Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
.
Lancet
.
2020
;
396
(
10258
):
1204
22
.
34.
Moghaddam
V
,
Tamaddon
A
,
Nezhad
M
,
Abbasi
M
,
Seyedhasani
S
,
Sarmadi
M
.
Environmental factors: possible reasons for higher incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in high-income countries
.
Int Arch Health Sci
.
2021
;
8
(
2
):
97
.
35.
Safiri
S
,
Pourfathi
H
,
Eagan
A
,
Mansournia
MA
,
Khodayari
MT
,
Sullman
MJM
, et al
.
Global, regional, and national burden of migraine in 204 countries and territories, 1990 to 2019
.
Pain
.
2022
;
163
(
2
):
e293
309
.
36.
Stewart
WF
,
Roy
J
,
Lipton
RB
.
Migraine prevalence, socioeconomic status, and social causation
.
Neurology
.
2013
;
81
(
11
):
948
55
.
37.
Wanigasinghe
J
,
Sahu
JK
,
Madaan
P
,
Fatema
K
,
Linn
K
,
Chand
P
, et al
.
Classifying etiology of infantile spasms syndrome in resource-limited settings: a study from the South Asian region
.
Epilepsia Open
.
2021
;
6
(
4
):
736
47
.
38.
Feigin
VL
,
Vos
T
,
Nichols
E
,
Owolabi
MO
,
Carroll
WM
,
Dichgans
M
, et al
.
The global burden of neurological disorders: translating evidence into policy
.
Lancet Neurol
.
2020
;
19
(
3
):
255
65
.
You do not currently have access to this content.