TY - JOUR
T1 - Nodding syndrome
T2 - A scoping review
AU - Abd-Elfarag, Gasim Omer Elkhalifa
AU - Edridge, Arthur Wouter Dante
AU - Spijker, René
AU - Sebit, Mohamed Boy
AU - Boele van Hensbroek, Michaël
N1 - Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the Netherlands (0079 SSNSS). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Nodding syndrome (NS) is a debilitating yet often neglected neurological disease affecting thousands of children in several sub-Saharan African countries. The cause of NS remains unknown, and effective treatment options are lacking. Moreover, knowledge regarding NS is scarce and is based on a limited number of publications, with no comprehensive overview published to date. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to summarise the current evidence and identify existing knowledge gaps in order to help clinicians, scientists, and policymakers develop guidelines for prioritising this severe condition. We searched the Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Scopus, and Global Health Library databases in accordance with the PRISMA extension for scoping review guidance and in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and methodology for a scoping review, using keywords describing NS. We then extracted and presented the original data regarding the epidemiology, aetiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of NS, as well as community perceptions and the psychosocial and economic impact of NS. Out of 1470 identified articles, a total of 69 were included in this scoping review. Major gaps exist in understanding the aetiology and pathogenesis of NS. Future research is urgently needed not only to address these gaps, but also to study the treatment options, epidemiology, and psychosocial and economic impacts of NS. Innovative interventions and rehabilitation programmes designed to address the psychosocial and economic burdens associated with NS are also urgently needed.
AB - Nodding syndrome (NS) is a debilitating yet often neglected neurological disease affecting thousands of children in several sub-Saharan African countries. The cause of NS remains unknown, and effective treatment options are lacking. Moreover, knowledge regarding NS is scarce and is based on a limited number of publications, with no comprehensive overview published to date. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to summarise the current evidence and identify existing knowledge gaps in order to help clinicians, scientists, and policymakers develop guidelines for prioritising this severe condition. We searched the Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Scopus, and Global Health Library databases in accordance with the PRISMA extension for scoping review guidance and in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and methodology for a scoping review, using keywords describing NS. We then extracted and presented the original data regarding the epidemiology, aetiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of NS, as well as community perceptions and the psychosocial and economic impact of NS. Out of 1470 identified articles, a total of 69 were included in this scoping review. Major gaps exist in understanding the aetiology and pathogenesis of NS. Future research is urgently needed not only to address these gaps, but also to study the treatment options, epidemiology, and psychosocial and economic impacts of NS. Innovative interventions and rehabilitation programmes designed to address the psychosocial and economic burdens associated with NS are also urgently needed.
KW - Disease
KW - Nodding syndrome
KW - Sub-Saharan Africa
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121304305&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed6040211
DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed6040211
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34941667
SN - 2414-6366
VL - 6
JO - Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
JF - Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
IS - 4
M1 - 211
ER -