One of the first prevalence studies in Catalonia was performed in 12 municipalities of Osona (Bufill et t, Neurology 1995). It was conducted between 1989 and 1994 (prevalence day December 31, 1991). The sources of information wre the Osona health system and other public and private hospitals in the city of Barcelona which provided assistance to patients resident in Osona . According to Poser diagnostic criteria the authors identified 42 patients with MS, of whom 39 had clinically definite MS and 3 probable MS. The overall prevalence in the region was 58 cases per 100,000 population.
In 2009 as a result of the collaboration between the Hospital General de Vic, the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, University Hospital Vall d'Hebron and the CEM-Cat, we launched a new prevalence study in the same Osona region with the aim to determine the possible change in prevalence over the last 18 years. A similar methodology to previous study was used, with an active search for cases, using the public and private health network in Osona and the main hospitals in Barcelona and Girona.
Research team
Enric Bufill |
Hospital General de Vic |
Susana Otero |
Hospital Vall d’Hebron |
Josep Vaque |
Hospital Vall d’Hebron |
Pere Roura |
Hospital General de Vic |
Jacint Alimitas |
Hospital General de Vic |
Judit Solà |
Hospital General de Vic |
Jaume Sastre-Garriga | CEM-Cat |
Carlos Nos | CEM-Cat |
Xavier Montalban |
CEM-Cat |