The crude prevalence rate varied from 967-4,070 per 100000 population with an average of 2394 per 100000 population. Based on this data it is estimated that for the current population of 1.27 billion, approximately 30 million people suffer from neurological disorders in India.

The overall prevalence of epilepsy ranges from 2.7 to 41 per 1000 population, though in the majority of reports the rate of active epilepsy (i.e. at least one seizure in the preceding fi ve years) is in the range 4–8 per 1000 (5, 10). The prevalence of active epilepsy is generally lower in industrialized countries than in developing countries, which may refl ect a lower prevalence of selected risk factors (mostly infections and traumas), a more stringent case verifi cation, and the exclusion of provoked and unprovoked isolated seizures.

• A diagnosis is the fi rst step towards planning for the future. There is no simple test to make a diagnosis. The diagnosis of AD is made by taking a careful account of the person’s problems from a close relative or friend, together with an examination of the person’s physical and mental state. It is important to exclude other conditions or illnesses that cause memory loss, including depression, alcohol problems and some physical illnesses with organic brain effects.

• In 25–30% of people with epilepsy the seizures cannot be controlled with drugs. Epilepsy surgery is a safe and effective alternative treatment in selected cases. Investment in epilepsy surgery centres, even in the poorest regions, could greatly reduce the economic and human burden of epilepsy. There is a marked treatment gap with respect to epilepsy surgery, however, even in industrialized countries. Attention to the psychosocial, cognitive, educational and vocational aspects is an important part of comprehensive epilepsy care. Epilepsy imposes an economic burden both on the affected individual and on society, e.g. the disorder commonly affects young people in the most productive years of their lives, often leading to avoidable unemployment.

• Uncertainty over the cause or development of MS implies that prevention is not currently a realistic option. Furthermore, there are no curative treatments available for MS (9). A number of disease- modifying drugs have been developed in the past 20 years, however, which reduce the number of attacks in the relapsing/remitting form of the disease. The extent to which eventual disease burden and disability are limited by use of the drugs is less clear. 

• Dementia affects every person in a different way. Its impact can depend on what the individuals were like before the disease: their personality, lifestyle, signifi cant relationships and physical health.

• Epilepsy is among the disorders that are strongly associated with signifi cant psychological and social consequences for everyday living (19). People with hidden disabilities such as epilepsy are among the most vulnerable in any society. While their vulnerability may be partly attributed to the disorder itself, the particular stigma associated with epilepsy brings a susceptibility of its own. Stigmatization leads to discrimination, and people with epilepsy experience prejudicial and discriminatory behaviour 

• Multiple sclerosis has a profound impact on patients’ social roles and the well-being of their families. Varying degrees of functional decline typically accompany MS. Because the onset is usually at about 30 years of age, the loss in productivity of people with MS can be substantial. Such functional decline will often interfere with the opportunities for people with MS to perform their customary roles. For example, physical disability — complicated by fatigue, depression and possibly cognitive impairment — contributes to an unemployment rate as high as 70% among people with MS.