Unravelling the Evolution of Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality: Insights from 50 Years of Belgian Data

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are an increasingly pressing public health concern. This study investigates spatiotemporal variations in NDD mortality, focusing on dementias and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in Belgium from 1970 to 2020. Age-standardized mortality rates for the population aged 45 or older were calculated using indirect standardization methods, referencing 1970 rates and averaging deaths over 3 year-periods for stability. Spatial representations were created using mapping techniques. Moran’s I tests assessed spatial autocorrelation. The findings reveal shifts in dementia classifications, with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) superseding dementia from 1980 to 1993, and later, dementia-related deaths surpassing AD deaths. Spatially, dementia ICD-codes clustered in Flanders while AD codes clustered in the Walloon region. PD-related deaths doubled from 1997 to 2020, with a shift from higher female proportions before 2004 to increased male rates from 2004 to 2020. Spatial analysis shows a notable rise in PD mortality rates in the Walloon region by 2000, yet a contrasting pattern was found in 2019. More research is needed to explore other explanatory factors for spatial variations beyond registration practices.