Cost of disorders of the brain in Italy

• Published in: Neurological sciences 2008-04, Vol.29 (2), p.99-107
• Main Authors: Pugliatti, Maura, Sobocki, Patrik, Beghi, Ettore, Pini, Stefano, Cassano, Giovanni B., Altamura, A. Carlo, Pozzoli, Sara, Rosati, Giulio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Brain Diseases - economics; Brain Diseases - epidemiology; Brain Diseases - therapy; Brain Neoplasms - economics; Brain Neoplasms - epidemiology; Brain Neoplasms - therapy; Cost of Illness; Economics - statistics & numerical data; Female; Health Care Costs - statistics & numerical data; Health Care Costs - trends; Humans; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental Disorders - economics; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Multiple Sclerosis - economics; Multiple Sclerosis - epidemiology; Multiple Sclerosis - therapy; National Health Programs - economics; Neurology; Neurology - economics; Neurology - statistics & numerical data; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Original Article; Prevalence; Psychiatry
• ISSN: 1590-1874; 1590-3478
• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-008-0868-7

The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of “brain” disorders in Italy. Country-specific prevalence and health-economic data on addiction, affective, anxiety and psychotic disorders, tumours, dementia, epilepsy, migraine/other headaches, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and head trauma were reviewed. Direct medical/non-medical and indirect costs were computed. Population-based samples and national or regional registries were used. The Italian population expected with a brain disorder was 12.4 million in 2004. The highest cost per case was for tumours and multiple sclerosis; the lowest was for anxiety disorders and migraine. Dementia (€8.6 billion), psychotic and affective disorders (€18.7 billion), migraine (€3.5 billion) and stroke (€3.4 billion) represented the highest total costs. Direct medical costs were predominant for psychiatric and neurosurgical disorders, direct non-medical costs for dementia, and indirect costs for neurological disorders. The total cost of brain disorders in Italy was €40.8 billion, 3% of the gross national product, and €706 per Italian citizen/year. This figure is however likely to be underestimated as it is based on retrospective methodology and samples of brain disorders, and does not include intangible costs.