The costs of disorders of the brain in Switzerland: an update from the European Brain Council Study for 2010

Andreas Maercker; Axel Perkonigg; Martin Preisig; Karl Schaller; Michael Weller; Cost of Disorders of the Brain in Europe Study Group

doi:10.4414/smw.2013.13751

Original article

Vol. 143 No. 0102 (2013)

The costs of disorders of the brain in Switzerland: an update from the European Brain Council Study for 2010

Andreas Maercker
Axel Perkonigg
Martin Preisig
Karl Schaller
Michael Weller
Cost of Disorders of the Brain in Europe Study Group

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2013.13751
Cite this as:: Swiss Med Wkly. 2013;143:w13751
Published: 30.12.2012

Summary

BACKGROUND: In 2005, findings of the first “cost of disorders of the brain in Europe” study of the European Brain Council (EBC) showed that these costs cause a substantial economic burden to the Swiss society. In 2010 an improved update with a broader range of disorders has been analysed. This report shows the new findings for Switzerland and discusses changes.

METHODS: Data are derived from the EBC 2010 census study that estimates 12-month prevalence of 12 groups of disorders of the brain and calculates costs (direct health-care costs, direct non-medical costs and indirect costs) by combining top-down and bottom up cost approaches using existing data.

RESULTS: The most frequent disorder was headache (2.3 million). Anxiety disorders were found in 1 million persons and sleep disorders in 700,000 persons. Annual costs for all assessed disorders total to 14.5 billion Euro corresponding to about 1,900 EUR per inhabitant per year. Mood, psychotic disorders and dementias (appr. 2 billion EUR each) were most costly. Costs per person were highest for neurological/neurosurgery-relevant disorders, e.g. neuromuscular disorders, brain tumour and multiple sclerosis (38,000 to 24,000 EUR).

CONCLUSION: The estimates of the EBC 2010 study for Switzerland provide a basis for health care planning. Increase in size and costs compared to 2005 are mostly due to the inclusion of new disorders (e.g., sleep disorders), or the re-definition of others (e.g., headache) and to an increase in younger cohorts. We suggest coordinated research and preventive measures coordinated between governmental bodies, private health-care and pharmaceutical companies.

References

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Andlin-Sobocki P, Jonsson B, Wittchen H-U, Olesen J. Cost of disorders of the brain in Europe. Eur J Neurol. 2005;12:1–27.
Jäger M, Sobocki P, Rössler W. Cost of disorders of the brain in Switzerland with a focus on mental disorders. Swiss Med Wkly. 2008;138(1):4–11.
Wittchen H-U, Jacobi F, Rehm J, Gustavsson A, Svensson M, Jonsson B, et al. The size and burden of mental disorders and other disorders of the brain in Europe 2010. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011;21(9):655–79.
Gustavsson A, Svensson M, Jacobi F, Allgulander C, Alonso J, Beghi E, et al. Cost of disorders of the brain in Europe 2010. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011;21:655–79.
Tagliaferri F, Compagnone C, Korsic M, Servadei F, Kraus J. A systematic review of brain injury epidemiology in Europe. Acta Neurochir. 2006;148(3):255–68.
Gostynski M, Ajdacic-Gross V, Gutzwiller F, Michel JP, Herrmann F. Prevalence of dementia in the City of Zurich. Soz Praventivmed. 2002;47(5):330–5.
Steinhausen HC, Metzke CW, Meier M, Kannenberg R. Prevalence of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: The Zurich Epidemiological Study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1998;98(4):262–71.
Wasserfallen JB, Ostermann S, Leyvraz S, Stupp R. Cost of temozolomide therapy and global care for recurrent malignant gliomas followed until death. Neuro Oncol. 2005;7(2):189–95.
Gessner U, Sagmeister M, Horisberger B. The cost of epilepsy in Switzerland. Int J Health Sci. 1993;4:121–8.
Kobelt G, Berg J, Lindgren P, Gerfin A, Lutz J. Costs and quality of life of multiple sclerosis in Switzerland. Eur J Health Econ. 2006;7:86–95.
Mahler MP, Zuger K, Kaspar K, Haefeli A, Jenni W, Leniger T, et al. A cost analysis of the first year after stroke – early triage and inpatient rehabilitation may reduce long term costs. Swiss Med Wkly. 2008;138:459–65.
Horwitz AV, Wakefiled JC. The loss of sadness. How psychiatry transformed normal sorrow into depressive disorder. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2007.
Kalaria RN, Maestre GE, Arizaga R, Friedland RP, Galasko D, Hall K, et al. Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia in developing countries: Prevalence, management, and risk factors. The Lancet Neurology. 2008;7(9):812–26.
Corrada MM, Brookmeyer R, Paganini-Hill A, Berlau D, Kawas CH. Dementia incidence continues to increase with age in the oldest old: the 90+ study. Ann Neurol. 2010;67(1):114–21.
Kraft E, Marti M, Werner S, Sommer H. Cost of dementia in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly. 2010;140.
Rivero-Arias O, Gray A, Wolstenholme J. Burden of disease and costs of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) in the United Kingdom. Cost Eff Resour Alloc. 2010;8:6.
Rivero-Arias O, Wolstenholme J, Gray A, Molyneux AJ, Kerr RS, Yarnold JA, et al. The costs and prognostic characteristics of ischaemic neurological deficit due to subarachnoid haemorrhage in the United Kingdom. Evidence from the MRC International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial. J Neurol. 2009;256:367–73.
Schatlo B, Fung C, Fathi A-R, Sailer M, Winkler K, Daniel RT, et al. Introducing a nationwide registry: the Swiss study on aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (Swiss SOS). Acta Neurochir. 2012.
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Wieser S, Horisberger B, Schmidhauser S, Eisenring C, Brügger U, Ruckstuhl A, et al. Cost of low back pain in Switzerland in 2005. Eur J Health Econ. 2011;12(5):455–67.
Navarini AA, Laffitte E, Conrad C, Piffaretti P, Brock E, Ruckdaeschel S, et al. Estimation of cost-of-illness in patients with psoriasis in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly. 2010;140(5):85–91.
Vonlanthen R, Slankamenac K, Breitenstein S, Puhan MA, Müller MK, Hahnloser D, et al. The impact of complications on costs of major surgical procedures: a cost analysis of 1200 patients. Ann Surg. 2011;254(6):907–13.

How to Cite

1.

Maercker A, Perkonigg A, Preisig M, Schaller K, Weller M, Cost of Disorders of the Brain in Europe Study Group. The costs of disorders of the brain in Switzerland: an update from the European Brain Council Study for 2010. Swiss Med Wkly [Internet]. 2012 Dec. 30 [cited 2024 Apr. 18];143(0102):w13751. Available from: https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1807

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[1] OECD-World Health Organization. OECD reviews of health systems – Switzerland: OECD Publishing; 2011.

[2] Andlin-Sobocki P, Jonsson B, Wittchen H-U, Olesen J. Cost of disorders of the brain in Europe. Eur J Neurol. 2005;12:1–27.

[3] Jäger M, Sobocki P, Rössler W. Cost of disorders of the brain in Switzerland with a focus on mental disorders. Swiss Med Wkly. 2008;138(1):4–11.

[4] Wittchen H-U, Jacobi F, Rehm J, Gustavsson A, Svensson M, Jonsson B, et al. The size and burden of mental disorders and other disorders of the brain in Europe 2010. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011;21(9):655–79.

[5] Gustavsson A, Svensson M, Jacobi F, Allgulander C, Alonso J, Beghi E, et al. Cost of disorders of the brain in Europe 2010. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011;21:655–79.

[6] Tagliaferri F, Compagnone C, Korsic M, Servadei F, Kraus J. A systematic review of brain injury epidemiology in Europe. Acta Neurochir. 2006;148(3):255–68.

[7] Gostynski M, Ajdacic-Gross V, Gutzwiller F, Michel JP, Herrmann F. Prevalence of dementia in the City of Zurich. Soz Praventivmed. 2002;47(5):330–5.

[8] Steinhausen HC, Metzke CW, Meier M, Kannenberg R. Prevalence of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: The Zurich Epidemiological Study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1998;98(4):262–71.

[9] Wasserfallen JB, Ostermann S, Leyvraz S, Stupp R. Cost of temozolomide therapy and global care for recurrent malignant gliomas followed until death. Neuro Oncol. 2005;7(2):189–95.

[10] Gessner U, Sagmeister M, Horisberger B. The cost of epilepsy in Switzerland. Int J Health Sci. 1993;4:121–8.

[11] Kobelt G, Berg J, Lindgren P, Gerfin A, Lutz J. Costs and quality of life of multiple sclerosis in Switzerland. Eur J Health Econ. 2006;7:86–95.

[12] Mahler MP, Zuger K, Kaspar K, Haefeli A, Jenni W, Leniger T, et al. A cost analysis of the first year after stroke – early triage and inpatient rehabilitation may reduce long term costs. Swiss Med Wkly. 2008;138:459–65.

[13] Horwitz AV, Wakefiled JC. The loss of sadness. How psychiatry transformed normal sorrow into depressive disorder. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2007.

[14] Kalaria RN, Maestre GE, Arizaga R, Friedland RP, Galasko D, Hall K, et al. Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia in developing countries: Prevalence, management, and risk factors. The Lancet Neurology. 2008;7(9):812–26.

[15] Corrada MM, Brookmeyer R, Paganini-Hill A, Berlau D, Kawas CH. Dementia incidence continues to increase with age in the oldest old: the 90+ study. Ann Neurol. 2010;67(1):114–21.

[16] Kraft E, Marti M, Werner S, Sommer H. Cost of dementia in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly. 2010;140.

[17] Rivero-Arias O, Gray A, Wolstenholme J. Burden of disease and costs of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) in the United Kingdom. Cost Eff Resour Alloc. 2010;8:6.

[18] Rivero-Arias O, Wolstenholme J, Gray A, Molyneux AJ, Kerr RS, Yarnold JA, et al. The costs and prognostic characteristics of ischaemic neurological deficit due to subarachnoid haemorrhage in the United Kingdom. Evidence from the MRC International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial. J Neurol. 2009;256:367–73.

[19] Schatlo B, Fung C, Fathi A-R, Sailer M, Winkler K, Daniel RT, et al. Introducing a nationwide registry: the Swiss study on aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (Swiss SOS). Acta Neurochir. 2012.

[20] Mathers C, Fat DM, Boerma JT. The global burden of disease: 2004 update. Geneva: World Health Organisation; 2008.

[21] Wieser S, Horisberger B, Schmidhauser S, Eisenring C, Brügger U, Ruckstuhl A, et al. Cost of low back pain in Switzerland in 2005. Eur J Health Econ. 2011;12(5):455–67.

[22] Navarini AA, Laffitte E, Conrad C, Piffaretti P, Brock E, Ruckdaeschel S, et al. Estimation of cost-of-illness in patients with psoriasis in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly. 2010;140(5):85–91.

[23] Vonlanthen R, Slankamenac K, Breitenstein S, Puhan MA, Müller MK, Hahnloser D, et al. The impact of complications on costs of major surgical procedures: a cost analysis of 1200 patients. Ann Surg. 2011;254(6):907–13.