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Rural environment and risk factors of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a case–control study

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An Erratum to this article was published on 17 April 2010

Abstract

The aetiology of sporadic ALS is still unknown. Links with several environmental factors have been suggested, and some epidemiological studies have shown an increased incidence of ALS in rural populations. This study was designed to investigate risk exposures in a well-delimited rural population and to assess whether rural residency or occupations, such as farming, were associated with an increased risk of developing ALS. A prospective case–control-study of 108 sporadic ALS cases matched by age and sex to 122 controls was performed in Brittany from 2006 to 2008. A strong association was found between agricultural activity and ALS (odds ratio: 2.919; p = 0.01), while rural residence itself did not influence the risk of the disease. Bulbar forms of onset prevailed among agricultural workers as compared with other occupations (55 vs. 26%; p = 0.009). These results suggest a potential role of exposure to agricultural chemicals or contact with animals linked to agricultural work. The prevalence of bulbar forms of onset in agricultural workers has not been reported before. In addition to variable methodological approaches, differences in agricultural practices could explain the discrepancy between these findings and other studies.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by a grant from Sanofi-Aventis. We thank JF Vernet for critical reading of the manuscript and the neurologists of Brittany to help us to collect data: Serge Belliard, Service de Neurologie, CHU Pontchaillou, Rennes; Pierre Bertrand, neurologue, Saint-Malo; Jeanne Bouissière-Jardel, neurologue, Vannes; Françoise Brunet-Bourgin, Service de Neurologie, CH Bretagne Atlantique, Vannes; Marc Coustans, Service de Neurologie, CH Cornouaille, Quimper; Philippe Diraison, CH Cornouaille, Quimper; Erika Follin, neurologue, Quimper; Steve Genestet, Service de Neurologie, CHU La Cavale Blanche, Brest; Corinne Guiziou, CH Pierre Le Damany, Lannion; Pierre Hinault, neurologue, Rennes; Catherine Juhel, neurologue, Rennes; Benoît Le Bail, CH de Bretagne Sud, Lorient; Jean-Luc Marion, neurologue, Brest; Dominique Ménard, Service de Neurologie, CHU Pontchaillou, Rennes; Alain Pouyet, neurologue, Saint-Brieuc; Thomas Ronzière, service de Neurologie, CHU Pontchaillou, Rennes; Thierry Sergeant, neurologue, Quimper; Grégory Taurin, CH, Saint-Malo; Fabien Zagnoli, HIA, Brest.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Neurophysiologie Clinique, Hôpital Yves Le Foll, 22027, Saint-Brieuc, France

    Alain Furby , Katell Beauvais  & Ivan Kolev

  2. Biostatistique, Recherche Clinique et Mesures Subjectives en Santé, Faculté de Pharmacie, EA 4275, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Jean-Gérard Rivain  & Véronique Sébille

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  1. Alain Furby
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  2. Katell Beauvais
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  3. Ivan Kolev
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  4. Jean-Gérard Rivain
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  5. Véronique Sébille
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Correspondence to Alain Furby .

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00415-010-5502-y

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Furby , A., Beauvais , K., Kolev , I. et al. Rural environment and risk factors of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a case–control study. J Neurol 257, 792–798 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-009-5419-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-009-5419-5

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