Brechas de investigación en neurociencias clínicas en República Dominicana, 2005-2023
Introduction: Disorders of the nervous system and mind are multifactorial and complex to address, which makes them an important target for investigation. Globally, these illnesses represent the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death. Latin America and the Caribbean are not exempt from this reality.
Objectives: To determine the research gaps in clinical neurosciences related to the origin of funding, studies conducted without ethical approval from the national bioethics’ council, the titles of studies relating them to national priorities, and the type of studies conducted.
Materials and Methods: An observational, descriptive study of secondary sources was drafted to identify research in the fields of clinical neurosciences conducted in the Dominican Republic from 2005 to 2023. All individuals with neurological, psychiatric, cognitive, and neurosurgical conditions were included, regardless of collaborating institution and funding origin.
Results: Health-related research accounted for 17% of all studies funded by FONDOCYT, with 18% of these studies related to clinical neurosciences. Among research conducted by international institutions, 48.6% were in the field of health, and 7.7% of these focused on neurosciences. Studies in clinical neurosciences represented 2.2% of all investigations registered in Clinical Trials.
Conclusion: Discrepancies were observed among research projects based on national priorities, funded by entities from the public, private, and international sectors. Discrepancies were also evident in ethical approval between the National Bioethics Council and Clinical Trials.
Keywords:
Neuroscience; neurology; health services research; funding; nervous system diseases; (Source: DeCS)