Neuroscience research in Morocco and Africa

Introduction : Even if neuroscience research was established in sub-Saharan Africa from the twentieth century, Moroccan and African neurosciences still need continued international support and African engagement to address regional needs unique to Africa. The objective of this work is to analyze the current state and level of development of neuroscience research in Morocco and Africa. Methods : This is a review of the literature. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE and Google Scholar for neuroscience-related studies conducted on Moroccan and African subjects over the past two decades. The search terms used were "Neuroscience" OR "Nervous System" OR "Brain" OR "Neuron" OR "Spinal Cord". Results : Neuroscience production in Africa since 1997 has been dominated by a handful of          countries : Egypt (28%), South Africa (23%), Nigeria (11%), Morocco (8%) and Tunisia (7%). Nonetheless, over the past two decades, the number of neuroscience publications published each year has grown exponentially in all major geopolitical regions of Africa (North, West, East, Central and Southern Africa). Conclusion : Several approaches are proposed to improve research in neuroscience : Set up training programs in neuroscience, Provide a research infrastructure, offer platforms allowing meetings, interactions and collaboration between African scientists. Keywords: Research, Neuroscience, Africa, Morocco