Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34287109›Full record

SynthesisThe Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques2022

Neurological and Head/Eyes/Ears/Nose/Throat Manifestations of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Aravind Ganesh, Isabella R Reis, Malavika Varma, David G Patry, Lara J Cooke

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Observational
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Perspective: COVID-19 and Its Neurologic Sequelae.Translational perioperative and pain medicine · 2022
    Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Aravind GaneshDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5520-2070
Isabella R ReisDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Malavika VarmaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
David G PatryDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Lara J CookeDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectiveCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with various neurological and atypical head/eyes/ears/nose/throat (HEENT) manifestations. We sought to review the evidence for these manifestations.

methodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, we compiled studies published until March 31, 2021 that examined non-respiratory HEENT, central, and peripheral nervous system presentations in COVID-19 patients. We included 477 studies for qualitative synthesis and 59 studies for meta-analyses.

resultsAnosmia, ageusia, and conjunctivitis may precede typical upper/lower respiratory symptoms. Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations include stroke and encephalopathy, potentially with brainstem or cranial nerve involvement. MRI studies support CNS para-/postinfectious etiologies, but direct neuroinvasion seems very rare, with few cases detecting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the CNS. Peripheral nervous system (PNS) manifestations include muscle damage, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), and its variants. There was moderate-to-high study heterogeneity and risk of bias. In random-effects meta-analyses, anosmia/ageusia was estimated to occur in 56% of COVID-19 patients (95% CI: 0.41-0.71, I2:99.9%), more commonly than in patients without COVID-19 (OR: 14.28, 95% CI: 8.39-24.29, I2: 49.0%). Neurological symptoms were estimated to occur in 36% of hospitalized patients (95% CI: 0.31-0.42, I2: 99.8%); ischemic stroke in 3% (95% CI: 0.03-0.04, I2: 99.2%), and GBS in 0.04% (0.033%-0.047%), more commonly than in patients without COVID-19 (OR[stroke]: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.16-5.50, I2: 76.4%; OR[GBS]: 3.43,1.15-10.25, I2: 89.1%).

conclusionsCurrent evidence is mostly from retrospective cohorts or series, largely in hospitalized or critically ill patients, not representative of typical community-dwelling patients. There remains a paucity of systematically gathered prospective data on neurological manifestations. Nevertheless, these findings support a high index of suspicion to identify HEENT/neurological presentations in patients with known COVID-19, and to test for COVID-19 in patients with such presentations at risk of infection.

Indexed as

AgeusiaCOVID-19Guillain-Barre SyndromeNervous System DiseasesStrokeAnosmiaHumansPharynxProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2COVID-19Guillain–BarreNeurology – GeneralPeripheral NeuropathySensory systemsStroke

Identifiers

PMID34287109
PMCPMC8460425

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.