Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37823707›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of neurology2024

Guillain-Barré syndrome and SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis on a debated issue and evidence for the 'Italian factor'.

Stefano Censi, Giandomenico Bisaccia, Sabina Gallina, Valentina Tomassini, Antonino Uncini

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.8field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
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

14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

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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 at 1 institution in 1 country.

Stefano CensiDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3661-7737
Giandomenico BisacciaDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4606-3093
Sabina GallinaDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
Valentina TomassiniDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7368-6280
Antonino UnciniDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8131-8912
University of Chieti-Pescara · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeThe association between Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is debated. This study reappraises, after three pandemic years, the epidemiological data and the features of GBS in SARS-CoV-2 patients.

methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis of case reports/series and cohort studies published between 1 January 2020 and 19 April 2023 was performed.

resultsIn all, 209 case reports/series (304 patients) and 26 cohort studies were included. The risk of GBS in northern Italy during the first pandemic wave was 2.85 times increased (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54; 5.25) whereas in some countries the risk during the first pandemic year was 0.17 times reduced (risk ratio 0.83, 95% CI 0.75; 0.93). The incidence of GBS in SARS-CoV-2 Italian hospitalized cohorts was 8.55 per 1000 (95% CI 5.33; 12.49) with an estimated incidence of 0.13 GBS per 1000 in the SARS-CoV-2 infected population. In European cohorts the pooled rate of GBS with SARS-CoV-2 infection was 61.3% of the total. GBS patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection showed more frequently, but not differently from non-infected patients, the classical clinical presentation and the demyelinating subtype. Cranial nerves were more frequently involved in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.

conclusionsAn increased risk of GBS occurred in northern Italy during early COVID-19 pandemic. The recognition of the 'Italian factor' reconciles contrasting results of the epidemiological studies. The slightly reduced GBS risk in other countries and the relatively high frequency of GBS associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection can be explained by the adopted health measures that decreased the circulation of other GBS infective antecedents.

Indexed as

COVID-19Guillain-Barre SyndromeHumansItalyPandemicsSARS-CoV-2clinical featuresepidemiologyGuillain−Barré syndromemeta-analysissevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirussystematic review

Identifiers

PMID37823707
PMCPMC11235836
OpenAlexW4387563178

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

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.