Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41235535›Full record

ArticleMuscle & nerve2026

Epidemiology of Neuralgic Amyotrophy-A Retrospective Analysis of Data From a Large German Health Insurance Company.

Johannes Fabian Holle, Andreas Leha, Carolin Polte, Volker Limmroth, Wolfram Windisch, Maximilian Zimmermann

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Muscle & nerve, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

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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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

6 authors.

Johannes Fabian HolleDepartment of Neurology, Cologne-Merheim, Hospitals of the City of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2140-906X
Andreas LehaDepartment of Medical Statistics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Carolin PolteAOK Federal Association, Outpatient Analysis and Care Scientific Institute of the AOK, Berlin, Germany.
Volker LimmrothDepartment of Neurology, Cologne-Merheim, Hospitals of the City of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Wolfram WindischHealth Faculty/Department for Human Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany.
Maximilian ZimmermannHealth Faculty/Department for Human Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

INTRODUCTION/

aimsNeuralgic amyotrophy (NA, Parsonage-Turner syndrome) is a common, multifocal, autoimmune inflammatory disease that predominantly affects proximal nerve segments of the shoulder girdle. Despite the high incidence of 100/100,000, epidemiologic data based on larger cohorts are still lacking. This study aims to address this issue.

methodsA retrospective evaluation of billing data from an average of approximately 26,000,000 insured persons of a large German health insurance company was performed from 2013 to 2022. In addition to descriptive statistical methods, regression analyses were carried out.

resultsThe incidence and prevalence of NA were 7.7-12.8 and 19.7-21.6 per 100,000 people, respectively. During the study period, a steady decline in incidence and, to a lesser extent, prevalence was observed. The diagnosis was made significantly more frequently in the first quarter of the year than in any other quarter. The prevalence of a simultaneously coded diaphragmatic paresis (indicating the involvement of the phrenic nerve) was 0.45%. DISCUSSION: Compared with prospectively collected data, the data in this study revealed an approximately 90% lower incidence of NA. It is likely that the majority of cases are not correctly diagnosed and are therefore not captured in the billing data. The involvement of the phrenic nerve in patients with NA also appears not to be recognized in most cases. According to the current pathophysiological model of NA, an immunological trigger is necessary to initiate the disease process. Our data support the accuracy of this model.

Indexed as

Brachial Plexus NeuritisInsurance, HealthAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGermanyHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRetrospective StudiesYoung Adultepidemiologyincidenceneuralgic amyotrophyphrenic neuropathyprevalence

Identifiers

PMID41235535
PMCPMC12690013

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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.