Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42390536›Full record

SynthesisJournal of neurology2026

Comorbid autoimmune disease in stiff-person syndrome spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yueyang Hu, Muzi Wen, Linxin Wen, Ruogu Cheng, Yinan Shen, Albert Aboseif, Pei Shang

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Yueyang Hu *Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Road North 8838#, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Muzi Wen *Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Road North 8838#, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Linxin Wen *Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Road North 8838#, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Ruogu ChengDepartment of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Road North 8838#, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Yinan ShenDepartment of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Road North 8838#, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Albert AboseifDepartment of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Aboseif.Albert@mayo.edu.
Pei ShangDepartment of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Road North 8838#, Guangzhou, 510515, China. shang.pei@mayo.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4345-2165

Funding

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2023M741573Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou 2023A04J2337
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStiff-person syndrome spectrum disorder (SPSD) is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms. Autoimmune comorbidities are frequently reported in SPSD, contributing to disease burden; however, their pooled frequency has not been systematically quantified. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled frequency of autoimmune comorbidities in SPSD and to examine differences across clinical subtypes and between GAD65 antibody-positive and -negative patients.

methodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to August 23, 2025. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Studies reporting autoimmune comorbidity frequency in confirmed SPSD were included; reviews, case reports, overlapping cohorts, and studies with fewer than five patients were excluded. Pooled overall and disease-specific frequencies of autoimmune comorbidity were estimated using random- or fixed-effects models, with separate estimates for SPSD subtype and GAD65 antibody-positive and -negative patients.

resultsA total of 38 studies were included, encompassing 1166 patients with SPSD. The pooled frequency of autoimmune comorbidities in this population was 51.2%. The most common were diabetes (including T1D and LADA; 29.0%), autoimmune thyroid disease (25.1%), and hypothyroidism (12.0%), followed by pernicious anemia (10.3%), myasthenia gravis (9.3%), Graves' disease (7.3%), vitiligo (5.8%), and celiac disease (5.0%). Sjögren's syndrome (2.4%), systemic lupus erythematosus (2.1%), and rheumatoid arthritis (1.9%) were relatively uncommon. These frequencies were substantially higher than those in the general population. Frequencies varied across SPSD subtypes: PERM (79.5%), classic SPS (61.9%), and focal or segmental SPS (38.2%). Autoimmune comorbidities were approximately twice as frequent among GAD65-positive patients (63.9%) compared with GAD65-negative patients (34.3%).

conclusionsAutoimmune comorbidities are highly prevalent in SPSD, particularly in PERM, classic SPS, and GAD65-positive patients. These findings guide screening and management to improve clinical outcomes and provide insights for future research into SPSD pathophysiology.

Indexed as

Autoimmune DiseasesStiff-Person SyndromeComorbidityHumansAutoimmune diseasesMeta-analysisStiff-person syndrome

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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.