ArticleNeuroepidemiology2023
Decreased Incidence of Guillain-Barré Syndrome during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Population-Based Study.
Article in Neuroepidemiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Guillain-Barré syndrome and SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis on a debated issue and evidence for the 'Italian factor'.European journal of neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Post-COVID-19 surge in Guillain-Barré syndrome during the Omicron wave in China with clinical characteristics and potential immune-mediated pathways.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Clinical and Electrophysiological Characteristics of Guillain-Barré Syndrome Across Pre-Pandemic, Pandemic, and Post-Pandemic Periods: A Ten-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.Noro psikiyatri arsivi · 2026Article
- Impact of COVID-19 vaccination coverage on global disability burden of Guillain-Barré syndrome.NPJ vaccines · 2025Article
- Incidence and characteristics of Guillain-Barré syndrome in Taiwan before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A 12-year single-center experience.Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA · 2025Article
- Article
- The Impact of COVID-19 on the Guillain-Barré Syndrome Incidence.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Relative frequencies and clinical features of Guillain-Barré Syndrome before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in North China.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Clinical and immunological features in patients with neuroimmune complications of COVID-19 during Omicron wave in China: a case series.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome Associated with COVID-19: Is There A Causal Relation or Just A Coincidence?Noro psikiyatri arsivi · 2023Article
- Decreased Incidence of Guillain-Barré Syndrome during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Population-Based Study.Neuroepidemiology · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGuillain-Barré syndrome is an immune-mediated acute inflammatory polyneuropathy that is associated with various triggers, including certain infections and vaccines. It has been suggested that both SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination may be triggering factors for Guillain-Barré syndrome, but evidence remains equivocal. Here, we conducted a population-based incidence study of Guillain-Barré syndrome spanning the 3 years immediately prior to and the 2 years during the pandemic.
methodsCases were identified by searching a regional diagnostic database for the ICD-10 code for Guillain-Barré syndrome. Individuals who fulfilled the Brighton criteria for Guillain-Barré syndrome were included. Information on clinical presentation, laboratory values, and vaccination status were retrieved from medical records. We calculated the incidence immediately prior to and during the pandemic.
resultsThe Guillain-Barré syndrome incidence rate was 1.35/100,000 person-years for the pre-pandemic period and 0.66/100,000 person-years for the pandemic period (incidence rate ratio: 0.49; p = 0.003). Three cases were temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 1 case each to the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines.
conclusionsOur results show that the incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome decreased during the pandemic. This is most likely due to decreased prevalence of triggering infections due to social restrictions. Our findings do not support a causal relationship between Guillain-Barré syndrome and COVID-19.
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