Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2025
A Simple Approach to Induce Experimental Autoimmune Neuritis in C57BL/6 Mice for Functional and Neuropathological Assessments
Published on: November 9, 2017
Guillain-Barré syndrome and COVID-19: A 1-year observational multicenter study
Massimiliano Filosto1,2, Stefano Cotti Piccinelli1,3, Stefano Gazzina4
1Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Insights
The incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study suggests a strong association between COVID-19 infection and GBS development.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following SARS-CoV-2 infection emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The causal relationship between COVID-19 and GBS remains under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate epidemiological and clinical data of GBS cases in northeastern Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To investigate the potential association between GBS and COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter study collected GBS cases from March 2020 to March 2021.
- Cases were categorized as COVID-19-positive or COVID-19-negative.
- A control group of GBS patients from January 2019 to February 2020 was used for comparison.
Main Results:
- GBS incidence rose to 1.41 cases per 100,000 person-years in 2020, a 59% increase from 2019.
- COVID-19-positive GBS cases constituted approximately 50% of total GBS diagnoses during the pandemic.
- COVID-19-negative GBS cases decreased by 22% compared to the pre-pandemic period.
Conclusions:
- The study indicates an increased incidence of GBS in northeastern Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A significant proportion of GBS cases were linked to COVID-19, suggesting a potential association.
Background And Purpose:
Many single cases and small series of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were reported during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak worldwide. However, the debate regarding the possible role of infection in causing GBS is still ongoing. This multicenter study aimed to evaluate epidemiological and clinical findings of GBS diagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic in northeastern Italy in order to further investigate the possible association between GBS and COVID-19.
Methods:
Guillain-Barré syndrome cases diagnosed in 14 referral hospitals from northern Italy between March 2020 and March 2021 were collected and divided into COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-negative. As a control population, GBS patients diagnosed in the same hospitals from January 2019 to February 2020 were considered.
Results:
The estimated incidence of GBS in 2020 was 1.41 cases per 100,000 persons/year (95% confidence interval 1.18-1.68) versus 0.89 cases per 100,000 persons/year (95% confidence interval 0.71-1.11) in 2019. The cumulative incidence of GBS increased by 59% in the period March 2020-March 2021 and, most importantly, COVID-19-positive GBS patients represented about 50% of the total GBS cases with most of them occurring during the two first pandemic waves in spring and autumn 2020. COVID-19-negative GBS cases from March 2020 to March 2021 declined by 22% compared to February 2019-February 2020.
Conclusions:
Other than showing an increase of GBS in northern Italy in the "COVID-19 era" compared to the previous year, this study emphasizes how GBS cases related to COVID-19 represent a significant part of the total, thus suggesting a relation between COVID-19 and GBS.
