COVID-۱۹ and the Risk of New-Onset Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Background: Emerging evidence suggests COVID-۱۹ may increase the risk of long-term neurological complications, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). This review examines the potential association between COVID-۱۹ and new-onset neurodegenerative diseases to clarify risks and guide future research and clinical care.Materials and Methods: This systematic review searched multiple databases-including Medline/PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, SciELO, Web of Science, ProQuest, Scopus, CINAHL, and the WHO COVID-۱۹ database-as well as grey literature from January ۲۰۲۰ to December ۲۰۲۴ for studies reporting confirmed COVID-۱۹ followed by new diagnoses of PD or MS. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data on demographics, clinical features, diagnostics, and outcomes, assessing study quality with a standardized checklist.Results: Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria, including ۱۸ case reports and ۳ cohort studies, mostly from Europe and the Americas, with participants aged ۲۱–۷۶ years. Among ۲۷۹,۹۱۱ individuals, ۰.۱۴% developed PD and ۰.۰۰۷% developed MS after COVID-۱۹ infection. Diagnoses were confirmed clinically and through imaging, often with elevated inflammatory markers or genetic predispositions. Neurological symptoms appeared from a few days to one year post-infection, including motor deficits, cognitive decline, and sensory disturbances. Proposed mechanisms involved viral neurotropism, immune dysregulation, and persistent inflammation. Most patients received disease-specific treatments, with outcomes ranging from full recovery to persistent deficits. Although study quality was generally good, the predominance of case reports and moderate certainty of evidence require cautious interpretation.Conclusion: This review suggests a possible increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as MS and PD following COVID-۱۹, likely linked to immune and inflammatory processes. Well-designed, large-scale longitudinal studies are essential to confirm these findings and better understand the long-term neurological consequences.

کلیدواژه ها:

COVID-۱۹ ، Multiple Sclerosis ، neurological complications ، Parkinson's disease