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Anticholinergic anti‐Parkinson drugs are often used to prevent or treat neuroleptic‐induced extrapyramidal side effects. National Health Service prescriptions for these drugs and haloperidol delivered in the geographical area of Rome, Italy, and the surrounding province (about 3,750,000 inhabitants) from 1986 to 1989 were reviewed. Individual prescription histories were reconstructed and analysed with a computerized procedure. Over the four years 1121 (32.2%) of the 3478 haloperidol‐treated individuals studied were concurrently prescribed anticholinergic anti‐Parkinson drugs. Their distribution shows an age‐related decrease, the percentage ranging from 50.7 (age 16–27) to 17.7 (ages over 80). The analysis of results by logistic regression also demonstrates that the probability of receiving anticholinergic anti‐Parkinson medication is higher in women and correlates with the amount of haloperidol prescribed.

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MethodsA multi-center observational study on neurological complications in COVID-19 patients was conducted in 20 Neurology Departments by the Italian society of Hospital Neuroscience (SNO). Adult patients admitted to Neurological units between February-April 2020 with COVID19-GBS were included. Results38 COVID19-GBS patients had mean age of 60.7 years and male frequency of 86.8%. Mean interval between COVID-19 onset and GBS onset was 15.1 days. CSF albuminocytologic dissociation was detected in 71.4% of cases, PCR for SARS-CoV-2 negative in all 15 tested patients, and anti-ganglioside antibodies positive in 43.7%. Based on neurophysiology, 81.8% of patients had a diagnosis of AIDP diagnosis, 12.1% AMSAN and 6% AMAN. 29 patients have been treated with intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg), 2 with plasma exchange (PE), 2 with PE followed by IVIg and 5 untreated. The course was favorable in 76.3% of patients, stable in 10.5%, while 13.1% worsened, of which 3 died. The estimated occurrence rate in Lombardia is 0.5 GBS cases per 1000 COVID-19 infections. ConclusionsWe detected an increased incidence of GBS in COVID-19 patients which can reflect a higher risk of GBS in COVID-19 patients or be secondary to a higher seroprevalence of COVID-19 in this geographic area during the first pandemic wave.