# Risk factors for 1-year peripheral neuropathy and F-wave abnormalities after COVID-19: a prospective cohort study

## TL;DR

This study identifies age and education level as risk factors for peripheral neuropathy and specific nerve abnormalities in patients recovering from COVID-19 over one year.

## Contribution

The study is the first to identify higher education as a risk factor for mononeuropathy and confirms age as a risk factor for peripheral neuropathy after COVID-19.

## Key findings

- Age was independently associated with peripheral neuropathy (PNP) after one year of recovery from COVID-19.
- Higher education was independently linked to mononeuropathy in patients recovering from COVID-19.
- F-wave abnormalities were detected in 7% of patients during the one-year follow-up.

## Abstract

To explore the risk factors for peripheral neuropathy (PNP) and F-wave abnormality during one-year rehabilitation for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

This prospective cohort study included patients with COVID-19 who were discharged from Shijiazhuang People’s Hospital after treatment and routine rehabilitation between December 2020 and April 2021. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors for PNP and F-wave abnormality. p-values <0.0125 were considered significant in the multivariable analyses to account for type I error.

A total of 313 patients with COVID-19 [aged 49.0 (IQR 33.0–58.0) years, and 191 (61.0%) females] were included. During one-year follow-up, 232 (74%) patients developed PNP (PNP group), and 81 (26%) did not (non-PNP group). In the PNP group, 51 (16%) patients had mononeuropathy, and 181 (58%) had polyneuropathy. Additionally, F-wave abnormality was detected in 22 (7%) out of 313 patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.22, confidence interval (CI): 1.05–1.41, p = 0.009] was independently associated with PNP. College or higher education (OR = 5.07, 95% CI: 1.80–13.90, p = 0.002) was independently associated with mononeuropathy.

Age might be an independent risk factor for PNP, while higher education was associated with mononeuropathy.