Individuals hospitalized with infections across a range of body systems—especially older adults—are at increased risk of psychiatric and neurologic diagnoses in the following two years, according to a report in JAMA Psychiatry.Why It’s Relevant
Infections have long been considered risk factors for psychiatric and neurologic conditions, with several large studies confirming the association. However, while previous studies have generally focused on a single infectious agent or body system, the present study used an extensive electronic health record (EHR) database—with more than 100 million patients—to examine the risks of 14 psychiatric and neurologic disorders following infections across 10 body systems.
By the Numbers
- Compared with matched individuals hospitalized for noninfective causes, patients hospitalized for any infection had a significantly higher risk of developing most psychiatric and neurologic conditions assessed.
- Infection carried the greatest relative risk for encephalitis, though this outcome was rare overall. For instance, individuals with a cardiac infection had a sixfold risk of developing encephalitis compared with those hospitalized with a non-infection.
- The greatest absolute risk was for cognitive deficits—which, for instance, had a 19.1 risk following a cardiac infection compared with 6.7% for those hospitalized with a non-infection.
- Absolute and relative risks were highest for middle-aged and older adults, followed by young adults, with the lowest risk among children.
What’s More
Among individual infection types, meningitides were the leading risk factor for cognitive deficits and epilepsy; sexually transmitted infections were the leading risk factor for psychotic disorders, mood disorders, and dementia; and respiratory tract infections were the leading risk factor for anxiety disorders and neuromuscular disease.
The Other Side
EHR data are prone to errors that can produce misleading results, and variables not captured in health records, such as lifestyle factors, may also influence risk. Additionally, the findings are limited to hospitalized patients and may not generalize to milder infections. Finally, all patients were hospitalized between 2014 and 2018, so COVID-19 data is not represented.
Takeaway Message
These findings may inform preparedness planning for future epidemics and pandemics. Future studies uncovering the biological and clinical mechanisms linking infection to neuropsychiatric outcomes could open new avenues for prognosis, prevention, and treatment, helping to reduce the long-term burden of postinfectious neuropsychiatric disorders.
Related Information
Source
Maxime Taquet, et. al. Mapping 2-year psychiatric and neurologic risks after infections across body systems and age groups. JAMA Psychiatry. Published July 15, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.1904
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