1. Assessment of social isolation and changes in Parkinson’s disease symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study
- Author
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Anish Mehta, Samuel Y.E. Ng, Shermyn X.M. Neo, Nicole S.Y. Chia, Ehsan S. Saffari, Thyagarajan Shivashanmugam, Xinyi Choi, Dede L. Heng, Z.Y. Xu, K.Y. Tay, W.L. Au, E.K. Tan, and Louis C.S. Tan
- Subjects
Parkinson’s disease ,Social networks ,COVID-19 related social restrictions ,Lubben Social Network Scale ,Longitudinal study ,Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system ,RC346-429 - Abstract
Background: COVID-19-related social restrictions provided an opportunity to evaluate the impact of social isolation on Parkinson’s disease. Objective: This study aimed to explore changes in social isolation and their associations with PD symptoms using the Lubben Social Network Scale-Revised (LSNS-R). Methods: Data from 80 participants of the Early Parkinson’s Disease Longitudinal Singapore cohort were collected from April 2019 to April 2023, covering the periods before and after the imposition of COVID-19 restrictions. Individuals with LSNS-R scores ≤ 24 were considered socially isolated. Data were stratified into strata 1 (improved LSNS-R scores) and strata 2 (worsened/unchanged scores). Linear regression was used to identify predictors of LSNS-R change, and MANCOVA was used to examine associations between LSNS-R change and motor/ non-motor symptoms. Results: Mean LSNS-R scores decreased (p = 0.014), and proportions of social isolation increased (p
- Published
- 2025
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