Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39758705›Full record

ArticleClinical parkinsonism & related disorders2025

Assessment of social isolation and changes in Parkinson's disease symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.

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 and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical parkinsonism & related disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Anish MehtaDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
Samuel Y E NgDepartment of Research, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
Shermyn X M NeoDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
Nicole S Y ChiaDepartment of Research, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
Ehsan S SaffariCentre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Thyagarajan ShivashanmugamDepartment of Clinical Research, Iqure Health Sciences Private Limited, Bengaluru, India.
Xinyi ChoiDepartment of Research, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
Dede L HengDepartment of Research, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
Z Y XuDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
K Y TayDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
W L AuDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
E K TanDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
Louis C S TanDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

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 < 0. 001) during COVID-19 restrictions. However, 35 % showed improved LSNS-R scores, while 65 % had worsened/unchanged scores. The regression model was significant in strata 1 (R2 = 0.806, p = 0.001), with age, marital status, and social isolation status being significantly associated with change in LSNS-R scores. LSNS-R. Results of MANCOVA indicated that LSNS-R improvements in LSNS-R were significantly associated with outcomes (Roy's Largest Root statistic = 126.638, p < 0.001), particularly for changes in PDQ8, HADS-Anxiety, and HADS-Depression scores. The regression model was not significant in strata 2 (R2 = 0. 279, p = 0.206), wherein motor and non-motor symptoms worsened. Conclusion: While worsening LSNS-R scores were associated with poorer outcomes, improvements in social networks were associated with improved non-motor symptoms and quality of life. These findings underscore the complexity of social isolation in PD and the need for targeted interventions.

Indexed as

COVID-19 related social restrictionsLongitudinal studyLubben Social Network ScaleParkinson’s diseaseSocial networks

Identifiers

PMID39758705
PMCPMC11696853

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.