Objective: To identify factors associated with social functioning in Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: PD frequently impedes activities of daily living including social functioning [1,2]. Impairments in social functioning contribute to a lower quality of life, physical and mental health problems [3]. Few studies have examined factors related to social functioning in PD [4,5]. Understanding these factors can help clinicians identify and treat those at risk for social role dysfunction.

Method: Data from 124 PD patients was extracted from a completed study of anxiety in PD. Social functioning was measured with the Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities questionnaire. Raw scores from this questionnaire were translated into t-scores according to convention [6]. These scores were dichotomized to differentiate people who scored above average from those who scored below average. Univariate analysis was conducted to evaluate if age, sex, disease duration, levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD), Hoehn & Yahr (HY) stage, depression severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale), anxiety severity (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale), cognitive ability (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and motor functioning (MDS-UPDRS III) contributed to social functioning [Table1]. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate factors associated with social functioning [Table2].

Results: Results indicated that 80 (64.52%) people scored in the above average range for social functioning, while 44 (35.48%) people scored below average. Below average social functioning was significantly associated with longer disease duration, higher HY stage, more severe anxiety and depression and worse cognitive and motor functioning. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that more severe anxiety (OR=0.81, CI: 0.70 to 0.93), worse motor functioning (OR=0.95, CI: 0.90 to 0.99), and older age (OR=1.10, CI: 1.03 to 1.17) were significantly associated with below average social functioning, adjusting for LEDD, disease duration, depression severity, cognitive functioning, sex, and HY stage.

Conclusion: We found that anxiety, age, and motor functioning influence social functioning. This extends findings from another report that identified motor functioning as a predictor of social functioning in PD [4]. Recognizing and treating psychiatric and motor function in PD can improve social functioning and quality of life for people with PD.

References: 1. Jankovic J. Parkinson’s disease: clinical features and diagnosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2008 Apr;79(4):368-76. 2. Schrag A, Jahanshahi M, Quinn N. What contributes to quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000 Sep;69(3):308-12. 3. World Health Organization (WHO). (2016). International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2001. 4. McNamara, P., Stavitsky, K., Durso, R., & Harris, E. (2010). The impact of clinical and cognitive variables on social functioning in Parkinson’s disease: Patient versus examiner estimates. Parkinson’s Disease, 2010. 5. Perepezko, K., Hinkle, J. T., Shepard, M. D., Fischer, N., Broen, M. P., Leentjens, A. F., … & Pontone, G. M. (2019). Social role functioning in Parkinson’s disease: A mixed‐methods systematic review. International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 34(8), 1128-1138. 6. Hahn, E. A., DeVellis, R. F., Bode, R. K., Garcia, S. F., Castel, L. D., Eisen, S. V., … & PROMIS Cooperative Group. (2010). Measuring social health in the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS): item bank development and testing. Quality of Life Research, 19(7), 1035-1044. 7. Karlsen KH, Tandberg E, Arsland D, Larsen JP. Health related quality of life in Parkinson’s disease: a prospective longitudinal study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000 Nov;69(5):584-9.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-impact-of-anxiety-on-social-functioning-in-parkinsons-disease/