Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Personal Networks and Neurological Outcomes of People With Multiple Sclerosis: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Case-Control Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively affected the social fabric.

Objective

We evaluated the associations between personal social networks and neurological function in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and controls in the prepandemic and pandemic periods.

Methods

During the early pandemic (March-December 2020), 8 cohorts of pwMS and controls completed a questionnaire quantifying the structure and composition of their personal social networks, including the health behaviors of network members. Participants from 3 of the 8 cohorts had additionally completed the questionnaire before the pandemic (2017-2019). We assessed neurological function using 3 interrelated patient-reported outcomes: Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS), M

SUBMITTER: Riley C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10879979 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature