Larger social network effective size correlated with better physical function, while network constraint correlated with worse physical function in those with multiple sclerosis.
By: Marco Meglio – Published August 12, 2020
Results from a cross-sectional study revealed that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with close-knit personal social networks had worse function than those with open social networks, highlighting the importance of personal social networks as an environmental factor associated with physical function in patients with MS.Led by Seth N. Levin, MD, neurologist, New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and colleagues, a meta-analysis of 2 cohorts showed that higher network constraint, a measure of tightly-bound networks, was associated with worse physical function (ß = –0.163 [±0.047]; P <.001). In contrast, larger network effective size, a measure of clustered groups in the network, correlated with better physical function (ß = 0.134 [±0.046]; P = .003).Higher scores on the Multiple Sclerosis Rating Scale-Revised (MSRS-R) indicated greater neurological dysfunction and disability. Greater network constraint correlated with a higher MSRS-R score (ß = 0.134 [±0.046]; P = .004), whereas larger network effective size was associated with lower MSRS-R score in the meta-analysis (ß = –0.099 [±0.046]; P = .030). The associations of overall network structure with physical function were independent of typical risk factors for disability, including age, gender, race, and disease duration.The 2-part analysis looked at the association of personal network structure and composition with physical function, with higher scores on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) indicating better overall physical function. Levin and colleagues used a permutation-based omnibus test to examine the presence of an excess of associations for either of these categories with the PROMIS T-score.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Information Shared by: MSViewsandNews,
to and for those affected by Multiple Sclerosis
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Visit our MS Learning Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/msviewsandnews