Specialists have reported new data highlighting the impact of loneliness and social isolation on the severity of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
At MDS 2020, Dr Indu Subramanian from the University of California Los Angeles, USA, noted that social isolation has been associated with worsened health and increased mortality generally. In addition, many of the potential symptoms of PD – apathy, fatigue, depression, anxiety, drooling, incontinence, tremor, and impaired mobility – can also induce social withdrawal. The COVID-19 pandemic has potentially worsened the situation further.