ACTRIMS 2021 | Constrained social networks are associated with worse physical functioning in MS

Claire Riley, MD, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, outlines the findings of a multi-center cross-sectional study of the relationship between social network structure and physical functioning in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Over 260 patients carried out questionnaires on their social environments, and the NIH Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function scale was used to assess physical functioning. The results consistently showed that more tight-knit networks were associated with worse physical function. These findings demonstrate the importance of personal relationships on outcomes in MS. This interview took place during the ACTRIMS Forum 2021.