ISLAMABAD, OCT 04 (ONLINE): Researchers report they have found an association between loneliness and Parkinson\u2019s disease.
\nTheir findings were presented in a study Trusted Source published this week in the journal JAMA Neurology.<\/p>\n
In their study, the researchers examined more than 491,000 participants with a follow-up period of 15 years.
\nResearchers said they uncovered the association between loneliness and the risk of Parkinson\u2019s disease independent of depression, genetics, and other prominent risk factors.<\/p>\n
In the study, participants were asked, \u201cDo you often feel lonely?\u201d and prompted to answer either \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno.\u201d
\nApproximately 18% (91,186 people) indicated they did feel lonely. Those who did report loneliness were slightly younger, more likely to be female, had fewer resources, were less likely to have a college degree, had more health risks \u2013 such as smoking and being physically inactive \u2013 and had worse overall physical and mental health.<\/p>\n
During the 15-year follow-up, 2,822 people in the study developed Parkinson\u2019s disease. The researchers said they used these findings to establish the association between loneliness and Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n
How loneliness affects health
\nThe researchers noted that their study adds to growing evidence that loneliness substantially impacts health, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other forms of dementia.
\n\u201cFeelings of loneliness are common in [Parkinson\u2019s] and may result from physical and psychological limitations from the disease,\u201d said Dr. Andrew Feigin, the executive director of The Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson\u2019s and Movement Disorders at NYU Langone Health in New York who was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, loneliness can result in depression resulting in withdrawal, lack of motivation, less activity, and potentially less exercise, all behaviors that may negatively impact [Parkinson\u2019s],\u201d he told Medical News Today. \u201cThis study suggests that the presence of loneliness may, in fact predate the diagnosis of [Parkinson\u2019s] in some patients and increase the risk of [Parkinson\u2019s}.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis study demonstrates an association between loneliness and increased risk of [Parkinson\u2019s} but does not demonstrate cause and effect,\u201d Feigin added. \u201cIt is possible that other unknown factors associated with loneliness are what lead to the increased risk of [Parkinson\u2019s] \u2013 the authors acknowledge this in the discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calculating the risk of Parkinson\u2019s disease
\nCombating loneliness does not mean reducing the risk of developing Parkinson\u2019s disease.
\n\u201cThis article reports an association between loneliness and the development of Parkinson\u2019s disease,\u201d said Dr. Pietro Mazzoni, a neurologist who specializes in treating Parkinson\u2019s at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center who was not involved in the study.
\n\u201cThe study\u2019s major strengths are the very large number of participants (nearly half a million) and that its design was longitudinal: a group of people were followed over 15 years and the number of participants who developed [Parkinson\u2019s] in that time period were counted. These features allow researchers to reach far stronger conclusions than most studies that address this type of question,\u201d Mazzoni told Medical News Today.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main finding was that participants who were lonelier at the beginning of the study were more likely to develop [Parkinson\u2019s],\u201d Mazzoni explained. \u201cThis finding is very interesting. The conclusion was that there is an increased association between loneliness and a subsequent diagnosis of [Parkinson\u2019s]. It is tempting to extend this conclusion to concern that loneliness might increase the risk of developing [Parkinson\u2019s]. This is absolutely not the case. Although the term \u2018risk factor\u2019 is commonly used in the field of epidemiology, its meaning is different from its meaning outside the field of epidemiology.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe phrase \u2018loneliness increases the risk of developing [Parkinson\u2019s]\u2019 in a medical journal means \u2018there is an association between pre-existing loneliness and subsequent being diagnosed with [Parkinson\u2019s]\u201d, i.e. loneliness is a marker that predicts the future development of [Parkinson\u2019s],\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
How Parkinson\u2019s slowly develops
\nAccording to Mazzoni, there are three things to keep in mind when discussing loneliness and Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
1.\tThe study recorded Parkinson\u2019s disease as appearing after the beginning of the study. However, Parkinson\u2019s is thought to start, in the brain, as early as 15 to 20 years before it is diagnosed. Therefore, it is an open question whether loneliness truly preceded Parkinson\u2019s. If loneliness began after the start of brain changes caused by Parkinson\u2019s, then loneliness cannot cause or increase the risk of Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n
2.\tThe statistical analysis that is the basis of the study\u2019s conclusion, as well-conceived and as powerful as it is, has an important limitation. The authors accounted for a long list of \u201ccovariates\u201d, such as genetic risk factors and physical activity, that could have confounded the results. The method for \u201caccounting for\u201d or \u201cfactoring out\u201d these covariates requires assumptions that are difficult to prove. Given how many factors can potentially increase the risk of Parkinson\u2019s, any conclusion that relies on excluding all these factors must be taken with at least some skepticism.<\/p>\n
3.\tMost importantly, as explained above, an association between pre-existing loneliness and Parkinson\u2019s does not mean that reducing loneliness will reduce the risk of developing Parkinson\u2019s in the future. Of course, loneliness is worth combating for many other reasons. In the case of Parkinson\u2019s, the finding of an association is exciting as it suggests that a better understanding of loneliness and its relationship to brain function might provide useful insights into how Parkinson\u2019s begins.
\nParkinson\u2019s and the risk of loneliness
\nParkinson\u2019s is a movement disorder that can impede getting together with other people.<\/p>\n
Someone may need to wait for someone else for transportation. Someone can feel self-conscious because of tremors. Someone might have safety issues.
\n\u201cIndividuals with Parkinson\u2019s have a higher risk of what in the medical field is called apathy, but I don\u2019t believe that is the correct word,\u201d said Dr. Melita Petrossian, a neurologist and director of the Pacific Movement Disorders Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in California who was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more they lack the motivation to get themselves up and out and talk to other people,\u201d she explained to Medical News Today. \u201cWhile this is common in people with Parkinson\u2019s, the [COVID-19] pandemic worsened it. There were months when people didn\u2019t leave their houses, and while we could connect digitally, it isn\u2019t the same. But some people may have gotten used to being home alone, which took away even more motivation to get up and out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI see people returning to where they were before the pandemic, but it is a slow process,\u201d Petrossian noted.
\n\u201cI think it is good for people to have a few people they are very close to, whether family or friend,\u201d she added. \u201cThen there should be another five or six friends. And then they should have a network of acquaintances. I think that would help for people with Parkinson\u2019s not to be lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finding friends
\n\u201cWe know with confidence that social relationships play an important role in health and wellbeing across many clinical populations and settings,\u201d said Laura Boxley, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center who was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n
\u201cModern medical practice now incorporates social determinates of health as an integral framework to better understand risk and plans for care,\u201d she explained to Medical News Today. \u201cWhere you live, who you live with, and how you spend your time are all variables that we recognize as having an impact on health behaviors and outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Endeavor Foundation suggests ways of making friends when you have a disability:
\nJoin a club or community group. Check your area for clubs that integrate your interests with socializing. You can use online resources to locate different groups.<\/p>\n
Attend a community event. Check your newspaper and online to find events in your area that interest you, such as concerts, craft fairs, cooking demonstrations, or gardening tours. Start by making a list of your interests and then find out what events fit those interests.<\/p>\n
Volunteer. There are so many opportunities to volunteer. Do you like animals? Consider volunteering at a local shelter. Do you enjoy spending time with children? Contact your local schools to find out if they have a grandparent program you can join. Do you like being around babies? Many hospitals have volunteer opportunities where you can come and hold and rock infants. You can also look for local charities and nonprofits whose mission fits your personal or career goals.<\/p>\n
Enroll in the workshop or adult education course. Is there something you have wanted to learn? A skill you want to improve? Try a Google search for \u201cworkshops and classes near me\u201d to see what comes up in your area.<\/p>\n
Reconnect with past friends. Social media makes it possible to locate classmates from colleagues whose company you enjoyed decades ago. Once you find them, you only need to say \u201chi\u201d and see where the conversation goes.
\nBe open to saying yes. We know it\u2019s easier to say no and stay home. But that choice keeps you alone. Commit to say yes. Maybe start with one yes per month. You might find that once you start getting out there, you enjoy it and will look for more opportunities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, OCT 04 (ONLINE): Researchers report they have found an association between loneliness and Parkinson\u2019s disease. Their findings were presented in a study Trusted Source published this week in the journal JAMA Neurology. In their study, the researchers examined more than 491,000 participants with a […]<\/p>\n
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