Assessment of social isolation and changes in Parkinson’s disease symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study

•COVID-19 restrictions affected PD social networks: 35% showed improvement, while 65% showed no change or decline.•Younger age and baseline social isolation status were associated with improved LSNS scores.•Higher LSNS scores were associated with better outcomes in PDQ8, HADS-Anxiety, and HADS-Depression.•Stable or declining LSNS scores were associated with worsening motor and non-motor symptoms.•Considering these changes is essential for personalizing Parkinson’s disease care plans. COVID-19-related social restrictions provided an opportunity to evaluate the impact of social isolation on Parkinson’s disease. This study aimed to explore changes in social isolation and their associations with PD symptoms using the Lubben Social Network Scale-Revised (LSNS-R). Data from 80 participants of the Early Parkinson’s Disease Longitudinal Singapore cohort were collected from April 2019 to April 2023, covering the periods before and after the imposition of COVID-19 restrictions. Individuals with LSNS-R scores ≤ 24 were considered socially isolated. Data were stratified into strata 1 (improved LSNS-R scores) and strata 2 (worsened/unchanged scores). Linear regression was used to identify predictors of LSNS-R change, and MANCOVA was used to examine associations between LSNS-R change and motor/ non-motor symptoms. Mean LSNS-R scores decreased (p = 0.014), and proportions of social isolation increased (p