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Social networks and neurological illness

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 12, pages 605–612 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

Every patient is embedded in a social network of interpersonal connections that influence health outcomes. Neurologists routinely need to engage with a patient's family and friends due to the nature of the illness and its social sequelae. Social isolation is a potent determinant of poor health and neurobiological changes, and its effects can be comparable to those of traditional risk factors. It would seem reasonable, therefore, to map and follow the personal networks of neurology patients. This approach reveals influential people, their habits, and linkage patterns that could facilitate or limit health behaviours. Personal network information can be particularly valuable to enhance risk factor management, medication adherence, and functional recovery. Here, we propose an agenda for research and clinical practice that includes mapping the networks of patients with diverse neurological disorders, evaluating the impact of the networks on patient outcomes, and testing network interventions.

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Figure 1: The personal network of a patient.
Figure 2: Social network mechanisms that influence health behaviour.
Figure 3: Personal network composition for two patients with stroke.
Figure 4: Personal network structure for two patients with stroke.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Selena Lee for producing the network video supplement. We also gratefully acknowledge all the patients who contributed to the research contained within the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Amar Dhand is in the Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street and at the Network Science Institute, Northeastern University, 177 Huntington Avenue, 11th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,

    Amar Dhand

  2. Douglas A. Luke is at the Center for Public Health Systems Science, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus BOX 1196, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.,

    Douglas A. Luke

  3. Catherine E. Lang is in the Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8502, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 1101, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,

    Catherine E. Lang

  4. Jin-Moo Lee is in the Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8111, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,

    Jin-Moo Lee

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All authors researched data for the article and contributed equally to discussions of the content. All authors wrote the article and reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to Amar Dhand.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Video 1

The video shows the change in a patient's social network at 3 and 6 months after stroke. Orange lines are strong ties and blue lines are weak ties. (MP4 211 kb)

PowerPoint slides

Glossary

Diversity of gender index

The amount of gender variation in the network, ranging from zero, where all members are the same gender, to one, where there are equal numbers across all gender categories.

Diversity of race index

The amount of racial variation in the network, ranging from zero, where all members are the same race, to one, where there are equal numbers across all racial categories.

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Dhand, A., Luke, D., Lang, C. et al. Social networks and neurological illness. Nat Rev Neurol 12, 605–612 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2016.119

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