A lay summary written by Nia Georgieva, reviewed by Dr Julie Simpson and a Parkinson’s disease lay panel.
Background
In Parkinson’s disease specific parts of the brain become damaged over a period of years, which leads to unintended and uncontrollable movements like shaking, stiffness and problems with balance and coordination. The substantia nigra is a region of the brain which plays an important role in helping to control movements and contains special cells which produce a chemical signal, known as dopamine. However, in Parkinson’s disease these cells start degenerating, leading to difficulty and slowness of initiating movements. It has been suggested that exercises like cardio, has positive effects on the symptoms of PD.
Why is the study important?
This trial highlights that exercise like cardio can lead to positive brain changes in comparison with passive stretching. It shows that physical activity could also be beneficial for non-motor symptoms such as sleep, mood, and memory problems. Therefore, the overall quality of life of people with PD could improve.
What did the authors do and how did they do it?
Participants were assigned to either a group doing cardio exercises on a stationary home trainer or to a group doing just stretching. The cardio exercise group involved cycling on a stationary bike, where the intensity of exercise increased with every session. The stretching group involved flexibility and relaxation exercises, which changed every 2 to 4 weeks. Both interventions were done 3 times per week for 30 to 45 minutes over period of 6 months. A brain scan of each participant was done at the beginning and at the end of the trial in order to capture any brain changes.
What are the results?
The results showed that the cardio exercise group had more positive brain changes in some brain regions compared to the stretching group. Normally, there is a great loss of the nerve cells producing dopamine in PD. However, this loss of nerve cells was shown to be reduced in the cardio exercise group. Furthermore, the cardio exercise group performed better in cognitive tests compared to the stretching group.
What do the finding mean going forward for people with the disease?
The findings suggest that cardio exercise has beneficial effects for people with PD. This type of physical activity could potentially be used as an alternative therapy to slow disease progression, as well as maintaining physical fitness and health.