- Researchers are reporting that high-intensity exercise may help relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
- Experts say the benefits are evident in both the early and later stages of the disease.
- They add that exercise helps people with Parkinson’s disease by improving brain function, balance and mobility.
Strenuous exercise could slow the course of Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to research published July 14 in the journal The progress of science.
In their research on laboratory rodents, neuroscientists from the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University, Rome Campus, and the Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS have identified a new mechanism responsible for the positive benefits of exercise on brain plasticity.
Scientists have reported that activities performed in the early stages of the disease can induce beneficial effects on movement control even after discontinuing exercise routines.
They said they believed humans could potentially enjoy the same benefits.
This is told by Dr. Alessandro DiRocco, a neurologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, who was not involved in the research Medical News Today:
While the benefits of exercise in Parkinson’s disease are well established, this important study suggests that exercise may be effective in delaying this progression by decreasing aggregates of the abnormal protein alpha-synuclein in the brain. While there [currently] are a number of drugs and treatments that can relieve the symptoms of the disease, there is no known treatment to delay the inevitable progression of the disease. Exercise may therefore have a particularly important role in the overall treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Experts say that exercise plays a vital role in maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle. They also believe it can improve specific symptoms of certain diseases, such as Parkinson’s.
Early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremors, a shuffling gait, and a general slowing of physical movement.
Exercise could be one of the best ways to combat the condition, according to Harvard Health Letter.
How does it help?
Exercise has been shown to stimulate the production of neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). These factors play crucial roles in the growth, survival and maintenance of neurons. These play a crucial role in the growth of new neurons, protect existing neurons and improve synaptic connections, said Jennifer Prescott, RN, MSN, CDP, founder of Blue Water Homecare and Hospice.
Exercise has been shown to improve mitochondrial function and promote their biogenesis (formation of new mitochondria). Healthy mitochondria are crucial for energy production and overall neuron health, Prescott said MNT extension.
Dr. Daniel Truong, a neurologist and medical director of the Parkinsons and Movement Disorder Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in California, shared other ways exercise helps with Parkinson’s:
Reduction of alpha-synuclein aggregates
Intensive exercise reduces the spread of pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain. These aggregates are a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease and lead to the dysfunction and death of neurons.
Preserve motor control and visuospatial learning
Research suggests that exercise can help maintain motor control and visuospatial learning, which are often impaired in Parkinson’s disease due to degeneration of specific brain areas (the substantia nigra pars compacta and the striatum).
Interaction between BDNF and NMDA
The study found that BDNF, whose levels increase with exercise, interacts with the NMDA receptor for glutamate, a neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory. This interaction allows neurons in the striatum to respond more efficiently to stimuli, which has benefits that last beyond exercise practice.
Anti-inflammatory effects
Exercise is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, which could benefit Parkinson’s disease.
Regular exercise helps maintain motor function [Parkinsons] patients and may slow disease progression, said Dr. Andrew Feigin, executive director of the Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinsons and Movement Disorders at NYU Langone Health in New York.
We recommend regular regular exercise for all of our Parkinson’s patients. Of course, patients have different exercise abilities depending on many factors, including the severity of Parkinson’s, but we encourage exercise, Feigin said MNT extension.
Our team recommends the exercise to all of ours [Parkinsons] patients, added Dr. Melita Petrossian, a neurologist and director of the Pacific Movement Disorders Center and the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in California.
In the past, exercise recommendations could be vague, such as taking a walk once in a while. With a new understanding of the benefits of exercise, we’re providing more specific guidance: This study and previous ones emphasize that exercise needs to be high-intensity, with previous studies recommending the intensity to reach 80 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week, he said MNT extension.
Naturally, we advise patients to consult their doctors or cardiologists before embarking on a high-intensity program, added Dr. Petrossian.
Dr. Petrossian said she typically recommends low- or zero-impact exercise while maintaining a high intensity. Examples of this type of exercise include:
- fast walk
- I swim
- water aerobics
- exercise bike
Also, in line with previous studies, we recommended progressive resistance exercises with increased weights or repetitions in strength training twice a week, continued Dr. Petrossian.
We also recommend stretching, balance exercises, core strengthening, and skill-based exercises such as yoga, dance, boxing, ping pong, and pilates for patients.
Exercise can help reduce symptoms [Parkinsons] in the short term, improve energy, improve stride length and balance, prevent falls, improve sleep and mood, and enhance cognition, he continued.
These symptom benefits add to the long-term preventative benefits. In addition to the new study showing reduced alpha-synuclein propagation, BDNF release is neuroprotective. Exercise can also improve cerebral blood flow through angiogenesis.
In their new study, the researchers looked at exercise in the early stages of the disease and reported specific and substantial benefits.
Exercise could also be beneficial in later stages and have different goals, experts note.
In the later stages of Parkinson’s disease, the main benefits of exercise could potentially shift towards maintaining mobility, strength, balance and flexibility and improving quality of life, Truong said.
As we know, exercise could also help manage symptoms like constipation, improve mood and sleep. Balance exercise reduces the risk of falls.
However, it’s important to note that people in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease often have more severe symptoms and may also have other health problems. Therefore, any exercise program must be carefully designed to ensure safety and effectiveness[ness] for the specific conditions and needs of individuals.
Dr. Daniel Truong, neurologist
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