Regular Physical Activity Associated With Slower Progression of Parkinson's Disease: Study - Video

Can staying physically active help people with Parkinson's disease preserve both movement and memory? A new study suggests that greater physical activity is associated with slower deterioration in cognitive abilities and movement symptoms over time.

Published in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s medical journal, the study followed 294 people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease for up to seven years. Participants were 66 years old on average.

According to researchers, previous research has shown associations between physical activity and movement symptoms. Our study found physical activity may have dual benefits, with associations with slower declines in movement and cognition.

Participants reported time spent undertaking moderate and vigorous activities at work, home and during recreation. These included brisk walking, swimming, household chores, jogging and cycling. Researchers assessed activity duration, intensity and vigorous exercise separately.

Based on weekly activity, participants were classified into low (up to four hours), medium (four to eight hours) and high (more than eight hours) groups. Annual assessments measured cognitive performance and Parkinson’s symptoms.

Average estimated annual cognitive score declines were 0.478 points in the low-activity group, 0.090 in the medium group and just 0.007 in the high group, on a 30-point scale.

After adjusting for age, sex and disease duration, greater activity was associated with slower cognitive decline and less worsening of movement symptoms. All three measures of physical activity showed similar associations across participants during follow-up.

However, researchers stressed that the observational findings do not establish cause and effect. Self-reported activity may also be inaccurate, while participants generally had good cognitive function initially.

REFERENCE: Dong-Woo Ryu, et al.; Physical Activity and Motor and Cognitive Progression in Parkinson Disease: A Longitudinal Cohort Study; Neurology; https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000218682