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perts have already concluded that
exercise can help people with Parkinson's disease improve their motor symptoms,
but what is its effect on the cognitive symptoms of this condition?
Besides boosting motor function,
exercise could improve memory in people with Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is a neurological
condition that usually stands out for the motor symptoms that it causes, which
include tremors, rigidity in the limbs, impaired balance, and a lack of control
over movements.
However,
this condition also has numerous other symptoms that can leave their mark on a
person's quality of life.
Cognitive
symptoms, in particular, have been worrying researchers interested in the
pathology of Parkinson's disease.
People
with this condition experience cognitive
impairment, which can worsen in time and eventually evolve
into Alzheimer's disease.
When
it comes to managing Parkinson's, doctors often advise their patients to take
up an exercise regime, since physical activity demonstrably helps improve motor
symptoms.
The
Parkinson's Foundation call exercise routines "a vital
component" of efforts to maintain the quality of life following
diagnosis.
But
how does physical activity affect other symptoms of Parkinson's disease,
particularly cognitive ones?
This
is the question that a team of researchers from the German Sport University, in
Cologne, the University Medical Center Mainz — both in Germany — and the
University of the Sunshine Coast, in Australia, set out to answer by conducting
a systematic review of the relevant literature published to date.
Based
on the analyzed evidence, the review —
which appears in the Journal of
Parkinson's Disease— suggests that exercise may have a positive effect
across different types of Parkinson's disease symptoms.
Can aerobic exercise really jog memory?
Lead
researcher Tim Stuckenschneider notes that he and the team had anticipated
these findings, based on the fact that physical activity is associated with
cognitive improvements in older adults.
However,
there had been no conclusions regarding the relationship between exercise and
cognitive symptoms in Parkinson's.
"Physical
exercise is generally associated with increased cognitive function in older
adults, but the effects in individuals suffering from [Parkinson's disease] are
not known," he says.
For
the current review, the team searched for relevant randomized controlled trials
that had investigated the relationship between Parkinson's, physical activity,
and cognition and had been published before March 2018.
All
in all, the researchers analyzed data provided by 11 studies. Together, these
included information on 508 participants with Parkinson's disease diagnoses and
severity scores from one (the lowest) to four (the highest) on the Hoehn and
Yahr scale, which measures the degree to which symptoms of the condition have
progressed.
Five out of the 11 trials indicated that aerobic
exercise, in particular, had a positive impact on memory and executive
function, a term referring to the control of behavior, in Parkinson's.
The
same studies suggested that combining resistance and coordination exercises
also had a positive effect on cognitive function, overall.
Two
other trials also found that coordination exercises could improve executive
function in people with Parkinson's disease.
'Exercise is medicine'
While
the review's results point to a generally positive impact of exercise on
cognition in people with Parkinson's disease, the researchers warn that more
in-depth studies will be necessary in order to better understand the specifics
of this relationship.
Thus,
while they were able to conclude that aerobic exercise can improve memory, it
remains unclear how specific exercises — such as running versus stationary
cycling — affect this cognitive aspect and which type of exercise is likely to
bring about the best results.
Moreover,
the team notes that the studies included in the present review were not of the
best quality and that future research should aim for better-constructed
approaches.
Still,
Stuckenschneider maintains that "The potential of exercise to improve
motor and non-motor symptoms is promising and may help to decelerate disease
progression in individuals affected by [Parkinson's disease]."
"As
part of a holistic therapy, the potential of exercise to maintain or improve
non-motor symptoms such as cognitive function in individuals with [Parkinson's]
needs to be acknowledged, and the most effective treatment options need to be
defined," he adds.
"This will not only help
practitioners to recommend specific exercise programs, but also ultimately
improve the quality of life of the individual. Our work shows that 'exercise is
medicine' and should routinely be recommended for people with [Parkinson's] to
help combat both the physical and cognitive challenges of the disease."
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