Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Benefits of Aerobic Exercise in Advanced Parkinson's Disease
The Cleveland Clinic
Summary
This study is focused on people with Parkinson's disease who already have deep brain stimulation devices. The goal is to understand how aerobic exercise, specifically forced vs voluntary cycling, affects movement, thinking, and brain activity in these individuals. Parkinson's disease is a progressive condition that impacts both movement and cognitive function. Previous research suggests aerobic exercise can improve PD symptoms, but the mechanisms underlying the improvement are not fully understood. This study aims to evaluate the neural (brain) mechanisms underlying exercise.
Description
This study is investigating how aerobic exercise, specifically forced exercise (FE) and voluntary exercise (VE), affects movement, thinking, and brain activity in people with advanced Parkinson's disease who have deep brain stimulation (DBS). Over eight weeks, 36 participants will complete either a forced cycling program (where a motor helps them pedal faster than they could on their own) or a voluntary cycling program at a self-driven pace. Participants will complete an 8-week delayed start period to serve as a comparison before starting an exercise program. The study will measure motor symp…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease * Previous placement of bilateral Medtronic Percept DBS as standard of care treatment for PD * Clinically optimized DBS parameters for one month prior to enrollment * Ability to ambulate with or without an assistive device for 5 continuous minutes * Willingness to withhold antiparkinsonian medication and DBS stimulation for outcomes assessments Exclusion Criteria: * Neurocognitive impairment that compromises the ability to provide informed consent * Neurological disease other than Parkinson's disease (i.e. multiple sclerosis, s…
Interventions
- BehavioralExercise
Participants will complete an eight-week control period followed by an eight-week cycling program. They will complete 3 sessions per week in-person with a member of the study team, for a total of 24 exercise sessions.
Location
- Cleveland ClinicCleveland, Ohio