Exercise linked to slower cognitive and physical decline in Parkinson’s

People with Parkinson’s disease who were more physically active showed slower declines in memory, thinking and movement in a study lasting up to seven years.

Participants reporting higher levels of physical activity experienced less deterioration in cognitive and motor function than those who were less active.

However, the findings show an association rather than proving that exercise directly slows the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Dong-Woo Ryu, study author at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, said the findings suggested physical activity could be associated with benefits for both movement and cognition.

He said: “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.”

The study followed 294 adults with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease for up to seven years, examining the relationship between physical activity and changes in symptoms.

Participants were aged 66 on average and completed questionnaires estimating how many hours each week they spent being physically active.

Activities included household tasks, work and recreation, with researchers distinguishing between moderate and vigorous activity.

Moderate activities included brisk walking, leisurely swimming, doubles tennis and household tasks such as cleaning windows, vacuuming or mowing the lawn.

Vigorous activities included running, faster cycling, team sports, singles tennis, shovelling and carrying heavy objects.

Researchers measured total time spent on moderate or vigorous activities, overall activity volume based on duration and intensity, and time spent on vigorous activities.

Participants were divided into three groups based on their reported weekly activity.

The least active group reported up to four hours a week, the moderately active group reported four to eight hours, and the most active group reported more than eight hours.

Researchers assessed memory, thinking and movement symptoms annually.

Cognitive function was measured using a 30-point assessment, with lower scores indicating poorer performance.

Among the least active participants, cognitive scores declined by an estimated average of 0.478 points a year.

The moderately active group recorded a smaller annual decline of 0.090 points, while scores among the most active participants fell by just 0.007 points a year.

This suggested that cognitive performance remained relatively stable among those reporting the highest activity levels.

Movement symptoms were assessed using a scale from zero to 132, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.

Participants had an average score of 23 at the start of the study.

In the least active group, movement symptom scores increased by an estimated 0.143 points annually, indicating a slight worsening of symptoms.

Scores fell by 0.225 points a year among moderately active participants and by 0.783 points among those in the most active group.

After researchers accounted for age, sex and how long participants had been living with Parkinson’s, the most active group still showed slower cognitive decline and less worsening of movement symptoms than the least active group.

More time spent being active, greater overall activity volume and more time spent exercising vigorously were each associated with slower deterioration in cognitive and movement assessments.

The findings also suggest that maintaining physical activity over time may be important for people with Parkinson’s.

Researchers noted that small differences in annual rates of decline could become more meaningful over several years.

However, the study relied on participants reporting their own physical activity rather than using objective measurements.

As a result, estimates of exercise duration and intensity may not have been entirely accurate.

Participants also generally had good cognitive function at the start of the study, a factor the researchers said should be considered when interpreting the findings.

Ryu said: “The possible benefits of physical activity for people with Parkinson’s disease may depend on how long they stay active and whether they continue exercising over time.

“While our study found small differences between activity levels, these differences may become more meaningful over time.

“Since participants generally had good thinking and memory skills at the start of the study, our results should be interpreted with caution and further studies are needed.”