Cycling improves Parkinson’s brain function, study finds
Regular cycling may reshape brain activity in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a pilot study that tracked neural changes using implanted brain stimulation devices.
Researchers monitored participants with Parkinson’s before and after 12 dynamic cycling sessions over four weeks, using deep brain stimulation (DBS) implants to record signals from the subthalamic nucleus – a brain region involved in motor control and affected by Parkinson’s.
The study was conducted at University Hospitals and the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System through its Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, and was led by neurologist Dr Aasef Shaikh, vice chair for research at University Hospitals.
While no immediate changes in brain activity were observed, measurable alterations in motor-related signals appeared after completing all sessions.
Researchers say the findings suggest that long-term exercise may promote broader network-level changes in the brain and help restore disrupted neural connections.
Dr Shaikh said: “We’ve already established over years of study that dynamic cycling regimens are beneficial for treating Parkinson’s tremor.
“The latest study adds the use of deep brain stimulation and an ongoing exercise programme to visualise how long-term exercise might be rewiring neural connections in the brain.”
Participants, including military veterans, used adaptive exercise bikes that automatically adjusted resistance in response to the rider’s effort.
They were guided to maintain 80 revolutions per minute (RPM) for about 30 minutes while playing an interactive on-screen game that visualised pedalling intensity using a floating balloon over water.
The DBS devices recorded brain activity before and after each cycling session, focusing on the dorsolateral subthalamic nucleus, where changes were observed.
No significant response was noted in the ventral region of the same structure.
Dr Shaikh said: “Our goal was to understand the immediate and long-term effects of the exercise in that region of the brain where the electrodes are implanted, which is also the same area where Parkinson’s pathology is evident.”
Lead author Prajakta Joshi, a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering, said: “There may be a broader circuit involved.
“Numerous upstream and downstream pathways could be influenced by exercise, and it’s possible that we’re inducing a network-level change that drives the improvement in motor symptoms.”
She added that while modern DBS systems offer a unique view into brain activity, they are limited to recording signals only from the areas where the electrodes are implanted, meaning other relevant brain regions may remain unmonitored.
