Benefits from Early Physical Activity in Parkinson Disease

Exercise and other regular physical activity were both associated with slower clinical declines.

There has been much speculation about the long-term effects of exercise and other physical activity in persons with Parkinson disease (PD). These authors used data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) to evaluate 237 patients with early PD. The investigators assessed measures of regular physical activity and levels of exercise; they associated those measures with the progression of clinical parameters, adjusting for age, sex, levodopa-equivalent dose, and disease duration.

Neither moderate-to-vigorous exercise nor regular physical activity affected disease progression. However, both exercise and regular physical activity were significantly associated with benefits in some clinical measures: Overall physical activity lev…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)