Longer durations of nonexercise physical activity such as walking, cleaning, or doing laundry can significantly improve motor impairments across a range of Parkinson’s disease stages, according to a study published online ahead of print August 28 in Parkinsonism and Related Disorders.
Motor dysfunctions in patients with Parkinson’s disease result in severe postural and gait difficulties, which frequently result in a fear of falling. As a means of coping, many patients adopt a sedentary way of life, which contributes to worsening symptoms that in turn decrease physical activity.
Jonathan Snider, MD, Clinical Lecturer of Neurology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues investigated the relationship between the severity of parkinsonian motor dysfunctions, caused by a lack of dopamine signals in the brain, and the duration of time spent in nonexercise physical activity or in vigorous activity.
In this cross-sectional study, 40 men and eight women were examined over a four-week period. Dopamine levels were measured using PET brain imaging technology, and physical activity was assessed using the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire. Researchers found that more severe parkinsonism motor symptoms were associated with lower amounts of nonexercise physical activities, independent of dopamine levels. Conversely, no correlation was found between loss of motor functioning and intense physical activity in these patients. Vigorous periodic workouts showed no benefit in motor symptoms if the individual was inactive the gross remainder of the time. These conclusions support indications that physical activity and general inactivity have independent effects on health outcomes.
“What we found was it’s not so much the exercise, but the routine activities from daily living that were protecting motor skills,” said Nicolaas Bohnen, MD, PhD, principal investigator in this study and Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan. Even among patients with differing levels of dopamine, nonexercise physical activity was shown to protect against motor skill degradation in comparison with sedentary behavior.
“I tell my patients to stand up, sit less, and move more,” said Dr. Bohnen. “Sitting is bad for anybody, but it’s even worse for Parkinson’s patients.”
These findings have considerable implications for patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to the researchers, because they suggest that severe motor symptoms in advanced Parkinson’s disease may result from a combination of the disease progression and an increase in sedentary behavior.
—Adaeze Stephanie Onyechi