Introduction: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that can lead to disability and disengagement with active lifestyles. Single modality exercise is effective at improving and sustaining cognitive and/or physical function in people with Parkinson’s (PwP) (1,2). However, multi-modal (MM) exercise (e.g. circuit training), including cognitive challenge, may be more beneficial. Only a few studies have assessed long-term effects of regular MM exercises in PD and there is a need to compare these results to non-exercise-attendees with PD (na-PD) and healthy older adults (HOA). We established a weekly community-based MM exercise session for PD (EX) to evaluate its effects on physical function, cognition and wellbeing outcomes over the period of 1, 2 and 3 years. Methods: 25 participants (20 male, 5 female; age 64±8 years; Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scores≤III, indicating mild to moderate PD) attended a once-a-week MM group exercise session (60 minutes) for over one-year. A battery of health and functional assessments were completed at the start and every four months for one (n=25), two (=18) and three years (n=8). Additionally, a battery of cognitive function assessments plus Older People’s Quality of Life Questionnaire (OPQOL-Brief) were measured. Results were compared to an aged-matched group of 20 HOA (8 male, 12 female; age 61±6 years) and 20 na-PD (12 male, 8 female; age 68±7 years; H&Y scores≤III) to evaluate the rate of functional and cognitive decline not influenced by the exercise session. Results: At baseline, no health-related between-group differences were observed. EX scores for six-minute walking test (6MWT), timed up and go (TUG) and bilateral grip strength (GS) did not significantly decrease across 1, 2 or 3 years, and the number of 1-minute sit-to-stands (STS) increased during 1 year between baseline and after the first four months (from 21 to 23; P=0.001). Scores for Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) and B (TMT-B), and OPQOL-Brief did not significantly change across four different assessments (i.e. 1 year). Mini-Mental Parkinson’s (MMP) increased between baseline and after 8 months (from 26.67 to 29.38; P=0.004). After 1 year of exercise, EX group’s 6MWT scores were significantly lower than HOA (P<0.001) but TUG, STS and GS were not significantly different from HOA, while na-PD showed lower 6MWT, TUG and STS scores than HOA (P=0.000, 0.006 and 0.003, respectively). Conclusion: A once-a-week MM exercise programme for PD showed an improvement in STS and MMP scores and no other significant changes (i.e. no decline) in health, cognition and physical function over 1, 2 and 3 years. Also, exercise reduced the difference in outcome scores between PwP and HOA. That functional and cognitive performance were slightly increased or maintained is a positive outcome given the progressive nature of Parkinson’s.
Future Physiology 2019 (Liverpool, UK) (2019) Proc Physiol Soc 45, C20
Oral Communications: Can a Weekly Multi-Modal Exercise Class Preserve Motor and Non-Motor Function in Parkinson’s?
A. Ferrusola-Pastrana1, S. Meadows1, G. Davison1, C. Fullerton1
1. School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Kent, Chatham, United Kingdom.
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