14 July 2023 , 18:09
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Scientists have discovered intensive exercise could slow the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, giving hope for a future of non-drug treatment approaches.
Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University, Rome, found a mechanism in the brain triggered by exercise lowered the chance of involuntary movements - a common symptom of Parkinson's.
Professor Paolo Calabresi, a researcher part of the team, said: "We have discovered a never observed mechanism, through which exercise performed in the early stages of the disease induces beneficial effects on movement control that may last over time even after training is suspended.
“In the future, it would be possible to identify new therapeutic targets and functional markers to be considered for developing non-drug treatments to be adopted in combination with current drug therapies."
The study looked at the effects of treadmill exercise on motor control (Shared Content Unit)Researchers enrolled trial participants on a four-week treadmill training protocol in an animal model of early-stage Parkinson's disease.
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The main effect observed in response to daily sessions of treadmill training was a reduction in the spread of pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates, which in Parkinson's disease leads to dysfunction of neurons in specific brain areas essential to motor control.
The effect of physical activity is associated with the survival of these neurons.
Professor Calabresi added: "Our research team is involved in a clinical trial to test whether intensive exercise can identify new markers to monitor the disease progression slowing in early-stage patients and the profile of the progression of the disease.
The main effect observed in response to daily sessions of treadmill training was a reduction in the spread of pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates, which in Parkinson's disease leads to dysfunction of neurons (Getty Images/iStockphoto)"As Parkinson's disease is characterized by important neuroinflammatory and neuroimmune components, which play a key role in the early stages of the disease, the research will keep on investigating the involvement of glial cells, highly specialized groups of cells that provide physical and chemical support to neurons and their environment.
"This will allow us to identify molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the observed beneficial effects", he concluded."