Exercise Training in Parkinson's disease: Neural and functional benefits

Exercise Training in Parkinson's disease: Neural and functional benefits Exercise training in Parkinson's disease: Neural and functional benefits Exercise Training in Parkinson's disease: Neural and functional benefits The currently active grant (1R21HD060315-01A2) titled, Exercise training in Parkinsons disease: Neural and functional benefits investigates the effects of 12-week long-term exercise training (polestriding - walking with poles) in individuals with Parkinsons disease with the following specific aims: (a) establishing and delivering a readily-administered polestriding exercise therapy protocol in individuals with PD, (b) quantitative evaluation of the neuroadaptive effects of the exercise intervention on functional improvements, and (c) evaluating the neuroadaptative effects of the intervention by quantifying changes in covariance patterns of metabolic activity of various brain regions using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose/positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) imaging. The effects of the intervention will be longitudinally evaluated at every 12 weeks (0th, 12th, 24th, and 36the weeks to obtain baseline, pre, post, and follow-up measrements, respectively) using a variety of tests to quantify changes in functional outcomes and brain metabolism. In the proposed supplement, additonal funds are requested to incoporate the following improvements to the study: (a) extension of the FDG-PET imaging to all the 16 participants of the study - this can provide more definitive outcomes about the neuroprotective potential of polestriding exercise intervention. (b) evaluation of the effects of the intervention on orthostatic tolerance in PD and its relation with balance and gait control - this can lead to non-pharmacological treatment to reduce orthostatic hypotension (OH) and if found to be associated with gait and posture, reducing OH can improve balance and thus can reduce falls in PD. (c) a more extensive data analyses of the functional outcomes, imaging measures, and correlation between them - this will provide efficient characterization and better understanding of the effects of the intervention on cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems in PD.x