MDS 2020 | Beneficial effects of aerobic exercise in slowing Parkinson’s disease progression

Terry Ellis, PhD, PT, NCS, Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Sargent College, Boston, MA, discusses how exercise is important in Parkinson’s disease and describes two large clinical trials supporting this. Data from animal models shows that exercise could have a neuroprotective effect, however, this has been hard to show in humans due to lack of biomarkers. Two large Phase II clinical trials, SPARX (NCT01506479) and Park-in-Shape (NTR4743) have shown beneficial effects of exercise using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Both trials indicated slowing the progression of disease following aerobic exercise. However, further research will need to be conducted to support the mitigating effects of exercise. This interview was recorded during an online conference call with The Video Journal of Neurology (VJNeurology).