AAN 2022 | Exercise intervention in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy

Jane B. Allendorfer, PhD, and Malik Bolaji, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, discuss the impact of exercise intervention in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE), particularly the effects on white matter integrity and neurite morphology. A study was conducted to assess the effect of a 6-week exercise intervention in patients with IGE compared to a no-exercise control group. Changes in cognition, white matter, and neurite morphology were investigated through cognitive assessments, MRI, and diffusion protocol imaging. Patients in the exercise arm had an increase in learning and recognition discriminability scores, in addition to a reduction in mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD). There is a negative correlation between RD and white matter damage, suggesting that exercise may be preventative or protective against white matter degradation. Additionally, improvements in verbal learning and memory were associated with decreased RD. Further research is needed to assess exercise efficacy and the mechanism of action in patients with epilepsy. This interview took place at the American Academy of Neurology 2022 Congress in Seattle, WA.