Exercise and Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an aging-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor impairment. The etiology of PD is poorly understood but likely involves both genetic and environmental factors; the management of the disease is still with symptomatic therapy without any interference on the progression of neurodegeneration. In the past two decades, the results of a series of prospective cohort studies suggested that lifestyle factors likely modify the risk of developing PD. Among these, physical activity is known to reduce the risk of a wide range of diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes. Recently, a growing body of evidence has suggested that increased physical activity may also reduce the risk of PD and partly improve motor and non-motor symptoms during the disease course. Here we report the main findings on the effect of physical activity on both mobility and cognition either in animal models of PD or in people with PD. We also highlighted the structural and functional links between gait and cognition by reporting evidence from neuroimaging studies.