Exercise and Parkinson's: benefits for cognition and quality of life

摘要

Objectives - The benefits of physical exercise for psychologicalaspects of quality of life (QoL) are well established in normally ageingadults, yet potential benefits for people with Parkinson's disease (PD)have received limited attention. This study evaluated the benefits ofexercise for cognitive functioning, mood and disease-specific QoL forpeople with PD. Methods - Twenty-eight individuals with PD wereallocated to an exercise intervention program (EIP, n = 15) or controlgroup (n = 13). The EIP group undertook a programme of progressiveanabolic and aerobic exercise twice weekly for 12 weeks. The controlgroup maintained their usual lifestyle. Results - Exercise was shown tohave selective benefits for cognitive functioning by improving frontallobe based executive function. No significant effects were demonstratedfor mood or disease-specific QoL. Conclusions - These results areconsistent with previous research demonstrating selective benefitsof exercise for executive function among normal ageing adultsand PD.