Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder brought about due to dopaminergic neuronal cell loss in the midbrain substantia nigra pars compacta region. PD presents most commonly in older adults and is a disorder of both motor and nonmotor dysfunction. The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and older individuals, those with preexisting medical conditions, or both have an increased risk of developing COVID-19 with more severe outcomes. People-with-Parkinson’s (PwP) of advanced age can have both immune and autonomic nervous problems that potentially lead to pre-existing pulmonary dysfunction and higher infection risk, increasing the probability of contracting COVID-19. A lifestyle change involving moderate-intensity exercise has the potential to protect against SARS-CoV-2 through strengthening the immune system. In addition to a potential protective measure against SARS-CoV-2, exercise has been shown to improve quality-of-life (QoL) in PD patients. Recent studies provide evidence of exercise as both neuroprotective and neuroplastic. This article is a literature review investigating the role exercise plays in modifying the immune system, improving health outcomes in PwP, and potentially acting as a protective measure against SARS-Cov-2 infection. We conclude that exercise, when correctly performed, improves QoL and outcomes in PwP, and that the enhanced immune response from moderate-intensity exercise could potentially offer additional protection against COVID-19.
Highlights
In severe COVID-19, there is potential for an exponential release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can result in uncontrolled pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can result in uncontrolled inflammation and result in multi-organ damage with frequent progression to death [21,22]
Role of Exercise in Neuroprotection. Aspects of both the innate and adaptive immune systems are active in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and they contribute to the pathogenesis of the disorder [67,68]
We suggest that the following four responses of the immune system to moderate exercise could act as potential nonpharmacological prophylaxis for COVID-19
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the older adult population [1,2,3,4]. The symptoms of PD begin due to the progressive loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain’s substantia nigra pars compacta region. The complex etiology and pathogenesis of PD include neuroinflammation, immune system dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, genetic mutation, oxidative stress, protein aggregation, and multifactorial environmental factors [2,3,7]. This implies that a multipronged therapeutic (or intervention) strategy is needed to halt or slow PD progression [4,8,9]. Different forms of exercise are neuroprotective and neuroplastic besides exercising being used to strengthen the quality-of-life (QoL) in PD [9,10,11,12,13]
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