Group Exercise And Over-speed Cycling Effects On Mental Health In Parkinson’s Disease.

Abstract

PURPOSE: : Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects motor and non-motor function due to a loss of dopamine. Exercise has been shown to help physical and mental symptoms of PD. Over-speed cycling (OSC) involves cycling at a speed faster than the participant can actively produce. Group fitness classes (GF) for patients with Parkinson’s Disease focus on dynamic movements to enhance activities of daily living. Both OSC and GF have been shown to improve PD symptoms, however, previous studies have not examined the effects of these modalities on mental health. METHODS: Participants (n=8, mean age 73±3) diagnosed with level 2-3 PD were randomly assigned into two groups: 1) GF or 2) GF classes combined with OSC (GFC). GF was completed four times per week for one hour, for four weeks. In GFC, both the GF class and OSC was completed for one hour, two times per week for four weeks. The OSC protocol included a five minute-manual warm up each session, during the last 30 seconds participants cycled maximally. Speed of the cycle during forced exercise was determined by adding 10 RPM to the participant’s maximal manual speed. After the speed was determined, participants performed the forced cycling for 55 minutes, and completed the session with a five-minute cool down. A previously validated survey was administered pre and post exercise intervention to determine scores for physical function, mental health, fatigue, sleep, ability to participate in social roles and activities, and pain. RESULTS: All variables of the survey were recorded observing only one statistically significant change within physical function. There was a significant difference between GF and GFC when participants were asked, after the 4-week protocol, about their ability to go up and down stairs at a normal pace (5.0±0.0 vs. 4.2±0.5, p=0.024). All other variables included in the survey did not yield any significant changes during the 4-week exercise protocol. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot study suggest that mental health measures show no significant improvements or decrements in group, and between groups, following the completion of the four-week exercise programming. A larger sample size may assist in determining the impact of group fitness and forced cycling on aspects of mental health associated with PD.