Cognitive impairment begins early in Parkinson's disease (PD) and progresses to dementia in a majority of patients, impairing quality of life and contributing to growing health-related costs. Physical exercise has potent anti-aging effects and improves many outcomes in PD including cognition. Identifying biomarkers that respond to exercise, and how they associate with cognition and underlying disease pathology, may elucidate key mechanisms for countering cognitive decline. This is a randomized-controlled trial that evaluates safety and feasibility of a home-based exercise intervention in people with PD and measure its effects on cognition and circulating biomarkers of aging and stress. Thirty-six participants with PD will be randomized to receive a home-based, trainer-supervised endurance and resistance training program (exercise group) or no exercise (wait list control group) for 24 weeks. Cognitive assessments and patient reported outcomes will be obtained at baseline and at end of 24 weeks. Biomarkers in periphery (blood, saliva) and brain [cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)] will also be measured before and after the 24-week exercise intervention.
This study will evaluate the safety and feasibility of a home-based, virtually-supervised, combined high intensity endurance and resistance training program in people with Parkinson's disease. It will also evaluate the effects of exercise on cognition and underlying exercise-related biological markers (biomarkers).