Influence of Community-based Group Exercise on Fall Risk in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and effects approximately 1 million people in the United States. Falls are a significant problem for persons with PD, with incidence rates ranging from 37-80% each year. The long-term goal of this research is to develop exercise training programs to reduce falls in persons with PD.

Physical activity and exercise are commonly understood to provide significant benefits in functional mobility for persons with PD. Unfortunately, the translation of improved mobility to an actual reduction in falls has been recalcitrant to traditional exercise therapies. The following proposal is aimed at identifying the modifiable risk factors for falls in persons with PD and characterizing the effect of a novel exercise intervention on fall risk. The investigators will conduct a 12 week community-based exercise program in 20 individuals in which two validated forms of exercise training will be combined into one program. Specifically, individualized balance activities tailored to different domains of balance dysfunction for each individual will be combined with non-contact group boxing training to maximize the therapeutic benefit. The research aims of this investigation are 1) identify the individual characteristics of responders to exercise such as modifiable factors like lower-extremity kinematic joint range of motion and balance domain dysfunction at baseline, and 2) determine if a novel community-based exercise regimen that combines accepted balance and strength training protocols can synergistically improve balance dysfunction and reduce falls.

The benefits of exercise in general on PD are undisputed, but there remains an urgent, unmet need for the identification of exercise interventions that can reduce falls. The proposed research is significant because it is expected to provide evidence that a novel community-based exercise program is capable of improving functional mobility in such a way that it can reduce fall incidence for persons with PD. The research aims in this proposal are expected to directly inform clinical practice for rehabilitation providers by identifying the modifiable risk factors that lead to falls in PD and delivering a community-based exercise model that can reduce the harmful effects of falls in this population.