Facilitating Motor Skill Learning in Parkinson's Disease
- Conditions
- Parkinson Disease
- Interventions
- Behavioral: restBehavioral: aerobic exerciseBehavioral: motor learning
- Registration Number
- NCT03245216
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Erlangen-Nürnberg
- Brief Summary
The study is designed to assess the effects of aerobic exercise on motor learning in Parkinson patients. Specifically, the investigators examine whether a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise, performed immediately before task practice, facilitates the acquisition and retention of a motor skill. In a cross-over design, participants will be randomly allocated to either the intervention group (aerobic exercise before motor learning) or control group (rest before motor learning).
- Detailed Description
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by motor control impairments, such as gait disturbances and postural instability. Beneficial effects of exercise are attributed to mechanisms of neuroplasticity, and task-specific motor training is consequently considered to be a motor learning process. While motor learning is preserved in persons with Parkinson's disease, slower acquisition rates and reduced retention have been reported compared to healthy individuals.
Thus, it is crucial to identify strategies to enhance motor learning in people with Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have accumulated evidence to show that aerobic exercise can facilitate motor skill learning. However, these observations are limited to healthy individuals and have not been addressed in individuals with neurologic conditions.
The present study is designed to assess the effects of a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on a motor skill learning task in patients with Parkinson's disease.
In a cross-over design, participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups. Both groups will practice balancing on a specific stability platform (motor learning task). The experimental group will additionally perform a bout of aerobic exercise (cycle ergometer) immediately before the motor learning task, while the control group will rest before practice. Subsequently, the acquisition and one-day retention of the motor learning task will be examined.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 28
- Parkinson's disease stage 1-3 on Hoehn & Yahr scale
- Ability to stand unaided and walk without an assistive device
- Stable medication during the study period
- On-off and wearing-off phenomena
- Unstable medical or psychiatric illness
- Clinically relevant cardiovascular or orthopaedic disease
- Severe polyneuropathy
- Cognitive impairment
- Smoking > 10 cigarettes/day
- Caffeine > 6 cups of coffee/day
- Alcohol > 50 g (two glasses)/day
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- CROSSOVER
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description aerobic exercise + motor skill practice motor learning acute bout of aerobic exercise before motor learning rest + motor skill practice rest seated rest before motor learning aerobic exercise + motor skill practice aerobic exercise acute bout of aerobic exercise before motor learning rest + motor skill practice motor learning seated rest before motor learning
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Motor Learning (Precision) Baseline (first trial of practice day 1), 1 day (last trial of practice day 1), and 7 days (first trial of 7-day retention session). Change from baseline in time in balance (±5° from horizontal) during balancing task.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Motor Learning (Variability) Baseline (first trial of practice day 1), 1 day (last trial of practice day 1), and 7 days (first trial of 7-day retention session). Change from baseline in mean standard deviation (root mean square error) of platform deflection (in degree).
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Institute of Sport Science and Sport, Gebbertstr. 123b
🇩🇪Erlangen, Germany