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Training-induced alleviation of parkinsonian rigidity and muscle tone decrease may be associated with neuroplastic changes caused by a training-induced increase in the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Fatigue caused by sustaining submaximal-intensity muscle contraction(s) involves increased activation in the brain such as primary motor cortex (M1), primary sensory cortex (S1), Premotor and supplementary motor area (PM&SMA) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). The synchronized increases in activation level in these cortical areas suggest fatigue-related strengthening of functional coupling within the motor control network. In the present study, this hypothesis was tested using the cross-correlation based functional connectivity (FC) analysis method. Ten subjects performed a 20-minute intermittent (3.5s ON/6.5s OFF, 120 trials total) handgrip task using the right hand at 50% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force level while their brain was scanned by a 3T Siemens Trio scanner using echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence. A representative signal time course of the left M1 was extracted by averaging the time course data of a 2-mm cluster of neighboring voxels of local maximal activation foci, which was identified by a general linear model. Two FC activation maps were created for each subject by cross-correlating the time course data of the minimal (the first 10 trials) and significant (the last 10 trials) fatigue stages across all the voxels in the brain to the corresponding representative time course. Histogram and quantile regression analysis were used to compare the FC between the minimal and significant fatigue stages and the results showed a significant increase in FC among multiple cortical regions, including right M1 and bilateral PM&SMA, S1 and PFC. This strengthened FC indicates that when muscle fatigue worsens, many brain regions increase their coupling with the left M1, the primary motor output control center for the right handgrip, to compensate for diminished force generating capability of the muscle in a coordinated fashion by enhancing the descending command for greater muscle recruitment to maintain the same force.

Background: This study examined the generalized effects of cycle ergometer aerobic interval training (AIT) on psychomotor behaviors in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD), including bimanual motor control, cognitive function, and neurological motor and non-motor parkinsonian signs. Methods: Twenty mild to moderate PD patients were randomly allocated to the following groups: (1) trained group (PD-TR, n = 10), which besides receiving usual care, underwent an 8-week moderate intensity AIT program; or (2) control group (PD-CO, n = 10) which received usual care, including participation in conventional physical therapy. Both groups were tested before and after the 8-week AIT program period with the following assessments: (1) laboratory analyses of bimanual motor control, (2) psychological evaluation of cognitive function, and (3) an evaluation of neurological parkinsonian signs. Results: The PD-TR group exhibited improved (1) bimanual motor control, reflected by a decreased time (p = 0.013) and increased rate of grip force development (p = 0.013) in the manipulating hand and a decreased time delay between grip force initiation in the manipulating and stabilizing hand (p = 0.020); (2) executive function, reflected by decreased performance time in part II of the Stroop Test (p = 0.007); and (3) neurological parkinsonian signs, reflected by an amelioration of upper-extremity bradykinesia (p = 0.015) and improvement in daily life manual functions (p = 0.004), mood, and intellectual function (p = 0.005). Conclusions: Following an 8-week moderate intensity AIT program, patients with PD exhibited improved psychomotor behaviors, reflected by bimanual motor control, executive function, and neurological parkinsonian signs.