We need to move more: Neurobiological hypotheses of physical exercise as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease

Physical activity and exercise attenuate neuroinflammation in neurological diseases

“…Animal studies confirmed these findings by demonstrating that exercise intervention in rodent models of PD improved overall motor skills, along with an increase in BDNF, GDNF, and higher concentrations of DA in the substantia nigra and striatum compared to the low activity PD counterparts (Lau et al, 2011). This is not surprising, however, since PA stimulates the synthesis of DA and trophic factors, which promote neuroplasticity and inhibit apoptosis and inflammation, thereby delaying the progression of PD symptoms (Monteiro-Junior et al, 2015). In addition, epidemiological studies report that leading an active lifestyle reduces the risk of developing PD by approximately two fold (Zou et al, 2015).…”

“…Exercise enhances mood in the young, the old, the sick and the healthy alike (Annesi and Tennant, 2012;Hoffman et al, 2010;Johnson and Castle, 2015;Powers et al, 2015). This elevation in mood following exercise has been attributed primarily to the enhanced release of the neurotransmitters 5-HT and DA by neurons (Melancon et al, 2014;Monteiro-Junior et al, 2015). However, the MDD symptom-reducing effects of exercise may not only be due to an increase of 5-HT and DA in the CNS, but also due to a reduction in MDD-associated neuroinflammation (Eyre and Baune, 2012;Liu et al, 2013).…”

The best medicine? The influence of physical activity and inactivity on Parkinson's disease

“…Such mitochondrial disturbances may be attenuated by exercise . Although exercise acutely increases the production of reactive oxygen species, rodent models demonstrated that activity chronically suppresses systemic oxidative stress through an adaptive process that increases antioxidants (eg, superoxide dismutase and glutathione) and oxidative damage repair enzymes . Consistent exercise can even increase serum levels of glutathione in humans .…”

Strategies to encourage physical activity in patients with Parkinson's disease: improving quality of life

“…48,49 Numerous studies support use of exercise in modulating brain function in individuals with PD. [50][51][52][53] Petzinger et al 35,54,55 and several other researchers 56,57 were able to demonstrate that intensive treadmill training over 24 sessions showed an improvement in gait velocity, stride length, step length, and hip and ankle joint excursion. Improvement of weight distribution during sit-to-stand through the use of transmagnetic stimulation during these treadmill training sessions showed exercise-induced lengthening of cortical changes.…”