If you have mild Parkinson?sdisease and don?t exercise much, you could help advance knowledge of the degenerative neural disorder.
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center are seeking participants in a study to see if starting an exercising regimen will help people with Parkinson?s disease improve their walking and balance. A $750,000 grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation funds this multiyear project.
“Our main goal is to see if these exercises improve the mobility of Parkinson?s patients,” said Dr. Lisa Shulman, principal investigator and associate professor of neurology at the School of Medicine. “There has been very little study of exercise for Parkinson?s disease, so it?s a really neglected area.”
However, animal studies and database studies of human patients suggest a link between exercise and better outcomes, she said.
The project will enroll 70 participants to compare three types of exercise, training three times a week for three months.
The first group will walk on the treadmill at a comfortable pace, increasing their time as training progresses to see if the repetitive practice of walking is sufficient to improve mobility.
A second group will gradually increase their incline and speed on the treadmill for cardiovascular and aerobic conditioning.
The final group will use weights and stretching exercises to improve their muscle strength and range of motion in their lower body.
Parkinson?s patients interested in participating are asked to call 443-827-0677.
