EXERCISE and other NON-DRUG TREATMENTS

More evidence for disease modifying, neuro-restorative effects of exercise

But which forms of exercise are best?

Excerpt from  Spring Times No 57, October 2010

Further evidence was presented at the WPC that:

exercise actually causes changes in the brain.

Dr Giselle Petzinger, who is Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, told us of new results that further advanced our understanding of the effects of exercise on Parkinson's since SPRING held a conference on this topic last year.

Following on from last year when we learned that laboratory animals that had been given a condition resembling Parkinson's could regain function if made to do a significant amount of exercise, the detailed, positive changes in the brain that resulted from exercise were being further teased out.

The brain appears to be remarkably plastic. Connections between nerves – the synapses – that are lost as a result of the disease can be regenerated and a class of receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine which reduce in number with Parkinson's can be restored. Both of these effects result from exercise and both have an effect on symptoms. In Parkinson's certain cells become hyper-excited by the action of excess glutamate and – you guessed – exercise also helps suppress this. Furthermore Dr Petzinger said that it has been found that exercise leads to an increase in the numbers of activated microglia in the brain. These are part of the innate immune system and are the first line of defence against invading pathogens. With exercise, however, their active state is not the destructive one with 'all guns blazing', but a neurotrophic state of activation whose role is to

repair and restore damaged tissue.

The bad news, unless you enjoy therapeutic pain,

is that for exercise to work well it needs to be intense.

An encouraging trainer who can persuade their patients to push themselves quite hard is apparently what is needed. And there is evidence that the sort of exercise that involves a good problem-solving element is the most effective. Good news for those who find treadmill-walking boring – but extending your body by novel physical contortions and exposing yourself to physically and mentally challenging situations could be the right prescription instead.

Are you game for it?