Exercise May Slow Cognitive Decline for Some Parkinson's Patients

Parkinson's disease can and often does cause of cognitive impairment. Memory and cognitive  impairment are among the most common nonmotor symptoms of the disease. A new study shows that exercise may help slow cognitive decline in some Parkinson's patients.

Research has also indicated that those with Parkinson's disease who have the gene variant apolipoprotein E e4 or APOE e4, may experience cognitive decline at an earlier, and quicker rate than those without the variant. Also, APOE e4 has been identified as a "genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease." 

The new study focused on whether exercise could slow down the cognitive decline for people that have the APOE e4 variant.  According to Jin-Sun Jun, M.D., of Hallym University in Seoul, Korea,  “[p]roblems with thinking skills and memory can have a negative impact on people’s quality of life and ability to function, so it’s exciting that increasing physical activity could have the potential to delay or prevent cognitive decline.”

Jun also stated that there will need to be more research done in order to confirm the findings, but the results of the research suggests that "interventions that target physical activity" play a role in delaying cognitive decline in people with early Parkinson's who have the APOE e4 gene variant.

Source: "Exercise May Help Slow Cognitive Decline In Some People with Parkinson's Disease," American Academy of Neurology, March 31, 2021.