Session Information
Date: Monday, September 23, 2019
Session Title: Physical and Occupational Therapy
Session Time: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Location: Les Muses Terrace, Level 3
Objective: To test the feasibility, safety, and acceptance of sprint running exercise in subjects with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Background: Positive effects of sprint running have been reported for healthy and depressive disorder individuals. However, no study has investigated the feasibility of sprint running for individuals with PD.
Method: 16 male participants with PD (n=16, 64±9.01 years, 1 to 3 in the Hoehn and Yahr Scale (H&Y), 16.8±7.1 UPDRS score) at “ON” period of L-Dopa, performed two sprint running trials reaching their maximal speed within 30 meters. After sprint trials, they answered whether the sprint exercise was enjoyable, challenging and helpful for their functional mobility. We asked about feasibility, difficulties in sprinting, pain, musculoskeletal injuries, instability during the sprint exercise and fear of falling. To each domain of questionnaire, scores ranged from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicated lower perceived difficulty and better-perceived interest, safety, satisfaction, acceptability, and positive effects. In addition, an open question was asked: “In what aspect do you think the sprint exercise may be good for individuals with PD?”.
Results: The sprint performance of individuals with PD was 5.11 s (IC:4.77: 5.74). Feasibility and safety were scored as 8.0 ± 3.2, 8.3 ± 4.4 out, respectively. Two subjects reported adverse events such as muscle discomfort and four participants reported pain or leg fatigue during or after the exercise. Appreciation/satisfaction, effectiveness, acceptance and future use of sprint were rated 8.5 ± 3.3, 8.5 ± 3.4, 7.5 ± 3.5, 7.5 ± 3.5, respectively. Approximately 75 % of participants expressed the intention to add sprint running to their exercise routines. In addition, participants answered that sprints would certainly increase muscle strength, respiratory capacity, circulation, step length, gait speed, agility, coordination, and psychological aspects.
Conclusion: Sprint running is a feasible and well-accepted exercise for people with mild-to-moderate PD. This type of exercise intervention might be innovative and effective in this population.
References: E.P. Monteiro, L.A. Peyré-Tartaruga, A.P.J. Zanardi, E.S. Silva, J.B. Morin, A.S. Pagnussat. Sprint exercise in Parkinson’s disease patients: a pilot study Book of Abstracts of the 23rd Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science – 4th – 7th July 2018, Dublin – Ireland. W. Zhou, J.C. Barkow, C.R. Freed, Running wheel exercise reduces α-synuclein aggregation and improves motor and cognitive function in a transgenic mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, PLoS One. (2017). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190160.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
E. Monteiro, L. Peyré-Tartaruga, E. da Silva, A. Zanardi, P. Jimenez-Reyes, J. Morin, A. Pagnussat. Is sprint running exercise feasible, safe and enjoyable to subjects with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease? [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2019; 34 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/is-sprint-running-exercise-feasible-safe-and-enjoyable-to-subjects-with-mild-to-moderate-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to 2019 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/is-sprint-running-exercise-feasible-safe-and-enjoyable-to-subjects-with-mild-to-moderate-parkinsons-disease/