Facilitating Motor Skill Learning in Parkinson's Disease — FAST-PD  

Parkinson Disease Clinical Trial

Official title: Facilitating Motor Skill Learning by Aerobic Training in Parkinson's Disease

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The study is designed to assess the effects of aerobic exercise on motor learning in Parkinson patients. Specifically, the investigators examine whether a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise, performed immediately before task practice, facilitates the acquisition and retention of a motor skill. In a cross-over design, participants will be randomly allocated to either the intervention group (aerobic exercise before motor learning) or control group (rest before motor learning).

Clinical Trial Description

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by motor control impairments, such as gait disturbances and postural instability. Beneficial effects of exercise are attributed to mechanisms of neuroplasticity, and task-specific motor training is consequently considered to be a motor learning process. While motor learning is preserved in persons with Parkinson's disease, slower acquisition rates and reduced retention have been reported compared to healthy individuals.

Thus, it is crucial to identify strategies to enhance motor learning in people with Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have accumulated evidence to show that aerobic exercise can facilitate motor skill learning. However, these observations are limited to healthy individuals and have not been addressed in individuals with neurologic conditions.

The present study is designed to assess the effects of a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on a motor skill learning task in patients with Parkinson's disease.

In a cross-over design, participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups. Both groups will practice balancing on a specific stability platform (motor learning task). The experimental group will additionally perform a bout of aerobic exercise (cycle ergometer) immediately before the motor learning task, while the control group will rest before practice. Subsequently, the acquisition and one-day retention of the motor learning task will be examined. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Parkinson Disease

• NCT number: NCT03245216
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 1, 2017
• Completion date: September 30, 2018