Parkinson
Conditions
Keywords
Exercise, Parkinson's, Muscle metabolism, strengthening
Brief summary
This investigation assesses the impact of a strengthening program on muscle metabolism in the gastrocnemius muscle (GM) and is an essential step in the establishment of future clinical intervention for the GM in people with Parkinson's disease (with healthy peers as the control group). The participants will be provided with a progressive GM strengthening program while monitoring muscle metabolism and functional changes before and after intervention.
Detailed description
This is a repeated measures study with a total of 20 participants (15 individuals with varying PD severity and 5 age matched controls). Strength, functional ability, and metabolic properties (MRS) of the GM will be measured on participants before and after a 4 week progressive strengthening program for the GM. The program is designed to utilize high volume exercise to account for unique properties of the GM (2 sets of heel raises to fatigue, 3 times a week). Loading will be individualized and progressed based on participant strength. There will be contact for accountability/direction on exercise progression. Demographic data including sex, age, medications, and years since disease onset will be collected.
Interventions
OTHERHome Exercise Program
All participants completed a four-week, home-based progressive strengthening program targeting GM using high-volume bodyweight exercise. Participants were instructed to perform exercises three times per week, with at least one day of rest between exercise sessions. During weeks 1 and 2, participants performed two sets of heel raises to fatigue at their prescribed level, corresponding to a subjective effort rating of 8/10. The goal was to progress toward completing 20 repetitions per set. Exercise loading was individualized based on baseline performance and adjusted throughout the intervention according to each participant's demonstrated strength progression.
Sponsors
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Everyone will do the same exercise program
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* 50-80 years of age, males and females, individuals with and without PD * Hoehn and Yahr stages 1- 4 (if diagnosed with PD) * Bilateral Heal Raise - minimum of 10 repetitions
Exclusion criteria
* Unable to walk for \>5 minutes at a time with or without an assistive device * Any comorbidity limiting exercise
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle metabolic properties (P-31 MRS) | Day 1 (baseline) and 4 weeks (post exercise program) | A non-invasive measure of metabolites and their dynamics in resting and activated human muscles to explores how well muscle handles its ATP energy demands. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gastrocnemius strength | Day 1 (baseline) and 4 weeks (post exercise program) | Clinical measure of gastrocnemius strength, tested unilaterally, using the Calf -Raise Senior Test with a stadiometer for objective heel raise strength. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed