Shared from brainandlife.org.
If you have Parkinson’s disease (PD) and are staying active, you’re likely doing yourself a big favor.
A new study shows that regular physical activity can help slow cognitive decline in people with PD. The findings support the belief that staying active is a key intervention for patients—one that could delay the disease’s progression, alleviate motor symptoms, and improve patients’ quality of life, according to the study, published online Aug. 6 in Neurology®.
“Understanding the long-term effects of regular physical activity on cognitive function is crucial because cognitive decline is a prevalent and highly debilitating non-motor symptom in patients with PD,” writes lead author Patricia Diaz-Galvan, PhD, of Virgen del Rocío University Hospital/CSIC/University of Seville and the Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Area (CIBERNED) at the National Institute of Health Carlos III in Spain, and colleagues.