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Active-assisted cycling improves tremor and bradykinesia in Parkinson's disease
Angela L Ridgel1, Corey A Peacock, Emily J Fickes
1Department of Exercise Physiology, School of Health Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA. aridgel@kent.edu
Objectives:
To develop a rapid cadence cycling intervention (active-assisted cycling [AAC]) using a motorized bike and to examine physiological perimeters during these sessions in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). A secondary goal was to examine whether a single session of AAC at a high cadence would promote improvements in tremor and bradykinesia similar to the on medication state.
Design:
Before-after pilot trial with cross-over.
Setting:
University research laboratory.
Participants:
Individuals with idiopathic PD (N=10, age 45-74y) in Hoehn and Yahr stages 1 to 3.
Intervention:
Forty minutes of AAC.
Main Outcome Measures:
Heart rate, pedaling power, and rating of perceived exertion were recorded before, during, and after a bout of AAC. Functional assessments included tremor score during resting, postural, and kinetic tremor.
Results:
This AAC paradigm was well tolerated by individuals with PD without excessive fatigue, and most participants showed improvements in tremor and bradykinesia immediately after a single bout of cycling.
Conclusions:
This paradigm could be used to examine changes in motor function in individuals with PD after bouts of high-intensity exercise.
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