Physical exercise and inflammation in Parkinson's disease: a review
Chao Han1, Hongcui Zhang2, Qiang Wang1
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Introduction:
Studies have shown that neuroinflammation plays an important role in Parkinson's disease (PD). Current clinical studies provide evidence that physical exercise may enhance pharmacological treatment and alleviate motor impairments in PD patients. However, current understanding of the anti-inflammatory effects of physical exercise in PD is limited. This article reviewed the current state of knowledge concerning the anti-inflammatory properties of physical exercise as an effective therapy for PD.
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted for articles published in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science from Jan 1973 to Jun 2025.
Results:
A total of 41 articles were included in the study. Physical exercise may prevent neurodegeneration in dopaminergic neurons via the inhibition of inflammatory processes. This includes alleviating the inflammatory activity of glia cells, modulating inflammasomes and inflammatory factors through inflammatory pathways and altering the composition of the gut microbiota.
Conclusion:
This review presents the current evidence supporting the anti-inflammatory effects of physical exercise as a potential therapy for PD. However, it is not clear how inflammation can further cause the continuous degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, and the specific neuroimmune-modifying mechanism of exercise needs further research.
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