1. Disease‐inclusive exercise classes improve physical fitness and reduce depressive symptoms in individuals with and without Parkinson's disease—A feasibility study
- Author
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Tim Stuckenschneider, Vera Abeln, Tina Foitschik, Thomas Abel, Maria Cristina Polidori, and Heiko K. Strüder
- Subjects
cognition ,depression ,disease‐inclusive exercise ,insulin‐like growth factor I ,Parkinson's disease ,physical fitness ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
Abstract Background and purpose Exercise is an adjunctive treatment in the management of Parkinson's disease (PD), but barriers such as health status, fear of overexertion, and lack of transportation to the location prevent regular exercise participation. Disease‐inclusive exercise classes may offer an opportunity to make exercise more accessible for older adults with and without diseases. However, the efficacy of such heterogenous exercise classes is still widely unknown. Therefore, it was the aim of this study to analyze the feasibility of disease‐inclusive exercise classes in older adults with and without PD. Methods Twenty‐one older adults (healthy older adults (HOA): n = 13; PD: n = 8) completed an 8‐week multimodal exercise intervention in supervised group sessions. Exercise classes lasted 60 min with the goal of two participations a week. We assessed physical fitness (timed up and go test [TUG], 6‐minute walking test [6MWT], single leg stance), depressive symptoms and cognitive functions, and we determined growth factors (BDNF & IGF‐1) before and after the intervention to determine the effects and by that, the feasibility of a disease‐inclusive exercise program. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to establish changes. Results TUG and 6MWT improved significantly after the training in both HOA (p = .008; p
- Published
- 2021
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