Exercise Alters the Brain Structure in Parkinson's Disease as per Recent Research
In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the University Hospitals and the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System have discovered that long-term dynamic cycling can aid Parkinson's patients by promoting neuroplasticity, a process that rewires damaged brain circuits. This finding offers promising strides in understanding and leveraging exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention to modify disease progression at the neural circuit level.
The study, published in Clinical Neurophysiology (June 2025), focused on Parkinson's Disease patients who had previously received Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) implants. For 12 cycling sessions over four weeks, participants used a specially designed adaptive bike, which adjusted resistance based on their pedaling effort. The bike's connected game screen challenged them to maintain 80 RPM.
The researchers believe the push-and-pull assistance of the bike may be key to stimulating motor improvements. After multiple exercise sessions over weeks, Parkinson's patients exhibited measurable changes in brain signals specifically in motor areas. Although single sessions did not show notable brain signal changes, cumulative exercise produced alterations in electrophysiological properties indicative of neuroplasticity—the brain's capacity to reorganize and adapt.
Neuroplastic changes observed include altered brain activity patterns in regions affected by Parkinson's, such as basal ganglia circuits involved in motor control. Network-level rewiring beyond DBS implant sites suggests that exercise impacts wide brain circuits responsible for movement and sensory integration. Restoration of disrupted motor-sensory connections improved motor symptoms like tremors, walking difficulties, and energy levels.
Dr. Aasef Shaikh, the study's principal investigator, stated that the study adds DBS recordings to show how long-term exercise might be rewiring neural connections in the brain. Lara Shigo, a Kent State PhD candidate, suggested that the unpredictability of the exercise may train the brain more effectively.
The study's next phase, funded in part by a VA Merit Award and philanthropic support, aims to deepen understanding of which brain circuits are involved and how they might be targeted for non-invasive, personalized therapy. Joshi suggests that larger brain networks may be affected by exercise in addition to the specific region affected by Parkinson's Disease.
The collaboration expanded access to patients, including military veterans, and combined research and clinical care in a powerful way. Dr. Shaikh credits the partnership between University Hospitals and the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System for making the study possible. The conventional view that exercise benefits Parkinson's patients solely through muscular or cardiovascular gains is challenged by this insight, suggesting a more complex interplay between exercise and neurological effects.
In summary, long-term dynamic cycling aids Parkinson's patients by promoting neuroplasticity that rewires damaged brain circuits, supporting functional recovery and symptom improvement through changes measurable in brain activity patterns. These findings represent promising strides in understanding and leveraging exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention to modify disease progression at the neural circuit level.
- The study's findings suggest that health-and-wellness practices like fitness-and-exercise, such as long-term dynamic cycling, could potentially help in modifying neuroplastic changes in the brain, aiding in the treatment of neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease.
- The research published in Clinical Neurophysiology (June 2025) sheds light on the impact of exercise on medical-conditions like Parkinson's, showing that not only can it improve motor symptoms, but it may also impact wide brain circuits responsible for movement and sensory integration, offering a novel approach for non-invasive, personalized therapy.
