BackgroundPathologic alterations in resting-state brain activity patterns exist among individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Since physical exercise alters resting-state brain activity in non-PD populations and improves PD symptoms, we assessed the acute effect of exercise on resting-state brain activity in exercise-trained individuals with PD.Material/MethodsResting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was collected twice for 17 PD participants at the conclusion of an exercise intervention. The acute effect of exercise was examined for PD participants using the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) before and after a single bout of exercise. Correlations of clinical variables (i.e., PDQ-39 quality of life and MDS-UPDRS) with ALFF values were examined for the exercise-trained PD participants.ResultsAn effect of acute exercise was observed as an increased ALFF signal within the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), left ventrolateral PFC, and bilaterally within the substantia nigra (SN). Quality of life was positively correlated with ALFF values within the vmPFC and vlPFC.ConclusionsGiven the role of the SN and PFC in motor and non-motor symptoms in PD, the acute increases in brain activity within these regions, if repeated frequently over time (i.e., exercise training), may serve as a potential mechanism underlying exercise-induced PD-specific clinical benefits.

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with progressive white matter changes, but it is unclear if antipsychotic medications contribute to these. Our objective was to characterize effects of short-term treatment with risperidone on white matter diffusion indices. Methods:We recruited 42 schizophrenia patients (30 never-treated, 12 currently untreated) and 42 matched healthy controls in this prospective case-control neuroimaging study. Patients received a six week trial of risperidone. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we assessed microstructural (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD], and radial diffusivity [RD]) and macrostructural (radial fiber trophy) white matter integrity deficits in unmedicated patients compared to controls and change in white matter integrity in patients before and after antipsychotic treatment (mean risperidone dose at endpoint was 3.73+/−1.72mg).

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