Chronic effects of different exercise types on brain activity in healthy older adults and those with Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the regulation of brain activity by different kinds of long-term exercises (Tai Chi, treadmill training, and dancing) in healthy older adults and those with PD.Methods: From January 2000 to October 2021, the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched. All articles were screened throughout the inclusion and exclusion criteria, which was followed by PICOS criteria. Finally, all articles were systematically reviewed with analyses.Results: 29 studies were identified for this review, 24 of which were finally included in a group of healthy older adults, and five of which in a group of people with PD. All studies showed that significant changes were showed on people with PD and healthy older adults’ brain activity after three terms of the exercises we chose. An inverse change trend on the functional connectivity in people with PD was observed after treadmill training, whereas increased brain activity, cognitive function, memory, and emotion were noticed in healthy older adults.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that different patterns of brain activity were also observed between healthy older adults and people with PD after treadmill training. However, more robust evidence and comprehensive studies are needed to determine if there is a difference between healthy older adults and people with PD.

Unleashing the potential of dance: a neuroplasticity-based approach bridging from older adults to Parkinson’s disease patients

“…Structured dance models developed specifically for this purpose are presented in Table 1 . While dance interventions have demonstrated positive outcomes in cognitive-motor skills and quality of life in older adults ( Hwang and Braun, 2015 ; Fong Yan et al, 2018 ; Liu et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2022 ), further research is needed to determine the optimal parameters, including dance style, duration, and intensity, for maximum therapeutic benefit. In addition, further studies are needed to understand the neuroplastic changes induced by dance interventions in PD patients ( Batson et al, 2014 ; Mak et al, 2017 ).…”