Exercise Might Protect Against Parkinson's Disease

Exercise Might Protect Against Parkinson's Disease

1 hour, 32 minutes ago Health - HealthDay

MONDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDayNews) -- In research with rats, University of Pittsburgh scientists found that exercising limbs helps protect brain cells that are normally damaged or destroyed by Parkinson's disease.

Based on that finding, the researchers have started a small pilot study to examine if exercise has an impact on the progression of Parkinson's in people who have the disease.

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In the rats that were exercised, there was significantly less death of dopamine-containing brain cells than in the rats that hadn't been exercised.

"Whereas a number of explanations could be offered as to why the exercised animals do so well, we have evidence that indicates it's because exercise stimulates production of key proteins that are important for survival of neurons," study senior author Michael J. Zigmond, a professor of neurology, neurobiology and psychiatry, said in a prepared statement.

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