Exploring the Effects of Exercise on Memory and Cognition in Parkinson´s Disease

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age50-80
SponsorHeidelberg University

About this trial

The study aims to assess the effects of cardiovascular (aerobic) training on memory formation and cognitive function in people with Parkinson's disease. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups either performing cardiovascular training (experimental group) or stretching (control group) for twelve weeks, three times a week. The primary aim is to examine whether moderate-intense cardiovascular training (MICT) improves procedural memory formation (primary outcome) compared to stretching. Secondary outcomes include episodic memory formation, cognitive function, cardiorespiratory fitness, sleep quality, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) blood concentration levels.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Diagnosed Parkinson's disease

Disease stage ≤3 on the Hoehn & Yahr scale

Age ranging from 50 - 80 years

Naive to the memory tasks (primary outcomes)

Disqualifiers

Atypical Parkinsonism

Significant level of cognitive impairment (i.e., Montreal Cognitive Assessment <21)

Deep brain stimulation or brain pacemaker

Diagnosed psychiatric illness

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • cardiovascular training
  • stretching

Treatment groups

60 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups

Sponsors and collaborators

Heidelberg University

Lead sponsor

German Foundation for Neurology

Collaborator

University Hospital Heidelberg

Collaborator

Universitätsmedizin Mannheim

Collaborator

SRH Kurpfalzkrankenhaus Heidelberg

Collaborator