Physical activity intensity is associated with cognition and functional connectivity in Parkinson's disease

Erin K Donahue; Siva Venkadesh; Vy Bui; Angelie Cabrera Tuazon; Ryan K Wang; Danielle Haase; Ryan P Foreman; Jared J Duran; Andrew Petkus; David Wing; Michael Higgins; Daniel P Holschneider; Ece Bayram; Irene Litvan; Michael W Jakowec; John Darrell Van Horn; Dawn M Schiehser; Giselle M Petzinger

doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2022.09.005

Physical activity intensity is associated with cognition and functional connectivity in Parkinson's disease

Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2022 Nov:104:7-14. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2022.09.005. Epub 2022 Sep 24.

Authors

Erin K Donahue¹, Siva Venkadesh², Vy Bui³, Angelie Cabrera Tuazon⁴, Ryan K Wang³, Danielle Haase³, Ryan P Foreman³, Jared J Duran³, Andrew Petkus³, David Wing⁵, Michael Higgins⁵, Daniel P Holschneider⁶, Ece Bayram⁷, Irene Litvan⁷, Michael W Jakowec³, John Darrell Van Horn⁸, Dawn M Schiehser⁴, Giselle M Petzinger⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
² Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
³ Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
⁴ Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), San Diego, CA, 92161, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA.
⁵ Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), San Diego, CA, 92161, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0811, USA.
⁶ Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Department of Psychiatry & the Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
⁷ Parkinson and Other Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, California, 92092-0886, USA.
⁸ Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA; School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
⁹ Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA. Electronic address: petzinge@med.usc.edu.

PMID: 36191358
DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2022.09.005

Abstract

Background: Cognitive impairment is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and often leads to dementia, with no effective treatment. Aging studies suggest that physical activity (PA) intensity has a positive impact on cognition and enhanced functional connectivity may underlie these benefits. However, less is known in PD. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between PA intensity, cognitive performance, and resting state functional connectivity in PD and whether PA intensity influences the relationship between functional connectivity and cognitive performance.

Methods: 96 individuals with mild-moderate PD completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Intensity of PA was objectively captured over a seven-day period using a wearable device (ActiGraph). Time spent in light and moderate intensity PA was determined based on standardized actigraphy cut points. Resting-state fMRI was assessed in a subset of 50 individuals to examine brain-wide functional connectivity.

Results: Moderate intensity PA (MIPA), but not light PA, was associated with better global cognition, visuospatial function, memory, and executive function. Individuals who met the WHO recommendation of ≥150 min/week of MIPA demonstrated better global cognition, executive function, and visuospatial function. Resting-state functional connectivity associated with MIPA included a combination of brainstem, hippocampus, and regions in the frontal, cingulate, and parietal cortices, which showed higher connectivity across the brain in those achieving the WHO MIPA recommendation. Meeting this recommendation positively moderated the associations between identified functional connectivity and global cognition, visuospatial function, and language.

Conclusion: Encouraging MIPA, particularly the WHO recommendation of ≥150 min of MIPA/week, may represent an important prescription for PD cognition.

Keywords: Actigraphy; Global cognition; Resting-state fMRI; WHO recommendation.

MeSH terms

Brain Mapping
Cognition
Cognitive Dysfunction*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Neural Pathways
Neuropsychological Tests
Parkinson Disease* / complications
Parkinson Disease* / diagnostic imaging