Acute Exercise Following Skill Practice Promotes Motor Memory Consolidation in Parkinson's Disease

Acute cardiovascular exercise has shown to promote neuroplastic processes, and thus to improve the consolidation of newly acquired motor skills in healthy adults. First results suggest that this concept may be transferred to populations with motor and cognitive dysfunctions. In this context, Parkinsons disease (PD) is highly relevant since patients demonstrate deficits in motor learning. Hence, in the present study we sought to explore the effect of a single post-practice exercise bout on motor memory consolidation in PD patients. For this purpose, 17 PD patients (Hoehn and Yahr: 1 - 2.5, age: 60.1 {+/-} 7.9 y) practiced a whole-body task followed by either (i) a moderate-intense bout of cycling, or (ii) seated rest for a total of 30 minutes. The motor task required the participants to balance on a tiltable platform (stabilometer) for 30 seconds. During skill practice, patients performed 15 trials followed by a retention test 1 day and 7 days later. We calculated time in balance (platform within {+/-} 5{degrees} from horizontal) for each trial and within- and between-group differences in memory consolidation (i.e. offline learning = skill change from last acquisition block to retention tests) were analyzed. Groups revealed similar improvements during skill practice (F4,60 = .316, p = .866), but showed differences in offline learning, which was only evident after 7 days (F1,14 = 5.602, p = .033). Our results suggest that a single post-practice exercise bout is effective in enhancing long-term motor memory consolidation in a population with motor learning impairments. This may point at unique promoting effects of exercise on dopamine neurotransmission involved in memory formation. Future studies should investigate the potential role of exercise-induced effects on the dopaminergic system. HighlightsO_LIAcute exercise enhanced motor memory consolidation in PD C_LIO_LIEffects were evident only at 7-day retention C_LIO_LIResults may indicate unique exercise-effects on the dopaminergic system C_LIO_LIFindings show promising potential of exercise for motor rehabilitation C_LI