I don't know if any of you heard about this. This was a news story on our local TV newscast yesterday.

IMAGINE IF THE BEST TREATMENT FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE TURNED OUT TO BE AS EASY AS RIDING A BIKE.

THE CLEVELAND CLINIC IS CONDUCTING A STUDY THAT IS TRYING DETERMINE IF EXERCISE CAN TRICK THE BRAIN INTO ELIMINATING PARKINSON'S SYMPTOMS.


FOR NINE YEARS, STEVE DERMAN FOUGHT PARKINSON'S DISEASE. LIKE MOST, HE SUFFERS FROM TREMORS UNTIL HE TAKES A RIDE.

(SOT: Steve Derman, Parkinson's Patient)
"The exercise just seems to help my mind as well as my body."

HE'S PART OF A STUDY TESTING THE EFFECT OF EXERCISE ON PARKINSON'S SYMPTOMS.

HE MUST PEDAL OVER EIGHTY R-P-M'S FOR RESULTS TO OCCUR. MOST PATIENTS CAN'T DO THAT ON THEIR OWN, THAT'S WHY A TANDEM BIKE IS USED. IT'S CALLED FORCED EXERCISE.

(SOT: Jay Alberts, Ph.D., Cleveland Clinic)
"The idea behind it is if we force them to pedal at a higher rate, this rate will allow them to have biochemical changes that are necessary for improvements in motor function."

STEVE'S LEGS MAY BE HELPING HIS BRAIN.

(SOT: Jay Alberts, Ph.D., Cleveland Clinic)
"There's a possibility that there's an increase in dopamine or there's a possibility that there's an increase in these neuro growth factors."

WHATEVER IT IS, IT SEEMS TO SLOW STEVE'S TREMORS FROM THIS ... TO THIS AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF CYCLING.

(SOT: Steve Derman, Parkinson's Patient)
"At least in my mind they did. Whether anyone else noticed it, I really don't care but at least I feel that it did."


"SO IF THE STUDY DETERMINES THIS IS A VIABLE TREATMENT OPTION, A PATIENT COULD HAVE A BIKE LIKE THIS IN THEIR HOME AND PEDAL WITH A FAMILY MEMBER."

AFTER EIGHT WEEKS, STEVE NOT ONLY GOT IN TO BETTER PHYSICAL SHAPE, RESEARCHERS NOTICED A CHANGE.


"His tremor was reduced his rigidity was reduced over the course of the study."

BUT THE BENEFITS ONLY LAST AS LONG AS THE PATIENT STICKS TO THE EXERCISE REGIMEN ... STEVE'S MORE THAN WILLING TO USE IT RATHER THAN LOSE IT.



THE STUDY IS COMPARING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORCED EXERCISE WITH A TANDEM BIKE TO A STATIONARY BIKE WHERE THE PATIENT PEDALS ON THEIR OWN.


Take it for what it's worth,

GregD