[lurkingforacure]

In the October, 2011 issue of Bottom Line is this tidbit:

"Low-intensity exercise improves Parkinson's patients' ability to walk. "Recent finding: Gait and mobility improved more among Parkinson's patients who walked on a treadmill at a comfortable speed for 50 minutes three times a week than among patients who walked at a higher speed for 30 minutes three times per week"...this, from Lisa Shulman, neurology professor and co-director of the Maryland PD and Movement Disorders Clinic, both of Baltimore.

So....how can we know the improvement is from walking at a more comfortable speed versus higher speed, rather than the nearly twice-minute amount of exercise per session? Why in the world would you design a trial this way? Geesh. No wonder progress is in the crapper. Someone pleeeeease tell me I'm wrong.

[paula_w]

Originally Posted by lurkingforacure

In the October, 2011 issue of Bottom Line is this tidbit:

"Low-intensity exercise improves Parkinson's patients' ability to walk. "Recent finding: Gait and mobility improved more among Parkinson's patients who walked on a treadmill at a comfortable speed for 50 minutes three times a week than among patients who walked at a higher speed for 30 minutes three times per week"...this, from Lisa Shulman, neurology professor and co-director of the Maryland PD and Movement Disorders Clinic, both of Baltimore.

So....how can we know the improvement is from walking at a more comfortable speed versus higher speed, rather than the nearly twice-minute amount of exercise per session? Why in the world would you design a trial this way? Geesh. No wonder progress is in the crapper. Someone pleeeeease tell me I'm wrong.

I don't think that concept would have made it to the elementary science fair. I don't have a treadmill; does everyone but me have one? Then there's the question, how is improved walking measured? Oh it's like shooting fish in a barrel.....too easy for watchdogs like us.

I'll sleep better knowing that research dollars are at work on this and am happy for all treadmill owners with pd.

[Bob Dawson]

I would like to see a list of all the Parkinson's research projects that are going on, and what they are trying to prove. I have heard that there are 10,000 science papers on PD every year, USA and Europe combined, but I have not found a way to verify that statistic, and it sounds impossibly high; and I don't know what they are studying. How often are the same studies repeated in 20 different universities? How many pharmas are following Merck's example of being willing to share research info? How much is spent on PD research. I have heard $250 million per year in USA; plus Europe, Japan and China do a lot of studies ... but again, is that $250M a real number? And is there any co-ordination whatsoever? Is there even a list somewhere? Is there no person or group tracking PD research? And if there are thousands of studies - how many are like the one that starts this thread - shoddy science that would never be accepted in a high school science project? Is PD research the place for science graduates to get a few years experience so they can get a real job?
Patients who rode unicycles for three hours while chewing gum did 0.004% better than patients who spent 5 hours reading comic books while scuba diving. Please send more research money.
And other than research costs, what are the costs to society of caring for PD patients?
Strange that I can tell you how many light bulbs were manufactured last year, and how many tourists visited Estonia in the spring, and what countries they came from, and the impact on the Estonian economy - but the disease that is killing me is not tracked, it seems, and what information there is can be withheld from us as it is "proprietary" - it is the property of people who do not have the disease but who can make 40% returns on it.

[girija]

I think it is actually very interesting and encouraging......
I heard Lisa Shulman's talk and her rationale for this study seemed good, but I cannot find my notes right now to share with you. Here is a little more on Shulman's clinical findings, please note the highlighted areas.

Girija

Science News
Blog
Low Intensity Treadmill Exercise Is Best to Improve Walking in Parkinson's, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Apr. 12, 2011) — Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center ,that Parkinson's patients who walked on a treadmill at a comfortable speed for a longer duration (low-intensity exercise) improved their walking more than patients who walked for less time but at an increased speed and incline (high-intensity exercise). The investigators also found benefits for stretching and resistance exercises.
The study results will be presented April 12 at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Honolulu.

"Our study showed that low-intensity exercise performed for 50 minutes three times a week was the most beneficial in terms of helping participants improve their mobility. Walking difficulty is the major cause of disability in Parkinson's disease. These results show that exercise in people with Parkinson's disease can make a difference in their function. Exercise may, in fact, delay disability and help to preserve independence," says Lisa Shulman, M.D., principal investigator and professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Many patients ask us what kind of exercise they should be doing. Now we can tell them that this research shows that low-intensity walking, which most people with Parkinson's can do, combined with stretching and resistance training may be the best option," adds Dr. Shulman, who is also co-director of the Maryland Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The study compared 67 people with Parkinson's disease who were randomly assigned to one of three exercise groups: walking on a treadmill at low intensity for 50 minutes, higher-intensity treadmill training to improve cardiovascular fitness for 30 minutes, and using weights (leg presses, extensions and curls) and stretching exercises to improve muscle strength and range of motion. Participants exercised three times a week for three months under the supervision of exercise physiologists at the Baltimore VA Medical Center.

"We saw positive effects with all three types of exercise, but the low-intensity training showed the most consistent improvement in gait and mobility," adds Dr. Shulman.

"To maintain the best possible quality of life, people with Parkinson's disease need practical, evidence-based advice about what kind of exercise will most benefit them over the long term. The Michael J. Fox Foundation has aimed to answer this question in its exercise funding to investigators such as Dr. Lisa Shulman and her team," says Todd Sherer, PhD, chief program officer of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

The Maryland research team measured participants' cardiovascular fitness before and after training, and found cardiovascular improvement in both the low- and high-intensity groups. Other measurements included the distance covered in a six-minute walk and timed tests of walking short distances, such as 50 feet.

"The results of this study provide practical information to people with Parkinson's disease to make decisions about managing their health and well-being. Our University of Maryland faculty members are committed to testing new approaches, such as exercise, to help patients," says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A, vice president for medical affairs, University of Maryland, and dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Parkinson's disease affects about 1 million people in the United States and Canada. Most people begin to develop symptoms in their late 50s or early 60s, although it can occur in younger people. Parkinson's disease affects the brain's ability to produce dopamine, the neurotransmitter involved in the communication between the brain cells for motor control. Physical symptoms include tremor, muscle rigidity, slowness of movement and gait impairment. There are also non-motor symptoms such as changes in cognitive function, sleep disturbance and depressed mood.

[paula_w]

Originally Posted by girija

I think it is actually very interesting and encouraging......
I heard Lisa Shulman's talk and her rationale for this study seemed good, but I cannot find my notes right now to share with you. Here is a little more on Shulman's clinical findings, please note the highlighted areas.

Girija

Science News
Blog
Low Intensity Treadmill Exercise Is Best to Improve Walking in Parkinson's, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Apr. 12, 2011) — Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center ,that Parkinson's patients who walked on a treadmill at a comfortable speed for a longer duration (low-intensity exercise) improved their walking more than patients who walked for less time but at an increased speed and incline (high-intensity exercise). The investigators also found benefits for stretching and resistance exercises.
The study results will be presented April 12 at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Honolulu.

"Our study showed that low-intensity exercise performed for 50 minutes three times a week was the most beneficial in terms of helping participants improve their mobility. Walking difficulty is the major cause of disability in Parkinson's disease. These results show that exercise in people with Parkinson's disease can make a difference in their function. Exercise may, in fact, delay disability and help to preserve independence," says Lisa Shulman, M.D., principal investigator and professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Many patients ask us what kind of exercise they should be doing. Now we can tell them that this research shows that low-intensity walking, which most people with Parkinson's can do, combined with stretching and resistance training may be the best option," adds Dr. Shulman, who is also co-director of the Maryland Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The study compared 67 people with Parkinson's disease who were randomly assigned to one of three exercise groups: walking on a treadmill at low intensity for 50 minutes, higher-intensity treadmill training to improve cardiovascular fitness for 30 minutes, and using weights (leg presses, extensions and curls) and stretching exercises to improve muscle strength and range of motion. Participants exercised three times a week for three months under the supervision of exercise physiologists at the Baltimore VA Medical Center.

"We saw positive effects with all three types of exercise, but the low-intensity training showed the most consistent improvement in gait and mobility," adds Dr. Shulman.

"To maintain the best possible quality of life, people with Parkinson's disease need practical, evidence-based advice about what kind of exercise will most benefit them over the long term. The Michael J. Fox Foundation has aimed to answer this question in its exercise funding to investigators such as Dr. Lisa Shulman and her team," says Todd Sherer, PhD, chief program officer of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

The Maryland research team measured participants' cardiovascular fitness before and after training, and found cardiovascular improvement in both the low- and high-intensity groups. Other measurements included the distance covered in a six-minute walk and timed tests of walking short distances, such as 50 feet.

"The results of this study provide practical information to people with Parkinson's disease to make decisions about managing their health and well-being. Our University of Maryland faculty members are committed to testing new approaches, such as exercise, to help patients," says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A, vice president for medical affairs, University of Maryland, and dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Parkinson's disease affects about 1 million people in the United States and Canada. Most people begin to develop symptoms in their late 50s or early 60s, although it can occur in younger people. Parkinson's disease affects the brain's ability to produce dopamine, the neurotransmitter involved in the communication between the brain cells for motor control. Physical symptoms include tremor, muscle rigidity, slowness of movement and gait impairment. There are also non-motor symptoms such as changes in cognitive function, sleep disturbance and depressed mood.

My opinion and no offense or anything personal of course girija,

It's not rocket science to figure out that walking or exercise is good for pd. And when i saw the location for the AAN, i see they'll be drinking mai tais as the exercise "news' will be reported in detail.

[Bob Dawson]

[QUOTE=girija;820378]I think it is actually very interesting and encouraging......

Thanks Girija,
Sometimes I jump into "rant and rave mode" very suddenly. Therefore it is vital for someone like me to have someone like you to explain things differently. I can comment on our voyage, but they wisely never let me actually pilot the airplane. Which frees me to rant and rave.