Trial results for a study investigating the impact of exercise on subthalamic nucleus neural activity in Parkinson's Disease were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-12-23. The study enrolled 15 participants.
Background
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting movement. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a surgical treatment option for some patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who do not respond adequately to medication. Exercise is recognized for its potential benefits in managing Parkinson's symptoms, and this study aimed to explore its physiological impact, specifically on neural activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of patients who have undergone DBS.
Trial design
This completed study, identified as Phase NA, enrolled 15 participants. The study included individuals with Parkinson Disease who had undergone Deep Brain Stimulation surgery and utilized the Percept system. Participants completed both forced-exercise (FE) and voluntary-exercise (VE) sessions on a stationary cycle while off antiparkinsonian medication. The study continuously recorded bilateral neural activity of the STN for 130 minutes (pre-, during FE or VE, and post-exercise). Motor response to exercise was assessed using the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) III Motor Exam and an upper extremity force-tracking task.
Key results
The trial results provided measurements for motor tasks and neural activity in the experimental arm:
- For Finger Tapping, the median score on a scale was consistently observed as 3 across multiple measurements.
- For Force Tracking, the mean percentage of time within range varied, with observations including 43.3% (Standard Deviation: 23.5), 44.9% (Standard Deviation: 20.4), 41.5% (Standard Deviation: 21.4), 43.0% (Standard Deviation: 16.5), and 41.9% (Standard Deviation: 16.3).
- For Local Field Potential, the mean percent power relative to baseline was consistently observed as 100.0% (Standard Deviation: 0.0) across multiple measurements.
What this means
These results provide specific measurements of motor performance and subthalamic nucleus neural activity in Parkinson's Disease patients with Deep Brain Stimulation during and after exercise. The consistent median Finger Tapping score of 3 and the observed mean Force Tracking percentages (ranging from approximately 41.5% to 44.9%) offer insights into motor responses. The consistent mean Local Field Potential of 100.0% relative to baseline suggests a stable or returning neural activity pattern in the measured frequency band during the study period. These findings contribute to the understanding of how exercise physiologically impacts the brain in this patient population, which could inform future rehabilitation strategies.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05905302, titled "The Impact of Exercise on Subthalamic Nucleus Neural Activity in Parkinson's Disease", were posted on 2025-12-23 on clinicaltrials.gov.