Exercise and Plasticity in Parkinson Disease

We will study the effects of intensive rehabilitation in PD on plasticity with a multimodal approach. We will define first, whether exercise in PD restores the potentiation of the motor cortex to normal levels with both 5 Hz-rTMS PAS and beta modulation and whether such improvements are accompanied by structural changes studied with diffusion MRI tractography and network analysis (Aim 1). With the study of muscle synergies and spatiotemporal organization of the spinal motoneuronal output during gait and reaching movements we will define the presence of functional changes in spinal cord mechanisms and connectivity and whether such changes are global or involve selective districts (Aim 2). Finally, we will study post-exercise changes in sleep pattern, as sleep is impaired in PD and plays a crucial role in the definition of plasticity-related phenomena (Aim 3). This project will generate breakthrough data on the mechanisms of exercise, novel biomarkers to monitor efficacy of treatments and thus, possibly leading to better restorative, disease-modifying and symptomatic therapies for PD.

We will study the effects of intensive rehabilitation in PD on plasticity with a multimodal approach. We will define first, whether exercise in PD restores the potentiation of the motor cortex to normal levels with both 5 Hz-rTMS PAS and beta modulation and whether such improvements are accompanied by structural changes studied with diffusion MRI tractography and network analysis (Aim 1). With the study of muscle synergies and spatiotemporal organization of the spinal motoneuronal output during gait and reaching movements we will define the presence of functional changes in spinal cord mechanisms and connectivity and whether such changes are global or involve selective districts (Aim 2). Finally, we will study post-exercise changes in sleep pattern, as sleep is impaired in PD and plays a crucial role in the definition of plasticity-related phenomena (Aim 3)

Task 1a: Assessing the effect of MIRT on cortical plasticity tested with rPAS Task 1b: Assessing the effect of MIRT on structural cortical plasticity and brain connectivity tested with MRI Task 1c: Assessing the effect of MIRT on movement-related beta modulation Task 1d: Assessing the effects of MIRT on motor skills formation with reaching tasks Task 1e: Assessing the effects of MIRT on EEG correlates of motor skills formation Task 2a: Assessing the effect of MIRT on muscle synergies during gait Task 2b: Assessing the effect of MIRT on muscle synergies during reaching movements Task 3a: Assessing the effect of MIRT on sleep microstructure

Task 1a: Assessing the effect of MIRT on cortical plasticity tested with rPAS Task 1b: Assessing the effect of MIRT on structural cortical plasticity and brain connectivity tested with MRI Task 1c: Assessing the effect of MIRT on movement-related beta modulation Task 1d: Assessing the effects of MIRT on motor skills formation with reaching tasks Task 1e: Assessing the effects of MIRT on EEG correlates of motor skills formation Task 2a: Assessing the effect of MIRT on muscle synergies during gait Task 2b: Assessing the effect of MIRT on muscle synergies during reaching movements Task 3a: Assessing the effect of MIRT on sleep microstructure

muscle synergies and spatiotemporal organization of the spinal motoneuronal output during gait and reaching movements we will define the presence of functional changes in spinal cord mechanisms and connectivity and whether such changes are global or involve selective districts

we will study post-exercise changes in sleep pattern, as sleep is impaired in PD and plays a crucial role in the definition of plasticity-related phenomena

Inclusion Criteria: Idiophatic Parkinson Disease H&Y stage I-II stable medication Exclusion Criteria: Severe comorbid medical illness (diabetes, heart disease, hypertension); history of known causative factors (encephalitis or neuroleptic treatment); other neurologic disability; chronic treatment for sleep complaints; history of seizure, including febrile seizures, family history of epilepsy; pacemakers, neurostimulators, tattoos, metal foreign bodies in the head area; recurrent visual hallucinations; fluctuating cognition, attention or alertness; depression (HAMD> 12) or dementia (MMSE <24). Controls will be age- and education- matched subjects.