Three Months of Partnered Dance Aerobic Exercise Can Reduce OFF-time and Enhance Quality of Life in Older Adults with Parkinson’s Disease

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Introduction Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is commonly treated with the dopamine precursor, levodopa, which is used in antiparkinsonian therapy. After several years of taking this medication, many individuals with PD experience medication-related motor fluctuations (MRMF), a.k.a., OFF-time. OFF-time is one of the most disconcerting features of PD when troubling motor and non-motor symptoms previously alleviated by levodopa return. Exercise, specifically dance, could beneficially address OFF-time and enhance quality of life (QOL) and independence in people with PD. Methods This assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial (1:1) [ NCT04122690 ] included 45 participants with PD (70.1±7.27 years, 73% male, 2.30±0.61 Hoehn & Yahr stage), who were randomized into 30 hours of PDAE or WALK over 3 months. Psychosocial questionnaires, MDS-UPDRS, and 3-day OFF-state diaries were administered at baseline and three-month timepoints to measure reported OFF-time, QOL, independence, and disease severity. Within-group comparisons were analyzed using paired t-tests, and between-group comparisons were analyzed using independent t-tests and a linear mixed-effects model. Results After three months, PDAE reduced OFF-time and improved motor symptoms. Compared to WALK, PDAE also reduced OFF-time, improved motor symptoms, and enhanced the experience of daily living. Conclusion PDAE is superior to WALK and is an effective adjunctive therapy to help improve OFF-time and QOL in individuals with PD after three months. Further studies are needed to determine the relationship between improving OFF-time and quality of life.

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