Study: Exercise Can Help Parkinson's Patients with Memory and Retention

Updated: 12/04/2015 5:33 PM
Created: 12/04/2015 5:18 PM KSTP.com 

Katherine Johnson 

The first step is always the hardest.

For John Stella, stepping into a new study at Regions Hospital to measure his memory was a no-brainer.

"Family saw things that I didn't even know I had," Stella said.

Two years ago, John's wife, Monica, started seeing some changes in her husband.

"I started noticing a little bit of the tremor, that was the first," she said.  "Then I noticed he was walking different."

Eventually, John was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. Researchers say they've recently learned it also affects the brain.

"Sometimes, my wife will ask me questions, it will take me time to process, so I know that processing is affected," John said.

"We see a little bit of slower thinking sometimes," Dr. Julia Johnson, a neurologist with HealthPartners and the Clinical Director of the Health Partners Parkinson's Center, said.

Last year, Johnson launched a study to learn whether exercise has an affect on memory loss and cognitive thinking in Parkinson's patients.

Stella is one of 22 patients who participated in activities as simple as breaking a sweat on the treadmill for 50 minutes, three times a week for three months.

Their cognitive abilities were tested and screened both before and after the workouts.

"We saw an improvement in quality of life after the study, we saw an improvement in activity level in general so people are more motivated to do things, which is really exciting, and we also confirmed that Parkinson's symptoms improved," Dr. Johnson said.

"I'm very hopeful," Monica Stella said.  "More in love because of what he does. He's motivated. He's doing it."

The couple now walks together for at least an hour almost every day.

"I could see that there was improvement," John said.  "I could do more, remember more, do it better."

He'll continue managing his diagnosis one step at a time.

"I just want to do what I can to improve and make it better," he said.

Dr. Johnson is now applying for more funding with hopes of expanding the study to more patients to increase data and better prove her results.  Her ultimate goal is to help as many people put off the symptoms of Parkinson's for as long as possible. 

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