Adrian R Corfitsen, Mikkel K E Nygaard, Simon F Eskildsen, Ulrik Dalgas, Martin Langeskov-Christensen
{"title":"Is physical fitness associated with brain structure and function in Parkinson's disease?","authors":"Adrian R Corfitsen, Mikkel K E Nygaard, Simon F Eskildsen, Ulrik Dalgas, Martin Langeskov-Christensen","doi":"10.1007/s11682-026-01098-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We investigated associations between physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), peak muscle power (Pmax)) and brain structure (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures) and function (cognition) in people with Parkinson’s disease (pwPD). Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were performed using quantitative susceptibility mapping, diffusion imaging, and volumetric MRI data from 105 pwPD. Simple regression analyses showed significant positive associations between VO2max/Pmax and whole-brain volume (r2 = 0.11/0.12), the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) (r2 = 0.18/0.21), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (r2 = 0.12/0.12) as well as volume of white and gray matter structures (total white/gray matter, putamen, caudate, pallidus, thalamus). When adjusted for age and sex, associations between VO2max and cognition (SDMT, MoCA) and between Pmax and total white matter volume, pallidus volume, and cognition (SDMT) remained significant. Physical fitness was weakly to moderately associated with cognitive function and some MRI markers of neurodegeneration in pwPD. These exploratory findings further support the potential neuroprotective effect of exercise in pwPD and may aid in selecting outcomes in future trials evaluating the neuroprotective effects of exercise.</p>","PeriodicalId":9192,"journal":{"name":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12979291/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Brain Imaging and Behavior","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-026-01098-x","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NEUROIMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We investigated associations between physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), peak muscle power (Pmax)) and brain structure (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures) and function (cognition) in people with Parkinson’s disease (pwPD). Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were performed using quantitative susceptibility mapping, diffusion imaging, and volumetric MRI data from 105 pwPD. Simple regression analyses showed significant positive associations between VO2max/Pmax and whole-brain volume (r2 = 0.11/0.12), the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) (r2 = 0.18/0.21), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (r2 = 0.12/0.12) as well as volume of white and gray matter structures (total white/gray matter, putamen, caudate, pallidus, thalamus). When adjusted for age and sex, associations between VO2max and cognition (SDMT, MoCA) and between Pmax and total white matter volume, pallidus volume, and cognition (SDMT) remained significant. Physical fitness was weakly to moderately associated with cognitive function and some MRI markers of neurodegeneration in pwPD. These exploratory findings further support the potential neuroprotective effect of exercise in pwPD and may aid in selecting outcomes in future trials evaluating the neuroprotective effects of exercise.
期刊介绍:
Brain Imaging and Behavior is a bi-monthly, peer-reviewed journal, that publishes clinically relevant research using neuroimaging approaches to enhance our understanding of disorders of higher brain function. The journal is targeted at clinicians and researchers in fields concerned with human brain-behavior relationships, such as neuropsychology, psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, rehabilitation, and cognitive neuroscience.