Cycling Induced Motor Cortex Plasticity and Functional Improvement---Te Dual Task Evaluation Model for Parkinson's Disease

Motor impairment in lower extremities are common in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Developing sensitive test for early motor deviations is important. Conventional walking test cannot induce the PD related motor impairments, such as freezing of gait. Therefore, finding a safe substitute test to induce PD related motor impairments is important. Dual task which relates to working memory has been suggested to be a sensitive test for PD, but the optimal test paradigm needs to be clarified. The neuromuscular control of legs during cycling is suggested to be similar during walking. Therefore, a dual task testing paradigm on cycling is potential to be a safe substitute but the reliability and validity needs to be established. Studies showed that exercise could improve cognitive function and induce brain plasticity. Dual task exercise training has been shown to be more effective than single task exercise training for older people to prevent fall. Whether the added cognitive task can improve to detriment brain plasticity in PD needs to be investigated. Transcranial magnetic stimulation can evaluate the exercise induced brain plasticity. The purposes of the first year are to translate the dual task walking test to dual task cycling test, and to establish the reliability of the dual task cycling test. The purposes of the second year are to compare the brain plasticity induced by single task cycling versus dual task cycling and to compare the difference response between PD and healthy control people. The purpose of the third year is to evaluate the effect of 8 week long term cycling training of individuals with PD on motor cortex plasticity, dual task performance, and ambulation ability. This project (project II) is one of the three integrated projects. In this project, the dual task testing and training paradigm will be established for project I to evaluate the cognitive test paradigm and for project III to establish VR based training. The testing and training will be monitored by the system provided by project I and be performed on the platform established by project III. The testing paradigm established in this project can be applied in detecting the early changes of motor functions in Parkinson’s disease. This project will also provide testing and training platform for clinical rehabilitation of people with Parkinson’s disease.

Project ID:PB10408-5721
External Project ID:MOST104-2221-E182-016