Parkinson's disease (or PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. It often impairs the sufferer's motor skills, speech, and other functions.  This devastating disease is of particular interest to Sara Newman, Research Study Coordinator at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA.  She is conducting the second of three studies to investigate the effects of exercise on Parkinson’s disease.  These studies are conducted by the Department of Neurology and funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Newman is recruiting forty individuals between the ages of 50 and 80 who have been diagnosed with PD, to participate in a six-month study.  Last year’s group consisted of 22 participants; next year she hopes to have 100.  New subjects are used each year. All are compensated $20 per five visits to Iowa City, IA, and for completion of the eight-hour pre-testing ($120) and post-testing ($120) days.

“We’re looking for what type of exercise [works best], interval or continuous?  What exercise regimen is more feasible for slowing the progression of some motor symptoms of PD, in addition to slowing cognitive/thinking declines?” Newman explained.

Veterans and non-veterans may participate.  Persons must be able to walk without assistance of cane or walker at all times.  The daylong screening visits begin this month and continue into March; the study will begin in April with training for the members.

Participants must be willing to be randomly assigned to one of two training groups.  GROUP 1 will do brisk walking three times a week and individual exercise training, on their own schedule.  The exercise trainer will meet with each person every couple weeks.  The trainer will download the heart rate from a monitor and check the participant’s log.

GROUP 2  will train three times a week with other study members at a site in the Quad Cities, probably a YMCA facility.  The trainer will monitor their progress on those days.

Actor Michael J. Fox has put a face to this disease. PD belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. It is characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor, and a slowing, or a loss, of physical movement. The primary symptoms are the result of decreased stimulation of the motor cortex by the basal ganglia. Normally, this is caused by the insufficient formation and action of dopamine, which is produced in the neurons of the brain. Secondary symptoms may include high-level cognitive dysfunction and subtle language problems. PD is both chronic and progressive.

Newman stated, “Awareness is much greater” because of Fox and the annual walk to support PD, held in New York’s Central Park. Tragically, it is a disease that has been with us for a long time and created long-suffering victims.

The disease is named after English apothecary James Parkinson, who made a detailed description of the disease in his essay, "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy" (1817.) It is also called "idiopathic PD" (meaning, having no known cause.)  Is it due to environment? pesticides? genetics? "Secondary" cases may result from toxicity, head trauma, or other medical disorders.

Newman can be contacted at 319-356-8749 (leave a voicemail message) or by email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details of this continuing research study.