FRIDAY, Oct. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals with mild-to-moderate Parkinson disease (PD), higher levels of physical activity are associated with slower cognitive and motor progression, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Neurology.
Dong-Woo Ryu, Ph.D., from the University of Cincinnati, and colleagues examined whether physical activity is associated with the rate of motor and cognitive progression in a longitudinal cohort study using data from individuals with mild-to-moderate PD. Physical activity was quantified as total physical activity time (TPT), total physical activity volume (TPV), and vigorous physical activity time (VPT).
The analyses included 294 individuals with PD, with up to five years of follow-up for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and seven years for the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III (MDS-UPDRS-III). The researchers observed associations for higher TPT, TPV, and VPT with slower cognitive decline and motor progression. In the low, mid, and high TPT tertiles, the annual MoCA change was −0.478, −0.090, and −0.007 points, respectively, with corresponding annual MDS-UPDRS-III changes of 0.143, −0.225, and −0.783. Slower cognitive and motor progression were seen for the highest tertile versus the lowest tertile (β = 0.470 and −0.926, respectively). After accounting for previous 10-year physical activity, recent physical activity remained associated with longitudinal changes in both MoCA and MDS-UPDRS-III scores; after adjustment for total physical activity time, vigorous physical activity was no longer associated with outcomes.
"Our study found physical activity may have dual benefits, with associations with slower declines in movement and cognition," Ryu said in a statement.
One author disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical and publishing industries.
