Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease
Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Exercise has been reported to slow the clinical progression of PD. We evaluated the dopaminergic system of patients with mild and early PD before and after a six-month program of intense exercise. Using...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | npj Parkinson's Disease |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-024-00641-1 |
| _version_ | 1797275441865687040 |
|---|---|
| author | Bart de Laat Jocelyn Hoye Gelsina Stanley Michelle Hespeler Jennifer Ligi Varsha Mohan Dustin W. Wooten Xiaomeng Zhang Thanh D. Nguyen Jose Key Giulia Colonna Yiyun Huang Nabeel Nabulsi Amar Patel David Matuskey Evan D. Morris Sule Tinaz |
| author_facet | Bart de Laat Jocelyn Hoye Gelsina Stanley Michelle Hespeler Jennifer Ligi Varsha Mohan Dustin W. Wooten Xiaomeng Zhang Thanh D. Nguyen Jose Key Giulia Colonna Yiyun Huang Nabeel Nabulsi Amar Patel David Matuskey Evan D. Morris Sule Tinaz |
| author_sort | Bart de Laat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Exercise has been reported to slow the clinical progression of PD. We evaluated the dopaminergic system of patients with mild and early PD before and after a six-month program of intense exercise. Using 18F-FE-PE2I PET imaging, we measured dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in the striatum and substantia nigra. Using NM-MRI, we evaluated the neuromelanin content in the substantia nigra. Exercise reversed the expected decrease in DAT availability into a significant increase in both the substantia nigra and putamen. Exercise also reversed the expected decrease in neuromelanin concentration in the substantia nigra into a significant increase. These findings suggest improved functionality in the remaining dopaminergic neurons after exercise. Further research is needed to validate our findings and to pinpoint the source of any true neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects of exercise in PD in large clinical trials. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:13:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6a5eae8530644409f5666e6e11e37c3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2373-8057 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:13:25Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Parkinson's Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6a5eae8530644409f5666e6e11e37c32024-03-05T18:03:20ZengNature Portfolionpj Parkinson's Disease2373-80572024-02-011011710.1038/s41531-024-00641-1Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s diseaseBart de Laat0Jocelyn Hoye1Gelsina Stanley2Michelle Hespeler3Jennifer Ligi4Varsha Mohan5Dustin W. Wooten6Xiaomeng Zhang7Thanh D. Nguyen8Jose Key9Giulia Colonna10Yiyun Huang11Nabeel Nabulsi12Amar Patel13David Matuskey14Evan D. Morris15Sule Tinaz16Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityBeat Parkinson’s TodayBeat Parkinson’s TodayNeuroscience, AbbVieNeuroscience, AbbVieNeuroscience, AbbVieDepartment of Radiology, Weil Cornell MedicineDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Yale UniversityDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityDepartment of Neurology, Yale UniversityDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale UniversityDepartment of Neurology, Yale UniversityAbstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Exercise has been reported to slow the clinical progression of PD. We evaluated the dopaminergic system of patients with mild and early PD before and after a six-month program of intense exercise. Using 18F-FE-PE2I PET imaging, we measured dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in the striatum and substantia nigra. Using NM-MRI, we evaluated the neuromelanin content in the substantia nigra. Exercise reversed the expected decrease in DAT availability into a significant increase in both the substantia nigra and putamen. Exercise also reversed the expected decrease in neuromelanin concentration in the substantia nigra into a significant increase. These findings suggest improved functionality in the remaining dopaminergic neurons after exercise. Further research is needed to validate our findings and to pinpoint the source of any true neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects of exercise in PD in large clinical trials.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-024-00641-1 |
| spellingShingle | Bart de Laat Jocelyn Hoye Gelsina Stanley Michelle Hespeler Jennifer Ligi Varsha Mohan Dustin W. Wooten Xiaomeng Zhang Thanh D. Nguyen Jose Key Giulia Colonna Yiyun Huang Nabeel Nabulsi Amar Patel David Matuskey Evan D. Morris Sule Tinaz Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease npj Parkinson's Disease |
| title | Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease |
| title_full | Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease |
| title_fullStr | Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease |
| title_short | Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease |
| title_sort | intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in parkinson s disease |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-024-00641-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bartdelaat intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT jocelynhoye intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT gelsinastanley intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT michellehespeler intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT jenniferligi intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT varshamohan intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT dustinwwooten intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT xiaomengzhang intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT thanhdnguyen intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT josekey intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT giuliacolonna intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT yiyunhuang intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT nabeelnabulsi intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT amarpatel intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT davidmatuskey intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT evandmorris intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease AT suletinaz intenseexerciseincreasesdopaminetransporterandneuromelaninconcentrationsinthesubstantianigrainparkinsonsdisease |