# Neuromotor adaptations in people with Parkinson's Disease following a 12-month multimodal non-contact boxing intervention

## TL;DR

A year of non-contact boxing and exercise training helped people with Parkinson's Disease maintain or improve their motor control and mobility.

## Contribution

This study provides new insights into the long-term effects of multimodal exercise on neuromotor control in Parkinson's patients.

## Key findings

- Functional ability and neuromotor control were preserved or improved over 12 months of training.
- Non-linear measures suggested more adaptive motor control strategies after the intervention.
- Linear measures of neuromotor control remained stable with slight improvements.

## Abstract

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a common neurological disorder that diminishes neuromotor control. Exercise training provides a nonpharmacological treatment option that may help motor symptom severity and trajectory. In the present case series, we assessed linear and non-linear measures of neuromotor control along with functional measures of mobility in six men living with PD across a year of multimodal exercise training. Our measurements encompassed mobility, balance, strength, and force control metrics and were captured at baseline as well as at defined intervals following exercise engagement. The results appear to indicate a favorable preservation of functional ability and neuromotor control for most of the cohort across the yearlong exercise intervention. Our linear measures of neuromotor control generally remained stable with slight improvements from baseline to month 12, with visually distinct trends for our non-linear measures (Sample Entropy) of neuromotor control suggestive of more adaptive motor control strategies for both postural and force control. These data corroborate reports showing favorable outcomes for people with Parkinson's Disease following exercise engagement. Our year-long assessment of neuromotor control in a cohort of men with Parkinson's disease provides a novel contribution to the trajectory of change in this population while undergoing multimodal exercise training.