High-intensity exercise increases brain dopamine transmission

High-intensity exercise increases brain dopamine transmission

Ten participants in a six-month program saw the neuroprotective advantages of exercise.

A proof-of-concept imaging study indicates that engaging in high-intensity exercise may help shield the brain from the increasing damage associated with Parkinson's disease.

According to a Yale School of Medicine professor and co-principal investigator of the study, Evan Morris, PhD, "this is the first time imaging has been used to confirm that the biology of the brain in those suffering from Parkinson's disease is changed by intense exercise." The news release from the university quoted Morris.

Published in npj Parkinson's Disease, the paper "Intense exercise increases dopamine transporter and neuromelanin concentrations in the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease"

Parkinson's disease is brought on by the progressive degeneration and malfunction of brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. The worsening of symptoms is caused by a decrease in dopamine signaling in the brain as the disease worsens.


Exercise can lessen Parkinson's disease symptoms and enhance quality of life.

Exercise has been shown in studies to assist people with Parkinson's disease live better lives and have less severe symptoms, but little is known about the precise effects of exercise on the brains of these individuals.

Researchers in the study investigated whether exercise affects dopamine transmission in Parkinson's disease patients' brains using proof-of-concept research.

Ten individuals with early-stage Parkinson's disease who engaged in the Beat Parkinson's Today high-intensity exercise program were included in the study. Parkinson's patient Michelle Hespeler is the creator of the program.

"She integrated every aspect of high-intensity interval training with the requirements of individuals suffering from Parkinson's disease," stated Sule Tinaz, MD, PhD, Yale associate professor of neurology and co-principal investigator of the research.

Over the course of roughly six months, the 10 patients in the study engaged in a total of 72 one-hour workout sessions. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the classes to be held virtually. High-intensity functional intervals were incorporated into these programs to maintain participants' heart rates up during the exercise. Heart rate monitors were used by participants to make sure they reached their goal heart rates, while Fitbits and other wearables were utilized to track their activity.

I always let them know that their treatment plan includes exercise. I recommend exercise in the same manner that I prescribe drugs.

Dopamine activity was assessed by brain imaging in Parkinson's disease-affected areas.

Participants underwent brain imaging both before and after the six-month treatment to measure dopamine activity in areas of the brain that are severely impacted by Parkinson's disease.

Nine out of the ten patients had increased dopamine levels following the six-month exercise program, according to the results. This is a stark contrast to the normal evolution of Parkinson's disease, which is characterized by a gradual decline in dopamine signaling. Following the program, patients also had increased average levels of the dopamine by-product neuromelanin, which again deviates from the usual course of the disease.

The study's first author, Yale professor Bart de Laat, PhD, stated, "Where we would have ordinarily expected to see a decline in the [dopamine] and neuromelanin signals, we saw an increase." "We had anticipated that the neurodegeneration would either slow down or halt altogether, however nine out of ten cases showed an increase in neurodegeneration. That was just amazing.

These findings lend credence to the idea that exercise is an essential component of Parkinson's disease management by indicating that high-intensity exercise may protect the brain in the condition.


The benefits of exercise on brain health require further research.

Nevertheless, the lack of a control group for comparison made it challenging to draw firm findings, according to the researchers. In order to better understand how exercise affects brain health and what kinds of exercise are best for patients, they proposed that future studies compare the effects of high-intensity, milder, or no exercise programs with no exercise.

The study's participants included individuals with early-stage Parkinson's disease who were highly motivated to engage in intense exercise and had minimal physical impairments. As a result, the scientists emphasized that more research is necessary to determine how to translate these findings into practical recommendations for patients who might find it more difficult to engage in intense exercise.

"This proof-of-concept study provides evidence that intense exercise for prolonged periods of time can alter the brain in people with mild and early Parkinson's disease," the researchers stated.

"More research is needed to validate our observations and clarify the underlying mechanisms, but our findings may also have significant implications for the neuroprotective effects of exercise in [Parkinson's] patients," they wrote in their conclusion.