Physical Activity Improves Anxiety and Apathy in Early Parkinson's Disease: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study

Objective: In a prospective study, we investigated the association between physical activity and various motor, non-motor outcomes, and quality of life in early Parkinson's disease (PD) participants in the PD Longitudinal Singapore Study. Background: Prospective studies that examined the association between physical activity and motor and non-motor domains in early PD are lacking. Methods: 121 PD participants were followed-up prospectively to evaluate the association of physical activity with various symptom domains. The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) was used to measure physical activity annually. PD-related symptoms were categorized by motor, non-motor, and quality of life measures. Multivariate regression with gain score analysis was performed to understand the association of baseline PASE scores with the change of each variable at 1-year follow-up. Results: Higher baseline PASE scores (greater activity) were associated with a younger age, lower MDS-UPDRS motor scores, a smaller levodopa equivalent daily dose, better attention and memory scores, and better QoL. Activity scores in early PD declined on follow-up. Multivariate analysis revealed higher baseline physical activity to be associated with decreased anxiety and apathy scores at 1-year follow-up, after adjusting for demographic variables and medications. Conclusion: We demonstrated that higher baseline physical activity was associated with improved anxiety and apathy symptoms in early PD over a 1-year period.