Effects of Combined Psychological and Functional Exercise Interventions on Emotion, Life Quality, and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective To evaluate the effects of a combined psychological and functional exercise intervention on emotion, quality of life, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods In this randomized controlled trial, 172 patients with PD were randomly assigned into 2 groups with 86 patients in each group. The control group received routine care, while the intervention group received a 12-week intervention combining psychological support with functional exercise in addition to routine care. Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), Barthel Index, Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), and serum BDNF levels were assessed before and after the intervention. Adherence rates were also determined for each group. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine associations between changes in BDNF (ΔBDNF) and changes in HAMA (ΔHAMA) and HAMD (ΔHAMD) scores. Results At the end of the 12-week clinical trial, the intervention group demonstrated significantly lower HAMA, HAMD, PDQ-39, and MDS-UPDRS scores ( P < 0.001), and higher Barthel Index scores and BDNF levels compared to the control group. The adherence rate in the intervention group was higher than in the control group (90.70% vs 76.74%, respectively, P = 0.01). Conclusion A combined psychological and functional exercise intervention significantly improved emotional well-being, quality of life, daily functioning, adherence, and BDNF levels (compared to the control group) in patients with PD. Based on these findings, this multi-component intervention may have value in treating PD patients.