Digital training improves motor functions and changes brain connections

The study involved 32 patients with Parkinson’s disease who were receiving standard medical treatment. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: the training group and the control group. For three weeks, the participants in the training group completed daily tasks from a digital program that combined spatial navigation, cognitive exercises, and elements of motor rehabilitation and motor training.

One of the key components of the course was navigating through three-dimensional mazes. As the participants progressed, the difficulty of the tasks increased. For example, the amount of visual cues was gradually reduced, forcing the participants to rely more on their memory and auditory cues.

The clinical results were significant. The participants in the training group showed improved motor function, with an average score of 6.4 on the commonly used Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale compared to the control group. Additionally, they exhibited improved fine motor control in their hands.

In parallel with the clinical outcomes, changes in the brain were assessed using neuroimaging. The scans showed that the training strengthened the connections between the areas of the brain responsible for motor control and caused local changes in the neural circuits involved in motor control. Interestingly, the participants who performed better on the navigation tasks also showed more significant improvements in their motor functions.

The authors suggest that these results demonstrate the brain’s ability to re-learn and strengthen neural networks that have been disrupted by disease, even in a relatively short period of time. Although the study is still in its early stages, it provides additional evidence that digital tools could be an important part of therapy and rehabilitation for Parkinson’s disease.