Hypoxic Training in Parkinson’s Disease

[Melissa]

Welcome everyone to this presentation from Dr Janssen Daalen. Please post your questions or comments here and we will forward them on. Check back for your response!

[Ross]

I have to admit that I found this presentation was unclear for me, to the extent that no mention was made of how a potential or extant PD sufferer might experience hypoxia.

Moreover, is it not reasonable to ask if the residents of a high-altitude location like the low-oxygen environment (such as I have experienced in Cuzco in Peru) revealed a significantly lower incidence of PD then, prima facie, this would seem to be an excellent “natural experiment” that hypoxia is the key to their low incidence of PD. Perhaps I have missed something fundamental, for which I apologise to the presenter, but I am interested in the topic and wish him well with his PhD research.

[Jules]

Dear Ross,

Thank you for your response, and sorry to hear that you missed insight into the experience of hypoxia by people living with PD. I should note that we are really on the cutting edge of research here, and our study is currently ongoing. There are no previous investigations into how hypoxia is experienced by people living with PD on which we can build that argument, so our research will be the first to give insight in this exact experience. Stay tuned!

[Kimberley]

This is so exciting – looking forward to more research in this space and clinical applications.

[Stephen]

I’m not from and academic medical or scientific background but the hypothesis that Hypoxia may be neuroprotective and alter the course of Parkinson’s briought to mind Michael J. Fox’s observation of a significant reduction in his PD symptoms during a film making visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan in the Eastern Himalaya’s. My thoughts were similar to Ross’s question. Although high altitude and lower air pressure maybe be implicated besides lower oxygen levels, have the statistics for the percentage of the population living in high altitudes been investigated and compared against those living at sea level?

• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by  Stephen Dunn.

[Jules]

Dear Stephen, thank you for your response and interest. We are not aware of any association between residing at high altitude and PD incidence. Some possible arguments for this have been noted by others in the comments. One of the most important arguments for us is that our body adjusts fairly quickly to such hypoxic circumstances, and as highlighted in the presentation, repeated exposure is necessary for hypoxic conditioning. Compare this to interval training, HIIT, etc.

[Wais]

Hi Jules, could you please explain wether we are talking about hypoxia induced by any form of exercise such as walking, strength training or does have to be moderate to high intensity such as running, cycling or HIITS?

[Dinna]

Thank you. This is an interesting topic, look forward to seeing the end results and how this might practically apply for PWP.

[Christine]

Everyone/Ross,

I think your question re Cusco is good. I too wondered that and I am trying to understand what he is saying. I have lived in Peru (Arequipa 2.100m at a lower altitude than Cusco though) for over 10 years, and was diagnosed in Peru. While on the surface incidence seems lower in Peru, I would suggest that the incidence is the same or more because:

a) lack of statistics could lead to lower figures

b) lack of diagnosis – often this is the thought that the symptoms are caused by old age and there are no movement specialists outside of LIMA and few neurologists.

c) The study Llibre Guerra 2022 reports that door to door surveys in Latin America studying Parkinson’s Disease found a high % had Parkinson’s disease but had NEVER been diagnosed nor received medical or neurological attention (Llibre Guerra et al: 2022). The study does not give the % as I searched but on communication with the author he revealed the statistic that places incidence at a similar levels to high income countries generally. It may part of a future publication so I am not at liberty to share the %

I’d like a slightly clear understanding of the talk too.

My videos from Peru.

https://youtu.be/t92McGmUwwk

Ray of Hope (VOTES Needed):

thanks Christine Jeyachandran

[Wais]

Hi Jules, could you please explain wether we are talking about hypoxia induced by any form of exercise such as walking, strength training or does have to be moderate to high intensity such as running, cycling or HIITS?

[Tammy]

Hi Jules,

Interesting research, thanks for yr presentation.

[Maree]

Hi Jules,

I found this presentation very interesting. I have read that there is a lower incidence of PD in smokers. Was this a consideration in hypoxia being investigated as a novel strategy?

Thank you for the effort you made to make your work comprehensible for people without a strong science background.

Best wishes,

Maree Mielnik

[Jacqueline]

HI I rate this as one of the well presented topics at insight: clear speaker and not overcomplicated slides , with good descriptions and summaries , and above all very interesting …and ties in nicely with the slower need to increase medication dosage seen in people with PD and high intensity exercise .