“Parkinson’s Bike Treatment”

Cleveland Clinic News Service

July 25, 2007

Reporter: Mike Jacobson	Photog: Chris Bilowich
Produced by: Mike Jacobson	Split audio track
Package Length: 1:48

ANCHOR LEAD It’s a great form of exercise that you learn to do when you are very young. Now Cleveland Clinic researchers want to know if cycling can help people living with a degenerative brain disease.

Mike Jacobson has the story.

VO/Instructions Sound on Tape (SOT)

Steve Derman reading paper outside “Some days are better than others.”

Derman reading paper STEVE DERMAN HAS HAD BETTER DAYS.

Derman reading paper “The energy level is just kind of slow today.

Derman reading paper HE DIDN’T GET A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP AND FEELS STIFF AND A LITTLE NAUSEOUS…ALL PART OF LIVING WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE.

CG: Steve Derman

Has Parkinson’s Disease “It manifested itself by showing a tremor on the right side.”

Opening door to house Opening door.

Walking inside/taking pills PARKINSON’S IS A DEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISORDER THAT MOST PEOPLE ASSOCIATE WITH TREMORS. PRESCRIPTION PILLS HELP PROVIDE SOME SYMPTOM RELIEF FOR STEVE…

Rider on bike “You just let me control the pace.”

Steve on tandem bike BUT CLEVELAND CLINIC RESEARCHERS ARE ADDING PEDALS TO THE PILLS. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THEY WANT TO KNOW IF THEY CAN TREAT STEVE’S SYMPTOMS BY FORCING HIM TO KEEP A FAST PACE ON A TANDEM BIKE.

CG: Jay Alberts, Ph.D.

Cleveland Clinic “So, we’re pedaling here at 80 to 90 R-P-M’s.”

Alberts watching Steve on bike DR. ALBERTS GOT THIS IDEA FOUR YEARS AGO—AFTER A WEEK-LONG TANDEM BIKE RIDE WITH A FRIEND WHO HAS PARKINSON’S.

CG: Jay Alberts, Ph.D.

Cleveland Clinic “And she said wow, for this week it didn’t feel like I had Parkinson’s. And that comment really spurred me on to further study and look into this more.”

Bike “Doing alright back there?”

Bike IN THE FIRST STUDY OF ITS KIND, DR. ALBERTS IS COMPARING THE RESULTS OF FIVE PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S ON A TANDEM BIKE WITH FIVE WHO AREN’T FORCED TO KEEP PACE ON A BIKE. THROUGHOUT THE STUDY EACH PERSON REMAINS ON MEDICATION.

Steve on bike “It’d be pretty hard for me to sustain this without Ang “Okay. So, ten minutes a little harder and I’ll get your heart rate up.”

Biking DR. ALBERTS SAYS PRELIMINARY RESULTS SHOW FORCED EXERCISE IMPROVES PARKINSON’S SYMPTOMS UP TO A MONTH AFTERWARDS. HE BELIEVES THIS MAY BE A RESULT OF THE EXERCISE INDUCING BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE BRAIN.

CG: Jay Alberts, Ph.D.

Cleveland Clinic “And I think we’re just scratching the surface here in the sense of figuring out what is going on.”

CG: Steve Derman

Has Parkinson’s Disease “I haven’t had any meds today. And I was shaking pretty good. But this exercise, it’s amazing.”

Getting off bike AND STEVE HOPES…

Getting off bike “Alrighty. Whew who!”

Getting off bike IT WILL HELP HIM AND THOUSANDS LIKE HIM HAVE BETTER DAYS LIVING WITH THIS DISEASE. MIKE JACOBSON REPORTING.

Anchor Tag Dr. Alberts says the initial results from his study don’t mean all people with Parkinson’s should buy a tandem bike.   First, larger studies need to be done.  Final results from his large study won’t be known for a few months.

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