Neuroelectrophysiological effects of Wuqinxi exercise on reactive inhibition deficits in Parkinson's disease

Objective: Motor inhibition deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) are linked to functional alterations in the frontal–basal ganglia circuit, notably excessive interhemispheric inhibition from the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) onto the left primary motor cortex (M1). Although Wuqinxi—a traditional Chinese exercise—has been shown to ameliorate motor symptoms in PD, its potential to remediate motor inhibition impairments via modulation of cortical interhemispheric interactions remains unresolved. Methods: Forty-seven PD patients were randomly assigned to either a Wuqinxi group or a stretching control group for a 24-week intervention, completing 90mins sessions three times per week. We used dual-site paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (ppTMS) to combine stop-signal tasks to examine the electrophysiological and motor inhibition changes pre and post intervention. Results: Compared with pre-intervention measures, PD patients in the Wuqinxi group exhibited a significant reduction in interhemispheric inhibitory interaction between the right DLPFC and left M1, concomitant with a pronounced decrease in stop signal reaction time (SSRT). Conclusions: 24 weeks of Wuqinxi practice attenuate excessive interhemispheric inhibition from the right DLPFC to the left M1 in PD patients, thereby alleviating impaired reactive inhibition capacity.