Several studies have associated cognitive benefits with aerobic exercise in PD. In recent years, Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) has become an increasingly popular exercise intervention designed for PD patients. RSB includes diverse motor, cognitive, voice, and balance activities aimed at enhancement of overall functioning in PD. However, it is unclear whether RSB confers any specific advantage in cognitive functioning over other forms of exercise.

A quasi-experimental design compared RSB to other forms of exercise.  PD patients who reported regular exercise (≥30 minutes, 3+ days/week) were recruited for the study.  Participants not evincing MDS Task Force Level I criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment in PD (MoCA≥26) were enrolled.  Participants self-selected to initiate RSB at baseline or continue with their current exercise routine (CER).  Participants completed a structured interview of physical activity and a battery of standardized executive function tests at baseline and follow-up visits. Test administrators were blind to exercise group assignment.  Raw scores on executive function tests were converted to a common z-score referencing the study group and averaged to form a global composite at baseline and follow-up.

A sample of 10 RSB and 9 CER participants completed the study.  Groups were not significantly different in demographic or clinical measures. Groups were not significantly different in baseline or follow-up overall physical activity level.  One-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between exercise group and the composite executive function measure, with those in the RSB group showing greater improvement, Wilks' Lambda = .726 , F (1,17) = 6.425, p=.021.

This study suggests the community-based Rock Steady Boxing program may preferentially improve executive function in exercisers with Parkinson’s disease.