A team from Université Laval tested, on an animal model, the combined effects of an omega-3 rich diet and physical activity on the symptoms and degeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease. Unlike research focused on disease prevention, this study looks at what happens after diagnosis.
“Our work is encouraging for people who are already sick and for whom it is too late for prevention,” notes Frédéric Calon, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, who led the study.
The team tested whether there was a form of neurorestoration or functional recovery in the brain. “We did not see an increase in the number of neurons, as they cannot be resurrected, but we observed an improvement in the dopaminergic system, which is involved in both gross and fine motor skills,” explains the professor, affiliated with the CHU de Québec – Université Laval Research Center.
