A new study, out of Japan's Fukuoka University and presented at the American Academy of Neurology's72nd Annual Meeting in April,2020, is so interesting. The researchers found that playing ping pong may lead to significant improvements in Parkinson's symptoms.
“Ping pong, which is also called table tennis, is a form of aerobic (有氧的) exercise that has been shown in the general population to improve hand-eye coordination , sharpen reflexes, and stimulate the brain," said study author Ken-ichi Inoue, M.D., of Fukuoka University. “We wanted to examine if people with Parkinson 's disease would see similar benefits that may in turn reduce some of their symptoms. "
The study included 12 people (an average age of 73) with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's for seven years on average. The participants were tested at the beginning of the study to assess the type and degree of symptoms they had. They then had a ping pong session once a week. The sessions included stretching exercises and specific ping pong exercises led by experienced table tennis players from the department of Sports Science of Fukuoka University.
The symptoms were then assessed again at three months and six months (at the end of the study), and during that period participants experienced significant improvements in speech, handwriting, getting dressed, getting out of bed and walking. For example, it took participants an average of more than two attempts to get out of bed at the beginning of the study compared to an average of one attempt at the end of the study. They also had significant improvements in facial expression, posture, rigidity (僵硬), slowness of movement and hand trembles.
“While this study is small, the results are encouraging because they show ping pong, a relatively inexpensive form of therapy, may improve some symptoms of Parkinson's disease,” said Inoue. “A much larger study is now being planned to confirm these findings.”
12. Why does the author feel the new study is interesting?
A.Ping pong is a sport of great interest. |
B.The process of the study is easy and relaxing. |
C.The combination between sports and diseases is funny. |
D.It excites curiosity that ping pong should improve Parkinson's. |
13. Which aspect do the 12 participants have in common?
A.Age. | B.Gender. | C.Disease. | D.Degree. |
14. How many times have the participants been assessed altogether?
15. What will Inoue probably do next according to the last paragraph?
A.Try other sports to draw new conclusions. |
B.Get more people involved to further prove the findings. |
C.Expand the range of diseases to match with ping pong. |
D.Find out more connections between sports and diseases. |