Researchers at São Paulo State University (Unesp) in Brazil have tested controlled breathing of air with less oxygen (intermittent hypoxia) in people with Parkinson’s disease, in a FAPESP-supported study published in Parkinsonism & Related Disorders.
The randomised, double-blind trial involved 30 volunteers: 15 with Parkinson’s and 15 healthy. In a 39-minute session they breathed air with 10% oxygen, equivalent to about 5,800 metres of altitude, four times for 6 minutes, with breaks in normal air.
In the patients, adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory hormone, rose and stayed high 24 hours later, and BDNF, a protein important for neurons, was preserved, unlike in the control session. There was no rise in inflammatory markers.
The authors stress that the results are preliminary, that only one session was tested in a small sample, and that the method is not a cure and does not replace other treatments. Further studies will test repeated sessions with more volunteers.
