The term basal ganglia refers to a group of nuclei in the forebrain involved in motor activity, learning, and other important functions. Glutamate, GABA and dopamine are the chief neurotransmitters in this region, and the deterioration of nerve cells here underlies several common and serious neurological disorders centering on movement and mood, among them Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Tai Chi
Physical therapist Lori Quinn of the Huntington's Disease Center at Columbia University notes that Tai Chi and similar exercises can benefit balance and walking ability in patients with Huntington's disease, a genetic disorder originating largely in the basal ganglia and characterized by gradual cognitive and physical decline ending in death. An unsteady gait and lack of coordination are present in most people with the disease. Tai Chi, which in its solo form focuses on a series of slowly executed deliberate movements coupled with abdominal breathing, is reputed to improve flexibility and circulation.
Muscle Toning in Parkinson's
Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder in which those afflicted lose control over movement and speech as the disease progresses, with tremor, instability, and slow limb movements characteristic of the motor symptoms. Specific exercises can help preserve muscle function and coordination in Parkinson's suffers by keeping muscles from becoming atrophic or "wasted" owing to chronic disuse. These include continually practicing movements necessary for locomotion and stable posture, such as raising the toes, assuming a wide stance, taking small steps and negotiating tight spaces; standing and sitting with the spine erect and the body held in a symmetric manner with respect to itself and the environment; and repetitions of movements involving commonly used muscles such as those controlling head and leg placement.
Worksheets and Writing
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a sometimes crippling psychiatric condition marked by ritualistic and obligatory behavioral repetitions -- such as hand-washing or counting objects -- and intrusive thoughts, both of which are distressing to the patient. Changes in grey-matter volume in various portions of the basal ganglia are characteristic of OCD. Dr. Eda Gorbis, a psychotherapist at the Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders in Los Angeles, has had success with OCD patients by having them perform writing exercises focused on the cognitive distortions and other maladaptive thought processes that occur in the minds of these patients, with the goal being to improve self-awareness and become more attuned to situations and cues that tend to trigger futile and destructive thought cycles. For example, patients are taught to re-label their compulsions in such a way -- such as using depersonalizing terminology -- as to emphasize that these are part of a disease process.
References
- The HD Lighthouse: Exercise And Balance For Huntington's Disease
- The Center for Neurologic Study: Exercises For The Parkinson Patient
- Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders: Dr. Gorbis' Intensive OCD Program: It Works!
- Shippensburg University: The Basal Ganglia
- "British Journal of Psychiatry"; Voxel-Wise Meta-Analysis of Grey Matter Changes in Obsessive--Compulsive Disorder; Joaquim Radua; November 2009
- Columbia University Medical Center: Balancing Function and Independence in Huntington's Disease
