Association of accelerometer-measured physical activity and incident Parkinson’s disease: insights and future research directions

We congratulate Liu et al. 1 for publishing the article in the npj Digital Medicine , an insightful article that has captured our keen interest. By addressing the limitations of self-report questionnaires and utilizing accelerometer-measured data from a substantial cohort of 96,422 participants in the UK Biobank, the research unveils insightful patterns. The identified L-shaped association for light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), along with the reversed L-shaped association for sedentary time, provides a nuanced understanding of PD risk. The consideration of exercise timing across different periods further enhances the comprehensive nature of the study. The findings substantially advance our understanding in this area. However, we believe that incorporating additional factors could provide even more robust insights. We have two major suggestions for future research that could build upon the valuable contributions of this study.