{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T23:32:32Z","timestamp":1769556752497,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]],"date-time":"2026-01-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769040000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Respiratory dysfunction in Parkinson\u2019s disease (PD) is frequently underrecognized, particularly when resting oxygen saturation is preserved. Dynamic stress testing, however, may reveal exercise-induced oxygen desaturation, reflecting a latent functional respiratory impairment. The relationship between exertional oxygen desaturation and cognitive performance in PD remains insufficiently explored. Objective: To investigate the association between exercise-induced oxygen desaturation and global cognitive performance in patients with PD, and to explore the contribution of pulmonary gas exchange impairment assessed by diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO). Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional, single-center observational study with consecutive enrollment included 50 patients with idiopathic Parkinson\u2019s disease undergoing multidisciplinary respiratory evaluation following neurological assessment. Participants underwent cognitive evaluation using the Romanian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), pulmonary function testing including DLCO and total lung capacity (TLC), and a supervised 6-min walk test (6MWT) with continuous pulse oximetry. Exercise-induced oxygen desaturation was defined as a decrease in SpO2 of \u22654% from baseline. Correlation analyses and multivariable regression models were applied. Results: Exercise-induced oxygen desaturation was frequent, with 60% of patients exhibiting a \u22654% decrease in SpO2 during the 6MWT. Greater desaturation was significantly associated with lower MoCA scores (Spearman\u2019s r = \u22120.383, p = 0.006). No significant associations were found between exertional desaturation and resting pulmonary function parameters, including DLCO and TLC. In multivariable analysis, lower MoCA score and levodopa\u2013carbidopa intestinal gel treatment independently predicted greater oxygen desaturation during exercise. Conclusions: Exercise-induced oxygen desaturation is common in patients with PD despite preserved resting oxygenation and is associated with poorer cognitive performance. These findings suggest that exertional desaturation may reflect a dynamic functional impairment and may be associated with increased physiological vulnerability. Functional exercise testing with oxygen saturation monitoring may provide complementary information beyond resting pulmonary assessments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15020899","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T09:21:40Z","timestamp":1769505700000},"page":"899","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Exercise-Induced Oxygen Desaturation and Cognitive Performance in Patients with Parkinson\u2019s Disease: A Prospective Observational Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-6835-2285","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandra-Cristiana","family":"Gache","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pneumology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Medical Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Clinical Hospital of Pneumopthisiology Constanta, 40 Santinelei Street, 900002 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6591-0038","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elena","family":"Dante\u0219","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pneumology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Medical Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Clinical Hospital of Pneumopthisiology Constanta, 40 Santinelei Street, 900002 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andreea-Cristina","family":"Postu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pneumology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Medical Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Clinical Hospital of Pneumopthisiology Constanta, 40 Santinelei Street, 900002 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Denisa-Gabriela","family":"Ion-Andrei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pneumology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Medical Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Clinical Hospital of Pneumopthisiology Constanta, 40 Santinelei Street, 900002 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1770-842X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adina-Milena","family":"Man","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pneumology, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-1126-0078","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicoleta-Larisa","family":"\u0218erban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Cluj County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Neurosciences, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1125-2046","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Irene","family":"R\u0103\u0219anu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Clinical CF Hospital Constanta, 1 Mai 3-5 Boulevard, 900123 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8525-3554","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Any","family":"Axelerad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus\u2014Corp B, Ovidius University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cSt. Ap. Andrew\u201d Emergency County Clinical Hospital, 145 Tomis Boulevard, 900591 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"695","DOI":"10.1038\/s41582-024-01034-x","article-title":"Parkinson disease therapy: Current strategies and future research priorities","volume":"20","author":"Stocchi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Neurol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1186\/s40035-023-00378-6","article-title":"Role of dopamine in the pathophysiology of Parkinson\u2019s disease","volume":"12","author":"Zhou","year":"2023","journal-title":"Transl. 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