Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Apr-Jun;46(2):E87-E105.
doi: 10.1519/JPT.0000000000000322. Epub 2021 Aug 12.

Effect of Exercise on Motor Symptoms in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Network Meta-analysis

Celia Álvarez-Bueno  1   2 , Jonathan J Deeks  3 , Iván Cavero-Redondo  1   2   4 , Kate Jolly  3 , Ana I Torres-Costoso  1 , Malcolm Price  3 , Rubén Fernandez-Rodriguez  1 , Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno  1   5
Affiliations

Effect of Exercise on Motor Symptoms in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Network Meta-analysis

Celia Álvarez-Bueno et al. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2023 Apr-Jun.

Abstract

Background: Although the pharmacological approach may help with motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), they are clearly not the complete solution. Thus, for the treatment of PD motor symptoms, physical activity has been proposed as an effective intervention.

Methods: A systematic search in MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials testing the effectiveness of exercise interventions on motor symptoms of PD. Physical exercise interventions were divided into 9 categories: endurance, resistance, combined, balance, dance, alternative exercises, body weight supported, sensorimotor interventions including endurance exercise, and sensorimotor interventions not including endurance exercise. A pairwise meta-analysis for direct and indirect comparisons between intervention and control/nonintervention groups was carried out.

Results: Fifty-six studies met the inclusion criteria, including 2740 participants, aged between 57.6 and 77.7 years. Results showed that sensorimotor training including endurance (effect size [ES]-1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.68 to -0.50), resistance (ES-0.82; 95% CI, -1.23 to -0.41), and dance (ES-0.64; 95% CI, -1.24 to -0.05) were the most effective physical activity interventions for mitigating PD motor symptoms.

Conclusion: Physical activity interventions are an effective strategy for the management of motor symptoms in patients with PD. Among the different exercise intervention programs, those including more complex and demanding activities (sensorimotor training including endurance, resistance, and dance) seem to be the most effective physical activity interventions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. World Health Organization. Neurological Disorders: Public Health Challenges. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2006.
    1. Rafferty MR, Schmidt PN, Luo ST, et al. Regular exercise, quality of life, and mobility in Parkinson's disease: a longitudinal analysis of National Parkinson Foundation quality improvement initiative data. J Parkinsons Dis. 2017;7(1):193–202.
    1. Sveinbjornsdottir S. The clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease. J Neurochem. 2016;139(S1):318–324.
    1. King LA, Wilhelm J, Chen Y, et al. Does group, individual or home exercise best improve mobility for people with Parkinson's disease? J Neurol Phys Ther. 2015;39(4):204–212.
    1. Allen NE, Sherrington C, Paul SS, Canning CG. Balance and falls in Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis of the effect of exercise and motor training. Mov Disord. 2011;26(9):1605–1615.

Publication types