Effects of physical exercise interventions on balance, postural stability and general mobility in Parkinson's disease: a network meta-analysis.
Patricia Lorenzo-García, Iván Cavero-Redondo, Sergio Núñez de Arenas-Arroyo and 3 others
PMID 38298133WHAT IT FOUND
Balance exercises were the only intervention to improve all measured outcomes of mobility and stability.
Dance, alternative exercises like Tai Chi, and resistance training also showed significant benefits. Combining these elements in a multimodal programme is likely more effective than any single exercise type alone.
Key findings
01Balance training was the only intervention category that improved scores across all four outcome measures (ABC, BBS, MiniBESTest, and TUG) compared with control groups.
02Alternative exercises (such as Tai Chi and yoga) and dance interventions showed high probabilities of being among the best treatments for improving balance and mobility.
03Resistance training significantly improved general mobility and postural stability as measured by the TUG and MiniBESTest.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The risk of bias was high or had some concerns for over 90% of the included trials. There was substantial and considerable heterogeneity in many comparisons, meaning the studies varied widely in their protocols and participant characteristics. Interventions within the same category (e.g., 'balance training') varied significantly in intensity, frequency, and duration. Control groups were highly heterogeneous, ranging from usual care to health education, which makes it difficult to isolate the specific effect of the exercise. Publication bias was detected for the comparison of resistance training versus control on the TUG test.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of significant effect for endurance training alone as evidence that aerobic exercise is ineffective for Parkinson's disease. This analysis focused specifically on balance and postural stability outcomes, and endurance training may still provide other important benefits not measured here.