Long-term impact of a community-based adapted boxing program on physical functioning and quality of life of individuals with Parkinson's disease.
Félix-Antoine Savoie, Simon Benoit, Eléonor Riesco and 1 others
PMID 38640181WHAT IT FOUND
Individuals with Parkinson's disease attending community boxing for over a year showed improved mobility and leg strength.
Balance did not change. Quality of life scores worsened slightly, though the change was smaller than the threshold for clinical significance. There was no control group.
Key findings
01Timed Up-and-Go times significantly decreased from 7.29 to 6.04 seconds, indicating improved mobility.
0230-second Sit-to-Stand scores significantly increased from 12 to 14.5 repetitions, indicating improved leg strength and endurance.
03Fullerton Advanced Balance scale scores did not change significantly, and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 summary index increased (indicating lower quality of life) by 4%, a change below the minimal detectable change threshold.
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
No control group, so it is impossible to determine if the changes were due to boxing, natural disease progression, or other factors. Small sample size (26 participants) limits the generalisability of the findings. Retrospective design may introduce selection bias, as participants were already enrolled in the program. Only two assessment points (pre and post) were used, so the trajectory of change over the year is unknown. The MDS-UPDRS, the gold standard for assessing Parkinson's disease severity, was not used. Low attendance rate (57.81%) means the intervention dose was lower than intended.
Declared interests
One of the authors (A.T.) is the founder, scientific director, and coordinator of the community-based boxing program studied. A.T. also administered approximately 80% of the evaluations.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that boxing is ineffective or harmful because quality of life scores worsened. The decline was small and fell below the threshold for clinical significance. Similarly, do not assume that the statistically significant improvements in mobility and strength are large enough to be clinically meaningful for every patient, as the median changes did not exceed the minimal detectable change.