Effects of physical exercise interventions on balance, postural stability and general mobility in Parkinson's disease: a network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess which type of physical exercise intervention has the most beneficial effects on balance, postural stability and general mobility in patients with Parkinson's disease. These parameters were assessed using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (MiniBESTest) and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). DESIGN: Network meta-analysis. METHODS: The PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science databases were searched up to August 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials on the effects of physical exercise interventions on balance, postural stability, and general mobility. The network meta-analysis included pairwise and indirect comparisons of results on the ABC scale, BBS, MiniBESTest, and TUG across 8 categories of physical exercise. RESULTS: Eighty-six studies with a total of 4,693 patients were included. For the ABC scale, the indirect comparison showed that the highest effect size was observed for balance vs sensorimotor training without including endurance interventions (0.62; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.06, 1.17). The highest effect sizes for BBS were observed for alternative exercises (1.21; 95% CI 0.62, 1.81), body-weight supported (BWS) interventions (1.31; 95% CI 0.57, 2.05), dance (1.18; 95% CI 0.33, 2.03) and sensorimotor training, including endurance interventions (1.10; 95% CI 0.46, 1.75) vs control groups. Indirect comparisons showed that the highest effect size for the MiniBESTest were observed for balance (0.75; 95% CI 0.46, 1.04) and resistance (0.58; 95% CI 0.10, 1.07) vs control groups. For the TUG, comparisons showed a significant effect size for alternative exercises (-0.54; 95% CI -0.82, -0.26), balance (-0.42; 95% CI -0.75, -0.08), resistance (-0.60; 95% CI -0.89, -0.31), and sensorimotor training including endurance interventions (-0.61; 95% CI -0.95, -0.27) vs control comparisons. CONCLUSION: Balance interventions improve balance, postural stability, and general mobility in people with Parkinson's disease. Moreover, alternative exercises, dance, BWS interventions, resistance, and sensorimotor training, including and not including endurance interventions, are also effective.

Effect of different exercise programs on lung function in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A network meta-analysis of RCTs.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has systemic consequences and causes structural abnormalities throughout the respiratory system. It is associated with a high clinical burden worldwide. AIM: A network meta-analysis was performed to determine the effects of exercise programs on lung function measured by forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1 as a percentage of the predicted value (FEV1%) and forced vital capacity in people with COPD. METHODS: A literature search was performed to March 2023. Randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of exercise programs on lung function in people with COPD were included. A standard pairwise meta-analysis and a network meta-analysis for direct and indirect comparisons between intervention and control/nonintervention groups were carried out to calculate the standardized mean difference and 95 % CI. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool was used to assess the quality of the evidence. RESULTS: 35 studies with a total sample of 2909 participants were included in this network meta-analysis. The highest standardized mean difference was for active mind body movement therapy programs versus control for FEV1 and FEV1% (0.71; 95 % CI 0.32 to1.09; and 0.36; 95 % CI 0.15 to 0.58, respectively), and pulmonary rehabilitation+active mind body movements therapies versus control for forced vital capacity (0.45; 95 % CI 0.07 to 0.84). CONCLUSIONS: active mind body movement therapy programs were the most effective type of exercise program to improve lung function measured by FEV1 and FEV1%; pulmonary rehabilitation+active mind body movements therapies had the greatest effects on FVC in people with COPD. Exercise programs in which the abdominal muscles are strengthened could improve lung emptying, helping to overcome airway resistance in people with COPD.

Physical Exercise Interventions on Quality of Life in Parkinson Disease: A Network Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Physical exercise is considered an effective intervention for maintaining or improving quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), but there is no evidence showing which type of physical exercise intervention has more positive effects. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of exercise interventions on improving QoL in patients with PD, comparing different types of exercise interventions. METHODS: A literature search was conducted through January 2022. The methodological quality of the trials was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool RoB2. For the meta-analysis, physical exercise interventions were classified into 5 training categories: resistance, endurance, alternative exercises, dance, and sensorimotor interventions. A standard meta-analysis and network meta-analysis were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of the different types of physical exercise interventions. RESULTS: The search retrieved 2451 studies, 48 of which were included in this network meta-analysis with a total of 2977 patients with PD. The indirect effects of the network meta-analysis showed positive results for alternative exercises (-0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.76, -0.16), dance (-0.63; 95% CI: -1.08, -0.17), and sensorimotor interventions (-0.23; 95% CI: -0.40, -0.07) versus control comparisons. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed to determine the types of physical exercise interventions that are most beneficial and for which conditions of the disease they have the most positive effects.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A398 ).

Efficacy of Different Types of Physical Activity Interventions on Exercise Capacity in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Network Meta-Analysis.

AIM: A network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed to determine the effects on the exercise capacity, measured by the 6 MWT, of patients with COPD of (i) different physical activity interventions and (ii) supervised or unsupervised programs. METHODS: A literature search was carried out from inception to April 2022. Randomized controlled trials of the effectiveness of physical activity on exercise capacity in patients with COPD were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB 2.0) tool, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool (GRADE) was used to assess the quality of the evidence. A pairwise meta-analysis for direct and indirect effects was carried out. RESULTS: A total of 41 studies were included in this NMA. The highest effects were for urban training pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs (ES, 1.50; 95% CI: 0.46 and 2.55) versus the control group. For supervised and unsupervised PR and home-based PR programs, the highest effects were found for supervised PR (ES, 0.85; 95% CI: 0.46 to 1.23) versus the control group. CONCLUSIONS: PR implemented with urban circuit training should be considered the most effective strategy to improve exercise capacity in patients with COPD. Supervision of the programs improves exercise capacity.