effectiveness of long-term physical rehabilitation to improve balance and locomotion in older people with Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Walking and balance alterations are critical to address in older adults living with Parkinson's Disease (PD). These alterations negatively impact activities of daily life, decrease the quality of life and increase the risk of falls. Objective: Analyse the effectiveness of different long-term exercise interventions to improve walking and balance parameters in people aged over 60 years with PD. Methods: Experimental studies from the last 10 years collected from 5 databases (PEDro, PubMed, WOS and EBSCO) were analysed. PEDro scale was used to analyse the quality of the studies, and the result shown in the studies was contrasted with the minimal detectable change (MDC). Results: From 413 studies, a total of 7 RCTs and 2 pilot studies were included in the analysis. The range of age was 65.8 ± 10.7 and 73.59 ± 7.93 years. The duration of the disease was 5 to 15 years. The methodological quality ranged from "good" to "excellent". Conclusions: More significant clinical effect in PD population was obtained after interventions that included: high-intensity strength training, progressive increase of resistance, aerobic exercise, and walking and balance training.