scholarly journals Tai Chi for Improvement of Motor Function, Balance and Gait in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e102942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Yang ◽  
Xiang-Yuan Li ◽  
Li Gong ◽  
Yun-Liang Zhu ◽  
Yan-Lei Hao
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Xing Yu ◽  
Xinze Wu ◽  
Guozhen Hou ◽  
Peipei Han ◽  
Liying Jiang ◽  
...  

Objective. Parkinson’s disease adversely affects function and quality of life, leading to increased mortality. The practice of Tai Chi has been associated with multifaceted improvements in health-related fitness. Considering the limited number of clinical studies included in previous reviews, inconsistent methodological quality, and inconclusive results, this meta-analysis aims to assess the effects of Tai Chi in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Method. Four English language databases and four Chinese databases were systematically searched for existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Tai Chi in Parkinson’s disease from database inception through August 1, 2020. Methodological quality was appraised with the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. A meta-analysis of comparative effects was performed using the Review Manager v.5.3 software. Results. Seventeen published RCTs totaling 951 subjects were included. Results showed that Tai Chi has a statistically significant effect on the outcomes of gait velocity, unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS) motor score, activities-specific balance confidence (ABC) score, and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The effects on the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) and Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) were not statistically significant. Conclusions. This systematic review and meta-analysis of Parkinson’s disease and Tai Chi suggests Tai Chi is a relatively safe activity that can result in gains in general motor function and improve bradykinesia and balance. It has no statistically significant advantage for quality of life and functional mobility. Further randomized trials with larger sample sizes and of higher methodological quality are needed to confirm these results and to assess the feasibility of Tai Chi intervention for potential different clinical applications.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 607-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle N McDonnell ◽  
Briony Rischbieth ◽  
Tenille T Schammer ◽  
Chantel Seaforth ◽  
Alex J Shaw ◽  
...  

Objective: The technique called Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT)-LOUD has previously been used to improve voice quality in people with Parkinson’s disease. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an alternate intervention, LSVT-BIG (signifying big movements), to improve functional mobility. Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized trials. Data sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, AgeLine, Scopus and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to September 2017 using multiple search terms related to Parkinson’s disease and LSVT-BIG. Review method: Two researchers searched the literature for studies of the LSVT-BIG intervention of 16 sessions, delivered by a certified instructor over four weeks, to any other intervention. Outcomes related to functional ability were included. Study quality was appraised using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Results: Four studies were included, reporting on three randomized trials of 84 participants with mild Parkinson’s disease. Compared to physiotherapy exercises, or a shorter training protocol, there was a significant improvement in motor function assessed with the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III (mean difference = −3.20, 95% confidence interval = −5.18 to −1.23) and a trend towards faster Timed Up and Go performance (mean difference = −0.47, 95% confidence interval = −0.99 to 0.06) and 10-metre walk test (mean difference = −0.53, 95% confidence interval = −1.07 to 0.01). Conclusion: Compared to shorter format LSVT-BIG or general exercise, LSVT-BIG was more effective at improving motor function. This provides preliminary, moderate quality evidence that amplitude-oriented training is effective in reducing motor impairments for people with mild Parkinson’s disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Liu ◽  
Huiyu Liu ◽  
Zicai Liu ◽  
Jinzhu Rao ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
...  

Background: Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder with motor and non-motor symptoms. Recently, as adjuvant therapy, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to improve the motor and non-motor function of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This systematic review aimed to evaluate the existing evidence for the efficacy of tDCS for PD. We included English databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science) and Chinese databases [Wanfang database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and China Biology Medicine (CBM)] without restricting the year of publication. Twenty-one tDCS studies, with a total of 736 participants, were included in the analysis. Two independent researchers extracted the data and characteristics of each study. There was a significant pooled effect size (−1.29; 95% CI = −1.60, −0.98; p < 0.00001; I2 = 0%) in the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) I and the Montreal cognitive assessment (SMD = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.50 to 1.24; p < 0.00001; I2 = 0%). The poor effect size was observed in the UPDRS III scores (SMD = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.64, 0.38; p = 0.61; I2 = 77%), and similar results were observed for the timed up and go (TUG) test, Berg balance scale, and gait assessment. The results of this meta-analysis showed that there was insufficient evidence that tDCS improves the motor function of patients with PD. However, tDCS seemed to improve their cognitive performance. Further multicenter research with a larger sample size is needed. In addition, future research should focus on determining the tDCS parameters that are most beneficial to the functional recovery of patients with PD.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Zhou ◽  
Tao Yin ◽  
Qian Gao ◽  
Xiao Cun Yang

Objective. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence on the effect of Tai Chi for Parkinson’s disease (PD).Methods. Six electronic databases up to June 2014 were searched. The methodological quality was assessed with PEDro scale. Standardised mean difference and 95% confidence intervals of random-effects model were calculated.Results. Nine studies were included in our review. The aggregated results are in favor of Tai Chi on improving motor function (P=0.002) and balance (P<0.00001) in patients with PD. However, there is no sufficient evidence to support or refute the value of Tai Chi on improving gait velocity (P=0.11), stride length (P=0.21), or quality of life (P=0.40). And there is no valid evidence in follow-up effects of Tai Chi for PD. Conclusion. The current results suggest that Tai Chi can significantly improve the motor function and balance in patients with PD, but there is indeed not enough evidence to conclude that Tai Chi is effective for PD because of the small treatment effect, methodological flaws of eligible studies, and insufficient follow-up. Consequently, high-quality studies with long follow-up are warranted to confirm current beneficial findings.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 1157-1168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley John Winser ◽  
William WN Tsang ◽  
Karthikeyan Krishnamurthy ◽  
Priya Kannan

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Tai Chi on balance and reducing falls incidence in neurological disorders. Data sources: AMED, Embase, Web of Science, SCOPUS, EBSCO and Medline from inception until February 2018. Review method: Randomized controlled trials of Tai Chi compared with active or no treatment control, measuring balance with the Berg Balance Scale or the Timed Up and Go Test and number of falls in neurological disorders were included. Methodological quality was assessed using PEDro and quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Results: A total of 10 studies involving 720 participants were reviewed. Seven studies were in Parkinson’s disease and three in stroke. Seven studies were of high methodological quality and three were low. Meta-analyses of balance measured with the Timed Up and Go Test in Parkinson’s disease revealed a statistically significant effect of Tai Chi compared to no treatment (weighted mean difference (WMD), –2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI), −3.26 to −1.00; P < 0.001) and was insignificant (WMD, −0.19; 95% CI, −1.74 to 1.35; P = 0.81) when compared with active treatment. Tai Chi significantly reduced falls incidence in Parkinson’s disease (odds ratio (OR), 0.47; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.77; P = 0.003) and stroke (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.48; P < 0.001). Balance measured with the Timed Up and Go Test comparing Tai Chi and active treatment was insignificant (WMD, 0.45; 95% CI, –3.43 to 2.54; P = 0.77) in stroke. Conclusion: Tai Chi is effective in reducing falls incidence in Parkinson’s disease and stroke. This systematic review did not find high-quality studies among other neurological disorders.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document