Physical exercise and its effects on people with Parkinson's disease: Umbrella review

Introduction: Parkinson's disease is neurodegenerative, complex and progressive, manifesting in a slow and irreversible way. Physical exercise has been proposed as therapeutic alternative to people with Parkinson´s disease.

Objective: To synthesize knowledge about the effects of physical exercise on people with Parkinson´s Disease as presented by published systematic reviews.

Methods: Nine electronic databases and two grey literature databases were searched for systematic reviews reporting the effects of physical exercises on people with Parkinson´s Disease. Searches involved a two-phase process, by, at least, two independent reviewers. Methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was assessed using AMSTAR-2.

Results: From 2,122 systematic reviews, 139 were included. Motor outcomes were assessed in 91% of the studies, with balance being the most studied. Non-motor outcomes were assessed in 68% of the studies, with emphasis on quality of life. Physical exercises were classified into five categories: aerobic exercises, strength, combined, sensorimotor activities and other activity protocols. Findings of the systematic reviews suggest that all exercise categories can be prescribed to improve balance and mobility, while combined exercises, strength, and specific activities improve both motor and non-motor outcomes, and aerobic exercise and sensorimotor activities improve motor outcomes.

Conclusion: Current evidence from systematic reviews suggests that physical exercises impacts both motor and non-motor outcomes in people with Parkinson´s Disease. Limits in evidence provided by the systematic reviews were related to methodological issues and to the description of the interventions and must be considered to improve decision-making and clinical application.