Effects of Different Exercise Modes on Gait Performance of Parkinson’s Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Gait disturbances are among the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and can increase fall risk. In this study we aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of different exercise modes on gait indexes of PD patients. We conducted a review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in studies listed in Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrailS.gov , and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases from their inception to October 23, 2021. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of exercise on gait index by using the Timed Up and Go test, (TUG), stride length, stride cadence, or 6 Minutes Walking Test (6MWT). We used Review Manager 5.3 to evaluate the quality of the included literature, and we used Stata 15.1 and R-Studio for the network meta-analysis. We assessed the relative ranking of therapies by the surface under the cumulative ranking possibilities. In 159 studies, there were 24 exercise interventions. Compared with the control group, 13 exercises showed significant improvements on the TUG; six exercises were significantly better for improving stride length; only one exercise was better for improving stride cadence; and four exercises were better for improving the 6MWT. The surface under the cumulative ranking curves suggested that Pilates, body weight support treadmill training, resistance training, and a multidisciplinary exercise program were preferable for gains on TUG, stride length, stride cadence, and 6MWT. This meta-analytic review found that exercise therapies bring obvious benefits to gait indexes of patients with PD, and the efficacy of exercise therapies varied with different types of exercise and outcome indexes.