Objective: To conduct an overview of current research on mobile and electronic (m- and e-) health-supported physical activity (PA) programs in persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: PA is associated with slowed progression of PD symptoms. M- and e-health technologies are increasingly being used to deliver PA interventions to patients. To date, no review examined the effectiveness and characteristics of m- and e-health-supported PA programs targeting motor and non-motor symptoms of PD.

Method: We searched PubMed and considered original studies published until 09/2022. Screening was performed by one author and adjudicated by all authors after each step (title, abstract, full text screening). Inclusion criteria were studies conducted in persons with PD and using m- or e-health-supported PA interventions. Studies were excluded if they focused on speech therapy or measuring PA level, or were conducted for validation purposes on. Included studies were categorized based on intervention type and outcome (motor, non-motor symptoms, or both).

Results: The search yielded 1107 studies, 55 of which were included in the review. 16 used virtual reality (VR), 25 used VR with gaming character, 3 used telehealth, 4 used haptic/ visual/ auditory feedback, and 7 used mixed/ other technologies to deliver PA interventions. There was heterogeneity regarding study designs and methodology. Interventions ranged between 4 weeks and 1 year, between 10 and 624 sessions, and session lengths of 20 to 60 minutes. The average sample size was 39 (SD=30), with 16 (SD=8) participants in control (CG) and 19 (SD=10) in intervention groups (IG). Twenty studies focused on motor symptoms as outcomes, 6 on non-motor symptoms, and 29 reported both. Overall, 22 studies reported higher effectiveness in the IG receiving m- or e-health-supported PA compared to the CG on all outcomes, 13 studies showed higher effectiveness in the IG than CG on some outcomes, and 13 studies showed no differences between IG and CG. Seven studies did not examine differences between groups. No study reported adverse effects of m- or e-health-supported PA.

Conclusion: M- and e-health-supported PA interventions appear to be safe, feasible and effective in PD, particularly for improving motor symptoms. More research is needed to confirm these observations.

« Back to 2023 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/mobile-and-electronic-health-supported-physical-activity-in-parkinsons-disease-a-scoping-review/