The effects of Tai chi on well-being in Parkinsons disease: A synthesis of systematic reviews

Joint Event on 4^th International Conference on Epilepsy & Treatment & 4^th World Congress on Parkinsons & Huntington Disease

August 29-30, 2018 | Zurich, Switzerland

Karina Karolina Kedzior

University of Bremen, Germany

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Neurol Disord

Abstract :

Background: The application of Tai chi for management of Parkinsonâ??s disease (PD) has been assessed in a number of systematic reviews. The current study aims to synthesise the results from systematic reviews regarding the effects of Tai chi on well-being in PD. Methods: The search of PubMed and PsycInfo in February 2018 identified k=10 systematic reviews with PD, Tai chi, and review in titles or abstracts, published in 2008â??2017. The primary study designs and the outcomes (motor and non-motor symptoms assessed using various standardised scales) after 4â??24 weeks of Tai chi training were coded from each review. The review quality was assessed using assessment of multiple systematic reviews (AMSTAR) scale (0- minimum to 11- maximum quality). Results: The k=10 reviews included data from up to 13 primary studies (9/13 were single-blind, randomised controlled trials). Relative to non-active control conditions, Tai chi consistently reduced the motor symptom severity and improved balance but had little effects on mobility. Tai chi also had some positive effects on various measures of quality of life. Meta-analyses with data from k=5-7 primary studies showed that the reduction in motor symptom severity was moderate after Tai chi relative to control conditions (non-active or active exercise). Review quality was acceptable with a mean AMSTAR score (±SD) of 7±2 (range: 3-9). Conclusions: Tai chi appears to affect well-being by reducing motor symptom severity and improving balance in PD. However, the magnitude of these benefits remains unclear due to incomplete blinding or randomisation, heterogeneous control conditions and outcome assessment methods.

Biography :

Karina Karolina Kedzior is an Associate Professor of Research Methods in Psychology at the University of Bremen, Germany. In the year 1999, she did her Diploma Thesis in Neurophysiology at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. In 2003, she got a scholarship from the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg in Delmenhorst. She has been working on the project titled, "Prepulse inhibition of N500 EEG waves in schizophrenic patients and healthy controls".

E-mail: desantis@uni-bremen.de