Abstract
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.
Highlights
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity, and postural instability [1]
It has been listed by the National Parkinson Foundation of the United States as one of the exercises to be beneficial for related clinical symptoms of PD [9]
After assessing full-text papers of the remaining studies, 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in our review [10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18]
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity, and postural instability [1]. Exercise interventions, as assisting pharmacological treatments of PD, showed desirable effects on improving balance, gait, and overall functional status of individuals with mild to moderate PD through experiencedependent neuroplasticity [4,5,6]. Tai Chi, as a mind-body exercise consisting of proper breathing and slow controlled movements, has shown beneficial effects on improving muscle strength, balance, and motor function in older adults. It has been listed by the National Parkinson Foundation of the United States as one of the exercises to be beneficial for related clinical symptoms of PD [9]. Amano et al reported that Tai Chi was ineffective on either improving gait dysfunction or reducing Parkinsonian disability [11]
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