Effect of exercise training on walking mobility in multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting mobility.
• Walking impairment is a common and significant symptom in individuals with MS.
• Evidence-based interventions to improve walking mobility are crucial for managing MS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To meta-analytically assess the efficacy of exercise training interventions on walking mobility in people with MS.
• To quantify the overall effect size of exercise on walking function in this population.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of exercise training studies from 1960 to November 2007 across major databases.
• Inclusion criteria required studies to measure walking mobility using validated instruments before and after exercise interventions.
• Meta-analytic procedures were used to calculate effect sizes (Cohen's d) from 22 eligible studies.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 22 studies involving 600 participants with MS yielded a weighted mean effect size (g) of 0.19 for exercise training on walking mobility.
• Supervised exercise training demonstrated a larger effect size (g = 0.32).
• Shorter exercise programs (<3 months) and mixed MS types (relapsing-remitting and progressive) showed greater effect sizes (g = 0.28 and g = 0.52, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Exercise training is associated with a small but statistically significant improvement in walking mobility for individuals with multiple sclerosis.
• The findings support the integration of exercise programs into the management of MS to enhance functional mobility.
• Specific parameters like supervised training and program duration may influence the degree of mobility improvement.