Physical activity in people with epilepsy: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Exercise Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) levels in people with epilepsy (PWE) are not well understood compared to the general population.
• Factors influencing PA in PWE and the impact of interventions require systematic investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review studies comparing PA levels in PWE versus controls.
• To identify factors associated with PA in PWE.
• To evaluate the effects of psychological and PA-based interventions on PA, seizure activity, psychiatric comorbidity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in PWE.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searches conducted across PubMed, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and Embase databases.
• Inclusion of case-control, cross-sectional, and intervention studies using questionnaires, activity trackers, and fitness tests.

Main Results:

• Over half of case-control studies using self-report measures indicated lower PA in PWE.
• A majority of studies using fitness tests showed poorer performance in PWE.
• Positive associations found between PA and HRQoL/reduced depression/anxiety; PA interventions improved PA and HRQoL.

Conclusions:

• There is preliminary evidence suggesting PWE may have lower PA levels than controls.
• PA-based interventions appear beneficial for improving PA and HRQoL in PWE.
• Further high-quality research with robust designs is necessary to confirm these findings and understand PA in epilepsy.