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The Methodological Quality of Studies on Physical Exercise in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review of
Alexandrina Cavalcante Rodrigues Nitz1,2, Maria João Campos3, Ana Amélia Moraes Antunes4
1Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3040-248 Coimbra, Portugal.
Introduction:
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses point to the benefits of physical exercise for adolescents with cerebral palsy, improving physical conditioning, muscle strength, balance, and walking speed. However, given the high number of reviews that include randomized and non-randomized studies, it is increasingly necessary to assess the methodological quality of these reviews. This scoping review investigated the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of physical exercise in adolescents with cerebral palsy to elucidate the methodological limitations of the research and the priorities to be observed in future research.
Method:
The electronic search used PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Studies published between 2016 and 2023 were selected. The terms used were "cerebral palsy" combined with "physical fitness", "exercise", and "physical activity".
Results:
A total of 219 original reviews were selected. Of these, 19 reviews were included for data analysis. AMSTAR2 was used to assess the methodological quality of the reviews. Three reviews presented high methodological quality (15.78%) and three had moderate methodological quality (15.78%). The remaining reviews had low or critically low methodological quality, according to AMSTAR2.
Interpretation:
This study evidenced that systematic reviews have variable methodological quality and that new studies are still needed.
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Quality Assurance
Data Validation
Key parameters for method validation include:
Scientific Nature of Social Psychology

