Aerobic and resistance exercise improve walking speed and endurance in people with multiple sclerosis [synopsis]

of: Pearson M, Dieberg G, Smart N. Exercise as therapy for improvement of walking ability in adults with multiple sclerosis: A meta-analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015;96: 13391348. Objective: To quantify the benefits of exercise for improving walking speed and endurance in adults with multiple sclerosis. Data [3_TD$DIFF]sources: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, searched up to March 31, 2014. This search was supplemented by searching reference lists of retrieved publications. Study [4_TD$DIFF]selection: Randomised, controlled trials that compared exercise with no intervention or waitlist control in ambulatory adults with multiple sclerosis, with at least 10 subjects in the post-intervention analysis, and published in English. Exercise intervention was defined as aerobic and endurance training, resistance training, aquatics and yoga. Exercise involving treadmill, robot assistance, or other specialised techniques (eg, functional electrical stimulation) were excluded. Outcome measures for gait speed were the 10-m walk test, timed 25-foot walk test, and 500-m walk test; measures for endurance were the 2-minute and 6-minute walk tests. Functional mobility was assessed with the Timed Up and Go test. Data [5_TD$DIFF]extraction: Study quality was assessed using a modified Physiotherapy Evidence Database score (maximum score of 8). Data [6_TD$DIFF]synthesis: Of the 437 studies initially identified by the search, 13 studies with a total of 655 participants with multiple sclerosis (357 exercise, 298 controls) met selection criteria and were included in the review. Quality assessment scores ranged from 5 to 8. Meta-