The effect of combined motor and cognitive rehabilitation on motor performance in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of sequential and simultaneous motor and cognitive treatment on motor functions, activities of daily living, and quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SUBJECTS/PATIENTS: Patients with Parkinson's disease. METHODS: A search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Functional mobility was assessed as the main outcome, and balance, gait, activities of daily living, and quality of life as secondary outcomes. Meta-analyses were conducted using mean difference or standardized mean difference with 95% confidence intervals and fixed or random effect models. Heterogeneity was explored, setting a cut-off value of I2 = 50%. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included, with 8 -eligible for meta-analysis. Results showed that sequential combined treatment offered no clear advantage over motor rehabilitation alone for functional mobility, although a significant benefit was found for activities of daily living. Results on simultaneous combined treatment suggested improvements in quality of life, but no significant differences between treatments for functional mobility. CONCLUSION: Motor-cognitive approaches may enhance prefrontal cortex efficiency, supporting complex motor tasks and reducing the risk of falls. Future research should elucidate neural mechanisms and compare simultaneous and sequential strategies to develop personalized, multidisciplinary rehabilitation protocols.