XXIII Congreso Internacional sobre Diversidad en Organizaciones, Comunidades y Naciones

Resumen

This systematic review and meta-analyses was aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise on the functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) of people with acquired brain injury (ABI) and to analyze the influence of training variables. Five electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, SportDiscus, and Web of Science) were searched to analyze the effects of exercise on the functional capacity and QoL in adults with ABI and comparing exercise interventions with control (usual care). Thirty-eight studies were finally evaluated. A total sample of 2219 people with ABI (exercise, n = 1572; control, n = 647) were included in the quantitative analysis. A greater improvement was observed in the experimental group when compared with the control group: walking endurance (z score = 2.84), gait speed (z score = 2.01), quality of life: physical subscale (z score = 3.42), and quality of life: mental subscale (z score = 3.00). In addition, an improvement was also observed in the experimental group in the mobility and balance test scores, while no differences were shown in the control group. Significant interactions were also observed between the rehabilitation phases, type, frequency and volume of training, and overall effects. The results suggest that exercise improves functional capacity and quality of life regardless of model training, highlighting the effectiveness of long-term exercise that includes short sessions with components such as strength, balance, and aerobic exercise. The aforementioned findings may allow physical therapists to better understand the effects of exercise on people with ABI.