ABSTRACT

Background: Given the limited healthcare resources in low and middle income countries (LMICs), effective rehabilitation strategies that can be realistically adopted in such settings are reacquired.

Objectives: To identify pragmatic solutions and outcomes capable of enhancing quality of life of Parkinson’s disease patient in low and middle income countries

Method: Included in this review are only Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English with non-pharmacological interventions for the rehabilitation of Parkinson disease patients, pilot studies, and feasibility analysis of trials were excluded. A detailed search of 8 databases (MEDLINE via OVID), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL via EBSCOhost), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Africa Journal Online (AJOL), Web of Science Core Collections, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDRO) was conducted. Data were selected and extracted using the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet 2010 version following the eligibility criteria. A review protocol was developed and registered in the PROSPERO database ID: CRD42024513206. A narrative synthesis was used to present findings.

Results: 5 RCTs were eligible from the narrative synthesis. Resistance training, physiotherapeutic interventions, cognitive therapy and exercises were the interventions included. They all had significant effect on the rehabilitation of Parkinson’s disease patients

Conclusion: This review showed that various approaches to Parkinson’s rehabilitation that may be adopted in LMICs exist. These however must be considered within the context and framework of the health system and available resources. Studies on how to adapt existing approaches and to develop novel ones for Parkinson’s rehabilitation in LMICs are needed.

Keywords: Non pharmacological interventions, Parkinson’s diseases, low and middle income countries, quality of life.