Multisensory Exercise Improves Balance in People with Balance Disorders: A Systematic Review

Objective To examine the effect of multisensory exercise on balance disorders. Methods PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched to identify eligible studies published before January 1, 2020. Eligible studies included randomized control trials (RCTs), non-randomized studies, case-control studies, and cohort studies. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists for RCTs and for Quasi-Experimental Studies by two researchers independently. A narrative synthesis of intervention characteristics and health-related outcomes was performed. Results A total of 11 non-randomized studies and 9 RCTs were eligible, including 667 participants. The results supported our assumption that multisensory exercise improved balance in people with balance disorders. All of the 20 studies were believed to be of high or moderate quality. Conclusion Our study confirmed that multisensory exercise was effective in improving balance in people with balance disorders. Multisensory exercises could lower the risk of fall and enhance confidence level to improve the quality of life. Further research is needed to investigate the optimal strategy of multisensory exercises and explore the underlying neural and molecular mechanisms of balance improvement brought by multisensory exercises.