Rehabilitation Management of the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Medicine (Baltimore). 2016 Apr;95(17):e3278. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000003278.

Abstract

The Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) causes significant muscular deficits in the affected patients, restricts daily activities (ADL), and involves a severe disability. Although the conservative intervention is the only treatment for the disease, there is no scientific evidence so far on rehabilitation treatment. Objectives of the review are: research the best literary evidence so far on the rehabilitation treatment of CMT; critically analyze the outcome, to build an evidence-based work protocol.A systematic review of the rehabilitation of a patient with CMT, including the results from the following databases: Pubmed, Medline, Embase, Pedro, Cinahl, Ebsco discovery. Criteria for inclusion: randomized/controlled studies, analytic studies, transversal studies on a cohort of at least 10 individuals; medium/long-term report of the results.Eleven studies in total have been admitted to the final review phase; trials about physiotherapy CMT treatment (5), about orthosis treatment (6). Despite the wide range of outcomes and proposed interventions, the data points to the following: strength or endurance trainings improve functionality and ADLs of affected patients, while orthotic role is, at the moment, not completely clear.Physiotherapy treatment is a useful tool to manage CMT; more studies on a larger number of cases are needed to define orthosis utility and to establish the gold standard of the treatment.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living / classification
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / rehabilitation*
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Humans
  • Orthotic Devices
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Physical Endurance
  • Physical Therapy Modalities
  • Resistance Training