Effects of dance on movement control in Parkinson\u27s disease: A comparison of Argentine tango and American ballroom

Argentine tango and American ballroom. " Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.41,6. 475-81. (2009)

Effects of dance on balance and gait in severe Parkinson disease: A case study

PURPOSE: Dance may improve functional mobility in individuals with mild - moderate Parkinson disease (PD), yet dance effects in severe PD remain unexamined. This study's purpose was to evaluate the feasibility and effects of partnered tango classes on balance, endurance and quality of life in an individual with severe PD. DESIGN: Over 10 weeks, the participant attended 20, 1-hour tango classes for individuals with PD. Balance, walking, and quality of life were evaluated before and after the intervention and at a one-month follow-up in this single case design. Caregiver burden was also assessed at all time points. RESULTS: The participant improved on the Berg balance scale, 6 minute walk test, and functional reach. He reported increased balance confidence and improved quality of life as measured by the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire-39 summary index. Gains were maintained at the one-month follow-up. Caregiver burden increased from baseline immediately post-intervention and at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Twenty partnered tango lessons improved balance, endurance, balance confidence, and quality of life in a participant with severe PD. This is the first report of the use of dance as rehabilitation for an individual with advanced disease who primarily used a wheelchair for transportation

Dynamic Neuro-Cognitive Imagery Improves Mental Imagery Ability, Disease Severity, and Motor and Cognitive Functions in People with Parkinson’s Disease

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience kinesthetic deficits, which affect motor and nonmotor functions, including mental imagery. Imagery training is a recommended, yet underresearched, approach in PD rehabilitation. Dynamic Neuro-Cognitive Imagery (DNI™) is a codified method for imagery training. Twenty subjects with idiopathic PD (Hoehn and Yahr stages I–III) were randomly allocated into DNI training (experimental; n=10) or in-home learning and exercise program (control; n=10). Both groups completed at least 16 hours of training within two weeks. DNI training focused on anatomical embodiment and kinesthetic awareness. Imagery abilities, disease severity, and motor and nonmotor functions were assessed pre- and postintervention. The DNI participants improved (p<.05) in mental imagery abilities, disease severity, and motor and spatial cognitive functions. Participants also reported improvements in balance, walking, mood, and coordination, and they were more physically active. Both groups strongly agreed they enjoyed their program and were more mentally active. DNI training is a promising rehabilitation method for improving imagery ability, disease severity, and motor and nonmotor functions in people with PD. This training might serve as a complementary PD therapeutic approach. Future studies should explore the effect of DNI on motor learning and control strategies

Putting music to trial : Consensus on key methodological challenges investigating music-based rehabilitation

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of New York Academy of Sciences.Major advances in music neuroscience have fueled a growing interest in music-based neurological rehabilitation among researchers and clinicians. Musical activities are excellently suited to be adapted for clinical practice because of their multisensory nature, their demands on cognitive, language, and motor functions, and music's ability to induce emotions and regulate mood. However, the overall quality of music-based rehabilitation research remains low to moderate for most populations and outcomes. In this consensus article, expert panelists who participated in the Neuroscience and Music VII conference in June 2021 address methodological challenges relevant to music-based rehabilitation research. The article aims to provide guidance on challenges related to treatment, outcomes, research designs, and implementation in music-based rehabilitation research. The article addresses how to define music-based rehabilitation, select appropriate control interventions and outcomes, incorporate technology, and consider individual differences, among other challenges. The article highlights the value of the framework for the development and evaluation of complex interventions for music-based rehabilitation research and the need for stronger methodological rigor to allow the widespread implementation of music-based rehabilitation into regular clinical practice.Peer reviewe

The effects of a secondary task on forward and backward walking in Parkinson’s disease

Background. People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often fall while multitasking or walking backward, unavoidable activities in daily living. Dual tasks involving cognitive demand during gait and unfamiliar motor skills, such as backward walking, could identify those with fall risk, but dual tasking while walking backward has not been examined in those with PD, those who experience freezing of gait (FOG), or healthy older controls. Methods. A total of 78 people with PD (mean age = 65.1 ± 9.5 years; female, 28%) and 74 age-matched and sex-matched controls (mean age = 65.0 ± 10.0 years; female, 23%) participated. A computerized walkway measured gait velocity, stride length, swing percent, stance percent, cadence, heel to heel base of support, functional ambulation profile, and gait asymmetry during forward and backward walking with and without a secondary cognitive task. Results. Direction and task effects on walking performance were similar between healthy controls and those with PD. However, those with PD were more affected than controls, and freezers were more affected than nonfreezers, by backward walking and dual tasking. Walking backward seemed to affect gait more than dual tasking in those with PD, although the subset of freezers appeared particularly affected by both challenges. Conclusion. People with PD are impaired while performing complex motor and mental tasks simultaneously, which may put them at risk for falling. Those with FOG are more adversely affected by both motor and mental challenges than those without. Evaluation of backward walking while performing a secondary task might be an effective clinical tool to identify locomotor difficulties

Dance therapy for individuals with Parkinson’s disease: Improving quality of life

Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects mobility and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), through a neurodegenerative disease process. Drugs and pharmacology do not fully address motor, cognitive, and psychosocial symptoms; therefore, adjunctive therapies have been researched for their efficacy at addressing these issues. One form of exercise, dance, has received attention because recent studies have demonstrated dance’s ability to improve mobility and HRQOL in people with PD. The purpose of this integrative review was to present evidence supporting or refuting improved HRQOL in individuals with PD after participation in a dance-or music-based movement intervention. Potential mechanisms of HRQOL improvement are offered. Search terms including “Parkinson’s disease”, “dance”, “quality of life”, “exercise”, “dance/movement therapy”, and “music” were entered in groupings into PubMed, CINAHL®, EMBASE™, PsycINFO®, Web of Science™, and the Cochrane Library databases. Papers were included if they were randomized controlled trials, pilot studies, or case reports that were related to HRQOL and dance/movement and/or specifically related to determining the mechanisms potentially underlying dance effects. To date, the available research has been inconclusive in demonstrating that dance has a positive impact on HRQOL; however, further research is required. This review suggests that, at the very least, dance has the potential to impact the HRQOL and possibly the health behaviors of individuals with PD. Interventions for those with PD must be targeted and efficient. Going forward, research should explore mechanisms of dance’s effects for those with neurodegenerative conditions in order to inform novel mobility rehabilitation that benefits HRQOL.Journal ArticleFinal article publishe