PARKINSON'S and DANCE

"You never too old to dance.
You get old when you stop dancing."

We think of dance as being primarily a physical activity – the body in motion. However, something I have always found intriguing about dance is the effect it has on the brain. We see how dance can improve thinking both by focusing our attention as well as expanding our capacity to solve problems in a creative way (Lewis and Lovatt 2013); change the chemistry of the brain to alter mood (Jeong et al. 2006); and, affect psychological changes such as improved self-esteem (Jonathan 2008), emotional intelligence (Jeong et al. 2006; Robles, Viera, and Pérez 2014) and coping with stress (Hanna 2016; Stück and Tofts 2016). However one of the things that has fascinated me in particular is the effect dance can have on people living with chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease (Bruyneel 2019). 

Parkinson’s is a movement disorder brought about by a progressive neurodegeration which is a gradual loss of neurons in particular areas of the brain that affects the central nervous system. This can lead to postural instability, difficulties in walking and generally impaired functional mobility. Some of the physical symptoms are muscle rigidity (freezing), slow and impaired movement, and tremors. 

Traditional rehabilitation includes medication and physical exercises which involve walking, correcting posture and stimulating various movements and general motricity. These interventions are externally motivated and can sometimes be overwhelming. The contribution dance can make to traditional therapy is to include motivation by linking movement to emotion (Arañeda, n.d.) shifting to an internal locus (Nowicki and Duke 2016) of motivation. Not only does comparison between traditional rehabilitation and dance demonstrate improved motor and cognitive outcomes but these improvements are retained (de Natale et al. 2017). 

Dance encourages a diversity of movements which are complex and usually arise out the emotional impulses of the music (Bunt and Pavlicevic 2001; Corrigall and Schellenberg 2013; Hall 2016). The correlation between improved emotional balance and reduction in motor difficulties maybe attributed to brain plasticity as the act of dancing may interrupt the dysfunctional motor processes normally association with everyday movements (Bongioanni et al. 2007). This opens up alternative pathways in the brain. 

The emotional motivation for movement is one aspect in which dance can assist people living with Parkinson’s disease. There are others. Just like the brain itself, this subject is complex with a number of studies that have explored dance as an intervention. Strong rhythmic music can improve the speed of movement in people with Parkinson’s which is much slower than normal (Rose et al. 2020). Dance with strong rhythmic tempo activates regions of the brain such as the basal ganglia, which can improve motor control (Hackney and Earhart 2009). The auditory cues provide by music in dance have a positive effect on increasing motor speed and reducing the severity of ‘freezing’ (Bongioanni et al. 2007). 

The benefits of dance for individuals with Parkinson’s include improved motor functioning, cognitive and mental health benefits (Hashimoto et al. 2015). Dance provides an enriched environment with unique visual and auditory stimuli compared to traditional therapy that utilised regular exercise programs. Dance creates an environment that is continuously changing requiring concentration and quick changes in the dancers. This improves cognitive and physical functioning. Lastly dance can induce positive emotions which contribute to improved mental health. Overall, the health and wellbeing of people with Parkinson’s can be improved with dance providing an improved quality of life (Ventura et al. 2016). 

REFERENCES:

Arañeda, Rolando Toro. n.d. “Biodanza and Parkinson’s Disease: Proposal of Motor Existential Rehabilitation.”

Bongioanni, Paolo, Cristina Vannini, Maria Elisabetta Girò, Anna Canova, Vittorio Cianci, and Sadegh Sherkat. 2007. “Biodanza® Effects on Parkinsonian Patients’ Functionality,” 5.

Bruyneel, Anne-Violette. 2019. “Effects of Dance Activities on Patients with Chronic Pathologies: Scoping Review.” Heliyon 5: e02104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02104.

Bunt, L, and M Pavlicevic. 2001. “Music and Emotions.” In Music and Emotions: Theory and Research, edited by P. N. Juslin and J. A. Sloboda, 181–204. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Corrigall, Kathleen A, and E Glenn Schellenberg. 2013. “Music: The Language of Emotion.” In Handbook of Psychology of Emotions: Recent Theoretical Perspectives and Novel Empirical Findings, edited by M. Mohiyeddini, S. Eysenck, and S. Bauer, 2:229–326. Nova.

Hackney, Me, and Gm Earhart. 2009. “Effects of Dance on Movement Control in Parkinson’s Disease: A Comparison of Argentine Tango and American Ballroom.” Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 41 (6): 475–81. https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-0362.

Hall, Amelia. 2016. “The Effects of Dance and Exercise to Music on Mood in Those With Parkinson’s Disease.” Doctor of Philosophy, Hertfordshire, UK: University of Hertforshire. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/77030822.pdf.

Hanna, Judith Lynne. 2016. “What Everyone Should Know About Stress, Brain Health and Dance.” Sharp Brains: Tracking Health and Wellness Applications of Brain Science. February 24, 2016. https://sharpbrains.com/blog/2016/02/24/what-everyone-should-know-about-stress-brain-health-and-dance/.

Hashimoto, Hiroko, Shinichi Takabatale, Hideki Miyaguchi, and Yasuo Naitou. 2015. “Effects of Dance on Motor Functions, and Mental Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease: A Quasi-Randomized Pilot Trial.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine 23 (2): 210–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2015.01.010.

Jeong, Young-Ja, Sung-Chan Hong, Myeong Soo Lee, Min-Cheol Park, Yong-Kyu Kim, and Chae-Moon Suh. 2006. “Dance Movement Therapy Improves Emotional Responses and Modulates Neurohormones in Adolescents with Mild Depression.” International Journal of Neuroscience 115 (12): 1711–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207450590958574.

Jonathan, Bronwyn Bock. 2008. “The Effects of Participation in Movement Programs on the Movement Competence, Self-Esteem and Resiliency of Adolescent Girls.” Phd, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University.

Lewis, Carine, and Peter Lovatt. 2013. “Breaking Away From Set Patterns of Thinking: Improvisation and Divergent Thinking.” Thinking Skills and Creativity 9: 46–58. https://doi.org/dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2013.03.001.

Natale, Edoardo Rosario de, Kai Stephan Paulus, Elena Aiello, Battistina Sanna, Andrea Manca, Giovanni Sotgiu, Paolo Tranquilli Leali, and Franca Deriu. 2017. “Dance Therapy Improves Motor and Cognitive Functions in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease.” NeuroRehabilitation 40 (1): 141–44. https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-161399.

Nowicki, Stephen, and Marshall Duke. 2016. “Foundation of Locus of Control: Looking Back over a Half-Century of Research in Locus of Control of Reinforcement.” In Perceived Control: Theory, Research, and Practice in Teh First 50 Year, edited by John W. Reich and Frank J. Infurna, 147–70. Oxford Scholarship Online. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309567101.

Robles, Manuel Tomás Abad, Estefania Catillo Viera, and Ana Ceil Orizia Pérez. 2014. “The Effects of a Motor Program Based on Biodanza in Relation to Emotional Intelligence Parameter in Women.” Cuaderno de Psicologia Del Deporte 14 (1): 13–22. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260012715.

Rose, Dawn, Daniel J Cameron, Peter Lovatt, Jessica A Grahn, and Lucy E Annet. 2020. “Comparison of Spontaneous Motor Tempo during Finger Tapping, Toe Tapping and Stepping on the Spot in People with and without Parkinson’s Disease.” Journal of Movement Disorders 13 (1): 47–56. https://doi.org/10.14802/jmd.19043.

Stück, Marcus, and Paul S. Tofts. 2016. “Biodanza Effects on Stress Reduction and Well-Being – A Review of Study Quality and Outcome.” SIGNUM TEMPORIS 8 (1): 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1515/sigtem-2016-0018.

Ventura, Maria I, Deborah E Barnes, Jessica M Ross, Kimberley E Lanni, Karen A Sigvardt, and Elizabeth A Disbrow. 2016. “A Pilot Study to Evaluate Multi-Dimensional Effects of Dance for People with Parkinson’s Disease.” Contemporary Clinical Trials 51: 50–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2016.10.001.