There have been previous studies regarding how dancing to music could aid PD patients
A new study says that people with Parkinson's disease (PD) could get some benefits if they subscribe to dance classes.
Parkinson's Disease leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination in its initial stages. As the condition progresses, individuals might also experience trouble with speech, memory, and fatigue.
This new study investigated how dancing to music affects various symptoms of the disease.
At the conclusion of the study, the researchers claimed that they had information that could help patients in developing long-term rehabilitation programs that can enable people to manage the condition.
“Generally, what we know is that dance activates brain areas in those without PD. For those with Parkinson’s disease, even when it is mild, motor impairment can impact their daily functioning and how they feel about themselves,” explains the senior author of the paper, Dr. Joseph DeSouza.
“Many of these motor symptoms lead to isolation because once they get extreme, these people do not want to go out. These motor symptoms lead to further psychological issues, depression, social isolation, and eventually, the symptoms do get worse over time. Our study shows that training with dance and music can slow this down and improve their daily living and daily function,” he adds.
There were previous studies regarding how dancing to music could aid PD patients but these studies were short and were not conducted with the right tools.
This time around, scientists recruited 16 people with an average age of 69 years in Toronto, Ontario, who had mild cases of PD. Participants attended weekly dance classes lasting 1.25 hours each for 3 years between 2014 and 2017.
