Dance Is an Accessible Physical Activity for People with Parkinson's Disease

Sara Emmanouilidis; Madeleine E Hackney; Susan C Slade; Hazel Heng; Dana Jazayeri; Meg E Morris

doi:10.1155/2021/7516504

Dance Is an Accessible Physical Activity for People with Parkinson's Disease

Parkinsons Dis. 2021 Oct 22:2021:7516504. doi: 10.1155/2021/7516504. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Sara Emmanouilidis¹, Madeleine E Hackney^{2

3}, Susan C Slade¹, Hazel Heng¹, Dana Jazayeri¹, Meg E Morris^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Academic and Research Collaborative in Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
² Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Atlanta, USA.
³ Atlanta Veterans Affairs Centre for Visual & Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Decatur, GA, USA.
⁴ Victorian Rehabilitation Centre, Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of face-to-face, digital, and virtual modes of dancing for people living with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Design: Systematic review informed by Cochrane and PRIMSA guidelines. Data Sources. Seven electronic databases were searched: AMED, Cochrane, PEDro, CINHAL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and MEDLINE.

Methods: Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials (RCT) and other trials with quantitative data. The PEDro scale evaluated risk of bias for RCTs. Joanna Briggs Institute instruments were used to critically appraise non-RCTs. The primary outcome was the feasibility of dance interventions, and the secondary outcomes included gait, balance, quality of life, and disability.

Results: The search yielded 8,327 articles after duplicates were removed and 38 met the inclusion criteria. Seven were at high risk of bias, 20 had moderate risk of bias, and 11 had low risk of bias. There was moderately strong evidence that dance therapy was beneficial for balance, gait, quality of life, and disability. There was good adherence to digital delivery of dance interventions and, for people with PD, online dance was easy to access.

Conclusion: Dancing is an accessible form of exercise that can benefit mobility and quality of life in people with PD. The COVID-19 pandemic and this review have drawn attention to the benefits of access to digital modes of physical activity for people living with chronic neurological conditions.

Publication types

Review