Could dancing the tango improve cognitive function?
According to the non-profit organization Dance for PD® (Parkinson’s disease), the answer is yes.
Because Parkinson’s is a brain disorder, some people thought it might be uniquely affected by something like dance. So they approached the Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn, New York, about creating a program for people diagnosed with the disease.
We first wrote about this program in 2011, and decided it was time to look back and see if there has been any data on its effectiveness since then.
Dance for PD® has been holding classes since 2001 and has witnessed the profound positive impact it has had among participants. But most of this evidence was anecdotal.
Scientific evidence of the program’s effectiveness was just beginning to be published.
In the nearly four years since I first started following Dance for PD®, the science has caught up. I heard about a 2015 study focusing on participants, but when I went to look it up, I was amazed at the number of studies published just in the first few months of 2015 that look at the topic.
Given this wealth of studies from research facilities around the world, I had a hard time highlighting just one. So instead, let’s look at some of the most recent findings on dance as an intervention for Parkinson’s:
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- 46 patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Parkinson’s participated in Japanese researchers Hiroko Hashimoto et al.’s study. They found that dance improved motor function, cognitive function, and mental symptoms. (Effects of dance on motor functions, cognitive functions, and mental symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: A quasi-randomized pilot trial. Complimentary Therapies in Medicine, Apr. 2015)
- Researchers out of Canada and Sweden investigated the use of tango lessons to improve motor and non-motor functions of people with Parkinson’s Disease. They found that the Argentine tango can improve balance and functional mobility and are calling on larger studies to test benefits on cognition and fatigue. (Tango for treatment of motor and non-motor manifestations in Parkinson’s disease: A randomized control study. Complimentary Therapies in Medicine, Apr. 2015)
- Irish investigators led by Dr. Amanda Clifford took ten participants and had them attend weekly Irish dancing lessons, along with a parallel home practice, over an 8-week period. This preliminary study found that Irish set dancing is feasible for people with Parkinson’s and could increase their quality of life (Is Irish set dancing feasible for people with Parkinson’s disease in Ireland? Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Feb. 2015)
- A May 2015 [epub Feb. 2015] literature review in Maturitus concluded that studies support the idea that dance can cause “substantial and wide-ranging benefits” in people who suffer from Parkinson’s, in addition to the older population in general.
One of the things that fascinated me about these studies was the sheer number of countries that are currently researching the neurological possibilities of dance for people with Parkinson’s.
This is a treatment strategy that could be used anywhere in the world.
And then, let the neuroplasticity begin.
In our Practical Brain Science series, we’ve been talking about practical and innovative strategies for working with the power of neuroplasticity to strengthen and heal the brain – click here to sign up.
What are your reactions to using dance as a therapeutic intervention? Are there other innovative strategies you’ve used effectively with patients? Please leave a comment below.
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As a life long dancer and psychiatrist, I know well the cognitive and mood benefits of dance. I have danced since I was a child, but it was when I found ballroom dancing as an adult that I really began to appreciate all the potential benefits of partner dancing. Not only does partner dancing improve one’s physical health, it challenges one constantly to learn new steps and to dance with different partners. Dancing well with another person requires the ability to concentrate differently than one does ordinarily, tuning out one’s own knowledge and personal needs to pay attention to one’s partner and what he or she is communicating. Ballroom dance, Latin or Smooth, and any partner dancing improves physical stamina of course, but in addition, it offers improved musicality, sociability, etiquette, it enhances brain power, improves mood and of course, encourages good posture — so I recommend it as often as I can.
I was very interested in the fact that the Argentinian tango was one the dances which help with Parkinson’s. I have been working in mental health fo over 40 years and I am glad that the dance of my youth is a therapeutic tool. I was born in Argentina and my husband and I loved to dance tango. The music is mesmerizing and the movements are delivered.The whole body is involved. I believed that it present a challenge to the brain to coordinate all the muscles needed top perform the movements. It also requires trust in your partner to feel secure in following each other during the movements. It is the.perfect excerzise for the brain and the body.
Dance/movement therapist across the country are saying, “Yea!! they’re finally getting it!” The fact that dance/movement impacts mental health has been known for over half a century. The specific study of it’s connection to the brain probably began to blossom when mirror neurons were “discovered.” Interestingly, mirroring or empathic reflection is a basic principal of dance/movement therapy, the element that helps create atunement.
Glad to know dance therapists are active in this webinar. Thanks for the reminder regarding mirroring. A dance therapist at a workshop years ago in Denver, Colo., called the Biology of Music, was a special inspiration to me. She wrote a great book I have used to help clients with stage fright and other severe fears. The book is called A Soprano on her head, by Eloise Ristad. She has passed away but her granddaughter still carries on her work in dance. She was a great therapist in dance in her lifetime and is truly missed I hope more dance and movement therapist are inspired by therapist this webinar. I have long craved for more workshops such as the one in Colorado where people from all over the world came to study neurology.
I have used sounds from chimes, gongs, drums, bells, etc., to calm dementia patients when they were beginning to become difficult to manage. I could see that sounds could easily replace restraints and sedatives (both in home care and in institutions) if research could support their use. I haven’t had an opportunity to try sounds with mental patients in crises, but I suspect there would also be positive effects.
does it also benefit people with FND?? Conversion disorder??
How exciting. I have been a music therapist for many years. It is so interesting to see the benefits of dancing on these neurological disorders. Years ago, in Denver, Colo, they had the Biology of Music Making workshop. It was the most invigorating workshop of a group of professionals from all over the world. This webinar reminds me of the exciting things that a group of professionals can do when they get together.
I learned at that workshop over 30 years ago about singing success in helping stroke victims speak. That is when I actually became excited about neuropsychology and got more excited when music became a great tool to use with the autistic children as I was doing a research project. I found it very helpful in nursing homes as well. Hope some day to finish my doctorate in neuropsychology.
Music therapy has been affective in my practice and I enjoy learning about all the potentials out there for further work with clients. The Sexual Assault Group members find it a tool they frequently use in their own meditation and a helpful healing tool for the in many ways.
A great book I have used, even though it is no longer in print, is called Soprano on my head, by Eloise Ristad. She was a presenter at that workshop. She was dance therapist and was personally a great inspiration. She has passed away but was a great therapist in dance in her lifetime. She is truly missed.
I wish more agencies had other avenues for mental health healing. This webinar is a way to prove that it needs to be researched further. Specialized neurological pathways help people heal and it can add to any mental health facility. I was lucky to have worked for agencies that promoted these kinds of tools. Many agencies could benefit from a dance therapist.
Was also pleased to read the comment about Tai Chi which I am hoping to learn in a few weeks. I am in recovery from hip surgery, so thanks for the information on that topic giving me more incentive to pursue this avenue this healing activity.
Thanks for the helpful information. If anyone has any more helpful information regarding music as an affective tool, please give it a post.
I’ve been teaching Tai Chi to Parkinson’s patients for 5 years. Like dancing, Tai Chi has been shown to build new neuro-pathways as participants are asked to coordinate weight shift, body orientation, balance, etc., while improving strength in the lower body and flexibility in the upper.
I’ve seen it work to build social relationships that gets people out in public and moving with their friends, also. Not quite as effective as the tango, perhaps, but empowering nonetheless.
Keep moving for better balance,
Jim
Was also pleased to read the comment about Tai Chi which I am hoping to learn in a few weeks. I am in recovery from hip surgery, so thanks for the information on that topic giving me more incentive to pursue this avenue this healing activity.
Glad to hear about this dance research but very frustrated that Creative Arts Therapists, including Dance Therapists and Visual Arts Therapists seem to be consistently ignored and overlooked. We are trained in both the arts fields and psychotherapy, and are quite familiar with outcomes and possibilities, yet no one seems to notice we exist! On the one hand, artists work with special populations. On the other hand, psychotherapists utilize arts-based interventions at times but without the same depth of understanding. I’ve been in this field for 40 years (MA in Art Therapy) and this has been the situation throughout.
I think dance for people with Parkinson’s Disease is fabulous. I have clients who I know will be not just receptive, but truly happy to have this suggested.
The body loves pulsation. It keeps fluids and energy flowing. Dance…pulsation while holding each other. How lovely.
I have found trance dancing is really powerful and so is drumming and singing, especially songs that were sung in the past by the individual. I have seen automatic healings take place. People sleep better, feel better about themselves and sometimes able to do things that they could not do before. I would love to be a part of a therapeutic group regarding cognitive function improvement using these modalities. In fact I know of one that using singing with elders called Stepping Stones. Let me know how I can participate.
So glad to see you print this info. Doing new things help build new pathways in the brain. And what a fun way to do it. Dancing with a partner also gives a sense of connection. And, of course, music is just good for the soul. It usually lifts our spirits. Thx for sharing this info with everyone.
the fuzion dancers here and Sarasota are actually working with Parkinson’s patients in a dance mode studio at new college and Sarasota and in fact are helping them this is a great article and I give kudos to the, #fuzion people for making this happen fuzion.Org
Neither I nor my husband have Parkinson’s Disease, but we ballroom dance regularly and find it wonderful is many ways. I can leave the office after a day of many clients and feel exhausted. I go to dance, and an hour later I feel like a new women. I am happy, I am thinking about things other than work, and I have a positive outlook on life. Naturally, it is great for us as a couple. Good fun, great opportunity to work together as a team, good physical touch and affection. Of course, there are those trips home in the car that we are silently thinking it was all the other person’s fault. Good time to practice taking mutual responsibility for how a system works!!
Good concise article. I am interested in effects of traditional folk dance on human cognition, especially repair following traumatic head/ neck/ spinal injuries, both in conjunction and separate from standardized care (EMDR, P/T, chiropracty, e.e.g.). I am looking for interested subjects living in the San Francisco/ Marin area, both athletically fit and disabled/ recovering patients interested in participating in an extended (year-long initially) study. Serious inquiries only, please.
Thank you for the series and this article. It is fascinating new information which hopefully will benefit the lives of many people.
Dancing has help me get out of a wheelchair a walker and to use a walking stick only part time.
Dancing is also a means of pain management
Has dance been researched as a therapy for chronic stroke?
I wonder if anyone is looking at dance for other neurological issues, like ADHD & dementia. Very, very interesting. I bet there’s a big mood enhancement element in dance as well. What an interesting finding. Thanks for this, Ruth.
Tai Chi for PD….
For the study, doctors assigned 195 people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease to one of three groups: The first took tai chi classes, the second exercised with weights, and the third was assigned to a program of seated stretching. All the groups met for 60-minute sessions twice each week.
After six months, people who had been taking tai chi were able to lean farther forward or backward without stumbling or falling compared to those who had been doing resistance training or stretching. They were also better able to smoothly direct their movements. And they were able to take longer strides than people in the other two groups.
Correction: in Tango there are “Ochos” not cohos! pesky spellcheck!
How exciting! I have been thinking for quite some time that Tango is actually a healing modality (aside from being a most mesmerizing dance and – if pursued seriously it also can be much like a Zen Art). I am aware of its beneficial effect on Parkinson and Dementia. I am also aware that it is full of “figure 8s” “cohos” and “spirals” in Tango-speak – which is a movement that shows up with Donna Eden, a most impressive American healer, as the most basic healing motion/movement; and it is also part of QiGong – another and ancient healing art with an amazing track record for healing physical and mental problems. So – I am delighted to see this!
I’m really happy to see these studies, Ruth. I’ve worked with traumatized children for several decades. One latency aged girl, who’d been ritually abused, took tap dancing lessons for a year. The results were astonishing… she was able to dance [beautifully] with others, on a stage in front of many, and to be separated from her mom, both during the dance and for the duration of the show. While these perhaps sound insignificant, each had represented a major trigger for her – to the extent that none of them were possible in the year preceding the tap dancing. Honestly, it felt miraculous to me, watching her up there. And the gains maintained (though she continued to struggle with PTS).
I surmised there was something about the rhythmic nature of tap dancing which had re-wired her brain, over that year of practice.
Later, I did some training with Dr. Bruce Perry – and his brain mapping and developmental understanding of how trauma affects the brain’s development over the course of childhood, and his model of using a variety of activities and tools to rewire the specific areas which were compromised by the trauma, confirmed it for me.
I think how our brains are connected to our minds, to our physical bodies, our thoughts and beliefs, and our spiritual sense of self, is the future of our field. Thank you so much for your series, Ruth – they’re always filled with so much new insights and information!
This article is the additional research i can go to when I work with my individuals with Parkinson’s. Currently, I am using headphones to play Classical music during exercising on homecare visits. It has eliminated tremors and retirned motor control reducing fall risk. Thank you for posting this support information.
tried to listen to the speaker last night both at 5:30 and 6:30 but couldn’t get past the view of the picture that is was open and I could join. I am using a Verizon S5 and had already downloaded the Penguin and was using Chrome as suggested. I would like to see all of the speakers. So your Gold membership would make that possible. I still may not be able to view or hear the webinar unless I work out the bugs with IT support.
Hello Maureen,
I’m sorry to hear you were unable to connect to the broadcast.
Pleae note, we are staffed up during the 5pm broadcast each week, and if you have any computer problems in the future please give us a call or send us an email right away (respond@nicabm.com)
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