&
mobility in patients with
Parkinson's disease
By
Beth Miller
Jan.
30, 2008 -- Patients with
Parkinson's disease who took part in
regular tango dance classes for 20
sessions showed significant
improvements in balance and mobility
when compared to patients who did
conventional exercise, a new study
by researchers at Washington
University School of Medic
Researchers Gammon M. Earhart,
Ph.D., assistant professor of
physical therapy, and Madeleine E.
Hackney, a predoctoral trainee in
movement science, compared the
effects of Argentine tango dance
classes to exercise classes on
functional mobility in 19 patients
with Parkinson's disease. The
participants in the dance program
showed significant improvement in
several standard tests for patients
with Parkinson's disease - the
Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating
Scale (UP-DRS) and the Berg Balance
Scale.
Results
appeared in the December 2007 issue
of the Journal
of Neurologic Physical Therapy.
Parkinson's
disease is a disorder that affects
nerve cells in a part of the brain
that controls muscle movement. The
nerve cells that make the
neurotransmitter dopamine die or do
not work properly, resulting in
trembling of hands, arms, legs, jaw
and face; stiffness of the arms,
legs and trunk; slowness of movement
and poor balance and coordination.
Patients are also at greater risk
for falls or freezing, the slowing
or stopping of movement while
walking.
The
researchers randomly assigned 19
patients with Parkinson's disease to
20 one-hour sessions of tango
dancing or group strength and
flexibility exercise designed for
patients with Parkinson's and the
elderly. Each patient was assessed
prior to starting the dance or
exercise and after completing the
sessions. All were similar in age
and stage of Parkinson's disease.
The
tango dance sessions included
stretching, balance exercises,
tango-style walking, footwork
patterns, experimenting with timing
of steps to music and dancing with
and without a partner. The exercise
classes included 40 minutes of
seated exercise followed by standing
exercises supported by a chair and
core strengthening and stretching.
The
participants in both groups showed
significant improvement in the
Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating
Scale Motor Subscale 3, which
measures overall disease severity
with respect to movement. The tango
participants showed much improvement
on the Berg Balance Scale, which
measures balance in a variety of
positions, while the improvements in
participants in the exercise group
were not as pronounced. In addition,
the participants in the tango group
showed a trend toward improvement in
the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test,
which tests functional mobility
rising from a chair, walking a short
distance, turning and returning to
the chair.
"Given
these preliminary results, we think
that tango is feasible for
individuals with Parkinson's disease
and may be an appropriate and
effective form of group exercise for
individuals with Parkinson's,"
Earhart said. "Although some
participants were initially
skeptical because they hadn't danced
in years or thought they couldn't
because of the disease, this study
shows that dance can improve
functional mobility."
The
researchers said that while dance in
general may be beneficial for
patients with Parkinson's disease,
tango uses several aspects of
movement that my be especially
relevant for these patients
including dynamic balance, turning,
initiation of movement, moving at a
variety of speeds and walking
backward.
"This
type of therapy looks to be superior
than what is currently
offered," Hackney said.
"The quality of life improved
in these patients because of the
social aspect of the dancing."
Earhart
and Hackney said this is the first
study of this type to systematically
investigate and compare the effects
of tango and strength/flexibility
exercises and functional mobility in
patients with Parkinson's and that
further studies with larger groups
of patients are needed to confirm
their observations.
Hackney
ME, Kantorovich S, Levin R, Earhart
GM. Effects of tango on functional
mobility in Parkinson's disease: A
Preliminary Study. Journal
of Neurological Physical Therapy,
Vol. 31, December 2007.
Funding
from the Marian Chace Foundation and
the American Parkinson Disease
Association supported this research.
Washington
University School of Medicine's
2,100 employed and volunteer faculty
physicians also are the medical
staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis
Children's hospitals. The School of
Medicine is one of the leading
medical research, teaching and
patient care institutions in the
nation, currently ranked fourth in
the nation by U.S.
News & World Report.
Through its affiliations with
Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis
Children's hospitals, the School of
Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare
ine
in St. Louis shows.
