Dancing can help ease depression in Parkinson’s patients

A recent study shows that dancing can reduce depression in people with Parkinson’s disease. This approach is fun, affordable, and doesn’t involve medication.

Joseph DeSouza, a professor at York University, has been studying the impact of dance on people with Parkinson’s since 2013. He says dancing makes patients feel happy and energized.

The research was mainly focused on how dance helps motor skills and quality of life, such as improving sleep and reducing anxiety. However, researchers then shifted their focus to how dance affects depression.

The study used questionnaires to measure depression levels and brain scans to observe changes in the brain.

The researchers found that dancing improves mood and changes brain activity in a way similar to antidepressants. It revealed that dancing affects a brain area called the subcallosal cingulate gyrus (SCG), which helps regulate emotions. When people are depressed, this part of the brain is overactive. Dancing reduces its activity, just like medication does.

Helen Mayberg, a neurologist who studies depression, said and quoted in the Washington Times that movement and mood are closely connected. “When people feel down, they tend to move less. Dancing is a great way to lift their mood,” she explained.

Depression and Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease happens when nerve cells in the brain stop producing dopamine, a chemical that helps control movement. This leads to symptoms like tremors, stiff muscles, slow movements, and poor balance. Parkinson’s can also cause depression, affecting around 40% of patients.

Many people think Parkinson’s is only about movement problems, but it also brings emotional challenges like anxiety and depression, DeSouza noted.

The study followed 23 Parkinson’s patients who attended dance classes at Canada’s National Ballet School. There were also 11 healthy participants, mostly family members or caregivers. The patients had been diagnosed within the past five years and had never danced before. They were between their 50s and early 80s.

Participants joined weekly 75-minute dance classes for eight months. The classes started with simple movements, like leg exercises and pliés (a ballet move where you bend your knees). Over time, they learned more complex dances, such as waltzes.

Researchers measured depression levels before and after each class using a standard depression scale. They also did brain scans on seven participants.

The results showed that depression decreased after each dance session, and the positive effects lasted for eight months. The brain scans confirmed reduced activity in the SCG, suggesting less depression over time.

Encouraging exercise through dance

J. William Langston, a neurology professor at Stanford Medicine, said it’s often hard to get Parkinson’s patients to exercise. Dancing could be a fun way to motivate them to move more.

While Parkinson’s can’t be cured, treatments and medications can help manage its symptoms. Exercise, including dance, is becoming popular to ease physical symptoms.