Improvisational Dance for Parkinson Disease

NCT ID: NCT04354298

Last Updated: 2026-01-15

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

20 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-09-03

Study Completion Date

2021-05-31

Brief Summary

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The long-term goal of this work is to maintain or improve daily function of people with PD by addressing cognition. The overall objective is to discover interventions that aid in cognitive functioning. The central hypothesis is that engagement in an improvisational dance (ID) class will benefit cognition among people with PD. Improvisational dance involves spontaneously generated movement, similar to how one moves in everyday life. The literature shows that ID classes positively impact motor impairments associated with PD, such as balance, gait, and functional mobility. Along with being physically demanding, ID requires the use and coordination of a number of cognitive capacities to properly execute movements. This type of activity challenges, and thus may strengthen, cognitive processes such as motor planning, decision making, flexible thinking, initiation, and execution, which may give people cognitive based strategies to be utilized in various aspects of daily life. By improving motor function and/or cognition, ID may also contribute to improved daily functioning, or the ability to perform and participate in daily activities. Despite these theoretical links, evidence for the effect of ID on cognition and overall daily function is limited. The current project objective is to address this gap and better understand the effects of ID for people with PD. Specifically, it will test the effect of IMPROVment®, a method of ID designed for people with PD, on cognition and daily function.

Participants' cognition will be assessed at baseline (T1) using the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery, the Alternate Uses Task, and the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity. Global cognition will be assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. They then will be randomly assigned to either the immediate intervention (ID) or waitlist-control (WC) group. The ID group will start the 12-week IMPROVment® intervention, which consists of weekly ID classes that progress according to a standardized method while the WC group will receive no intervention and continue with their regular daily routine and activity level. After 12 weeks, both groups will complete cognitive testing again (T2). Cognitive test scores will be compared across time points and between groups using a mixed model repeated measures ANOVA. The investigators hypothesize that IMPROVment® will have positive effects on the cognitive abilities of people with PD. Participants will also complete two questionnaires to assess daily function at T1 and T2: Older Americans Resources and Services Scale- Extended Version and PROMIS Satisfaction with Participation in Discretionary Social Activities. These scores will be compared similar to the above aim. The investigators hypothesize that IMPROVment® will have positive effects on daily function in people with PD.

Participant mood will be assessed in two different ways. The first being to investigate the immediate effect of participating in an IMPROVment® class on mood, fatigue, and anxiety. The investigators hypothesize that mood will positively improve from pre to post of each class. To assess this, participants will respond to a scale assessing mood, specifically sadness, nervousness, energy, and overall well-being before and after each class every week. The second measurement is to investigate the effect of IMPROVment® on anxiety, fatigue, and depression. The investigators hypothesize that IMPROVment® class will decrease feelings of depression for those with PD. All participants will fill out the Parkinson's Anxiety Scale, the Parkinson's Disease Fatigue Scale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale short form before and after participating in the 12-week IMPROVment® program.

Achievement of these aims will provide further support for the IMPROVment® method for people with PD experiencing cognitive deficits. The long-term impact will better cognition and daily functioning in people with PD, and thus enhanced everyday lives.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Parkinson Disease

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Fall 2019 ID Class

The ID group participated in a 12-week IMPROVment® intervention, which consists of weekly ID classes that progress according to a standardized method, from September 2019-December 2019.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Improvisational Dance Class

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Hour long movement classes that meet weekly for 12 weeks.

Fall 2020 ID Class

The ID group will participate in a 12-week IMPROVment® intervention, which consists of weekly ID classes that progress according to a standardized method, from September 2020-December 2020.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Improvisational Dance Class

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Hour long movement classes that meet weekly for 12 weeks.

Control Group

Participants are pre- and post-tested 12-14 weeks apart after not having changed anything drastic in their daily life.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Improvisational Dance Class

Hour long movement classes that meet weekly for 12 weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* aged 50 years or older
* Parkinson Disease Diagnosis
* Hoehn-Yahr score between 1-3
* independently walk at least 3 meters
* cognitive ability to follow simple commands

Exclusion Criteria

* Montreal Cognitive Assessment score less than or equal to 22
* diagnosis of other severe comorbidities
* contraindications to physical activity
Minimum Eligible Age

50 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Lee Silverman Voice Training Global

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Washington University School of Medicine

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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4444 Forest Park Ave.

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Batson G, Hugenschmidt CE, Soriano CT. Verbal Auditory Cueing of Improvisational Dance: A Proposed Method for Training Agency in Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurol. 2016 Feb 17;7:15. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2016.00015. eCollection 2016.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26925029 (View on PubMed)

Hashimoto H, Takabatake S, Miyaguchi H, Nakanishi H, Naitou Y. Effects of dance on motor functions, cognitive functions, and mental symptoms of Parkinson's disease: a quasi-randomized pilot trial. Complement Ther Med. 2015 Apr;23(2):210-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.01.010. Epub 2015 Jan 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25847558 (View on PubMed)

McNeely ME, Duncan RP, Earhart GM. Impacts of dance on non-motor symptoms, participation, and quality of life in Parkinson disease and healthy older adults. Maturitas. 2015 Dec;82(4):336-41. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.08.002. Epub 2015 Aug 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26318265 (View on PubMed)

Soriano, C. T., & Batson, G. (2011). Dance-making for adults with Parkinson disease: one teacher's process of constructing a modern dance class. Research in Dance Education, 12(3), 323-337. doi: 10.1080/14647893.2011.614334

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol, Statistical Analysis Plan, and Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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201905089

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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