So we developed the Dance for Life program in partnership with the UF Center for
Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration.
So we actually brought physical therapists,
neurologists, occupational therapists from that program into our dance studios.
And we set up a laboratory.
And together we, with dancers and those clinicians, shared our knowledge bases.
They taught us about Parkinson's disease.
We taught them about dance.
And together, we created a class structure that we felt would be safe and
most effective for people with Parkinson's disease.
And then we partnered again to conduct a research study of this program.
So The Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration had an NIH grant already.
They were looking at the effects of aerobic exercise and
targeted balance on people with Parkinson's disease.
So we got a grant from the Parkinson Research Foundation
to add a dance group to that study.
So for three years,
we've been running our class three times a week as a part of this study.
And we're looking at how dance can help with language,
cognition and a whole array of physical symptoms related to Parkinson's disease.
And we hope that this study will contribute substantively to the literature
and help to bring value to dance as an intervention for Parkinson's disease so
that physicians, physical therapists, and other professionals can
recognize the opportunity to prescribe dance which is a fun.
>> Yes.
>> Safe. >> Yes.
>> I mean there's no side effects that aren't good.
>> Fantastic.
[LAUGH] >> That we've experience so far anyway.
So we think it's exciting to be able to offer a fun and
safe intervention for people with Parkinson's disease.
And it's showing great promise.
There's a growing body of literature related to dance and
Parkinson's disease already.
Mary Rockwood Lane, PhD, RN, FAANAssociate Professor
Michael Samuels, MD
