Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of a 12-month community-based tango dance
program on activity participation among individuals with Parkinson's disease
(PD). DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial with assessment at baseline, 3, 6, and
12 months. SETTING: Intervention was administered in the community; assessments
were completed in a university laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Volunteers with PD
(n=62) enrolled in the study and were randomized to a treatment group; 10
participants did not receive the allocated intervention, and therefore the final
analyzed sample included 52 participants. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were
randomly assigned to the tango group, which involved 12 months of twice-weekly
Argentine tango dance classes, or to the no intervention control group (n=26 per
group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Current, new, and retained participation in
instrumental, leisure, and social activities, as measured by the Activity Card
Sort (with the dance activity removed). RESULTS: Total current participation in
the tango group was higher at 3, 6, and 12 months compared with baseline
(Ps/=.11). Total activity
retention (since onset of PD) in the tango group increased from 77% to 90%
(P=.006) over the course of the study, whereas the control group remained around
80% (P=.60). These patterns were similar in the separate activity domains. The
tango group gained a significant number of new social activities (P=.003), but
the control group did not (P=.71). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with PD who
participated in a community-based Argentine tango class reported increased
participation in complex daily activities, recovery of activities lost since the
onset of PD, and engagement in new activities. Incorporating dance into the
clinical management of PD may benefit participation and subsequently quality of
life for this population.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS