Dancing Through Time: Cognitive Changes Over Six-Years of Community Dance in Parkinson's Disease

Background: Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's, and is characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, including gait dysfunction and cognitive decline. Dance has emerged as a promising intervention for improving motor and non-motor symptoms in persons with PD (PwPD), yet long-term effects remain underexplored. Objective: To assess changes in cognitive function and gait performance over six years among PwPD who participated in a weekly dance program, compared to a Reference group who remained physically inactive. Methods: This six-year longitudinal observational study included 43 PwPD who attended weekly dance classes and were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). A Reference group of 28 PwPD, matched on age, gender, and Hoehn & Yahr scores, were selected from the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative, and assessed using the MDS-UPDRS and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Cognitive scores were standardized. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare cognitive and gait outcomes across time. Results: The Dance group was significantly different from the Reference group (p < 0.001), with improved cognitive scores in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The Dance group had worse gait at baseline, however, the Reference group showed significantly poorer gait performance by 2018. No significant association was found between gait and cognitive scores. Conclusion: After two years of weekly dance, the Dance group showed improvements in cognition and maintained stability in gait performance. The findings highlight the potential neuroprotective benefits of continued dance engagement over six years.