Can Dance Therapy Improve Motor Learning in Parkinson's Disease (PD)?

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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In order to find the most effective rehabilitative therapies for Parkinsonian patients, the present study is aimed to evaluate whether, in a multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation treatment, the dance therapy, applied to the motor learning, promote additional benefits.

Official Title
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Can Dance Therapy Improve Motor Learning in Parkinson's Disease?

Conditions
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Parkinson Disease

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Dance Therapy
* Behavioral: exercises without dance


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Stage 2.5-3 according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale (H&Y); Stable pharmacological treatment for the last 6 weeks before the enrolment and during the hospitalization; Exclusion Criteria: Any focal brain lesion detected in brain imaging studies (CT or MRI) performed in the previous 12 months; Drug-induced dyskinesias; Disturbing resting and/or action tremor, corresponding to scores 2-4 in the specific items of UPDRS III; Behavioral disturbances (evaluated with Neuropsychiatric Inventory); Visual and auditory dysfunctions according to the general clinical evaluation and medical history; cognitive decline (MMSE correct score < 24)
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Participants are randomly assigned to experimental group or control group. Both of the groups undergo a rehabilitation treatment. The experimental group undergoes 4-week MIRT (Multidisciplinary Intensive Rehabilitation Treatment) + dance therapy. The control group undergoes 4-week MIRT (Multidisciplinary Intensive Rehabilitation Treatment) + exercises
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: dance thrapy<br>4-week Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Treatment + Dance Therapy Treatment (2 hours par week) | Behavioral: Dance Therapy<br>* the intervention is aimed to ameliorate, through dancing, crucial motor symptoms in PD patients, as walking, balance, postural changes and arm swing<br>|
| Active Comparator: exercises without dance<br>4-week Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Treatment + Exercises without music (2 hours par week) | Behavioral: exercises without dance<br>* the intervention consists of exercises aimed at training the walking, the balance, the postural changes and the arm swing<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) | To determine fall risk and measure the progress of balance, sit to stand, and walking. | 4 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 Minutes Walking Test (6MWT) | The 6MWT measures the distance an individual is able to walk over a total of six minutes on a hard, flat surface. The goal is for the individual to walk as far as possible in six minutes. | 4 weeks | 
| Balance Berg Scale (BBS) | to objectively determine a patient's ability (or inability) to safely balance during a series of predetermined tasks. | 4 weeks |