$3M NIH grant will fund next steps of research on dance & brain health
Summary
The grant funds a new study called IGROOVE that will help researchers determine what kinds of dance, the frequency of the dance classes and what aspects of the dance class music, social interaction, cognitive challenge affect fitness, memory and brain health.The research will be co-led by Christina E. Hugenschmidt, Ph.D., associate professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Christina T. Soriano, M.F.A., dance professor and vice provost of the arts and interdisciplinary initiatives at Wake Forest University.The study is highly innovative in its research techniques and methodology. The team will test outcomes for different doses of dance. Participants will attend classes one, two or three days a week for six months and either learn four different styles of dance or be randomized to a music appreciation class control group.Research on physical activity and its effects on older adults has traditionally focused on gym-based activities like treadmill walking or fitness classes. While cardiorespiratory fitness has proven to be important for brain health in aging, it is not the only factor.Dancing raises heart rate and also encourages social connections. Their previous work used dance to test the effects of social engagement and movement on wellbeing in older adults with early-stage dementia.Preliminary results from these past studies suggest that improvisational dance can improve secondary symptoms of dementia that affect quality of life including gait and balance challenges, mood changes, apathy and depression.In spite of all the promising findings about dance, very basic information is lacking that is available for other forms of exercise, Hugenschmidt said.