The Disassociation Between Motor Output Pathway with Reduced Parkinson’s Motor Symptoms Decline Promotes New Possibilities in Neuroimaging

Abstract

Dance has been proven effective in slowing Parkinson’s Disease (PD) progression in research and therapies. However, the neurological underpinning of how long-term dance slows PD motor decline is unknown. This study focuses on how dance benefits the brain leading to preserved motor ability. Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), we extracted integrity measures of the motor pathway and compared them against within-subject control tracts. We found that all the white matter metrics in the motor pathway remained constant during the 3-month period. We propose that the non-motor aspects of dance are the ones that make dance superior to an intensity-controlled exercise regime. However, the limited sample size and short time between the tractography leave this idea to be validated in future data collections. This study is the first to describe the microstructural changes within PD patients with continuous dance participation. It provides valuable insight into non-invasive and non-medical PD interventions.