Neural Effects of Multisensory Dance Training in Parkinson's Disease: A Longitudinal Neuroimaging Case Study

Abstract

Dance is associated with a range of motor and non-motor benefits in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and recent evidence suggests that regular dance participation may delay progression of these symptoms. However, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms of dance interventions in PD.

This thesis aimed to explore potential neuroplastic changes in a 69-year-old male with mild PD participating in regular dance classes over 29 weeks. Functional MRI was performed at four timepoints (pre-training, 11 weeks, 18 weeks, 29 weeks), in which the participant imagined a dance choreography while listening to music.

Neural activity was compared between dance-imagery and fixation blocks. Region of interest analysis revealed significant BOLD signal activation in the supplementary motor area, right and left superior temporal gyri and the right insula, with modulation observed over the training period. These results suggest the potential for dance to induce neuroplastic changes in people with PD.