Clinical Research Directory

Parkinson Ballroom Fitness: The Impact of Personalized Dance on Motor- and Nonmotor Symptoms in People With Parkinson's

Sponsor: Central Jutland Regional Hospital

Summary

Parkinson Ballroom-Fitness (PB-Fit) is a group-based dance program developed for people with Parkinson's disease. Through music and movement at three different levels (seated, standing, and walking), participants work on balance, gait, strength, and coordination, while also experiencing joy, social connection, and renewed vitality. The purpose of the present research project is to investigate whether seven weeks of PB-Fit training can improve gait and balance and enhance well-being and quality of life, and whether any effects are maintained twelve weeks after the intervention ends. The study is a randomized controlled trial with approximately forty participants and is conducted in collaboration with the Danish Parkinson's Association. The PB-Fit program is based on dance styles such as waltz, swing, and Latin, and is individually adapted. Training takes place in small groups, where participants learn basic steps and work with both motor and cognitive challenges. The program is evidence-informed but lacks quantitative evaluation, which is the aim of this study. PB-Fit is more than training-it is a community rooted in music, smiles, and meaningful relationships, where people with Parkinson's disease, regardless of functional level, are given the opportunity to experience joy, strength, and hope. This was clearly illustrated in the TV2 documentary "As Long as We Dance," in which several participants on the trip to Mallorca described their enthusiasm and the meaningfulness of PB-Fit. The study is led by Associate Professor Martin Langeskov Christensen, PhD (Regional Hospital Viborg), in collaboration with Aarhus University and dance instructor Elisabeth Dalsgaard. The results will be published in an international scientific journal and shared with both professionals and participants. Support from the Jascha Foundation will enable the study to be carried out and provide people with Parkinson's disease access to a meaningful, joyful, and evidence-based form of exercise. The long-term goal is to expand PB-Fit nationally and establish it as a permanent training option within municipalities and patient organizations across the country.

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