THE IMPACT OF BRAZILIAN SAMBA ON PARKINSON’S DISEASE: ANALYSIS BY THE DISEASE SUBTYPES

The Effects of Dance Interventions on Depression in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Meta-analyses of the effects of dance on depressive symptoms in older adults have shown contradictory results, but few primary studies were included (5 and 8 studies). We aimed to examine the effects of dance on depressive symptoms in older adults aged 60 years and older and to examine the moderator effects of the source, participants, methods, and intervention characteristics. We included 23 primary studies that compared depressive symptoms across dance and comparison/control groups of older adults (72 ± 6.7 years old) and were written in English (N = 1,398) participants. Dance groups showed significantly less depressive symptoms post-intervention than comparison groups (ES = 0.66, 95% CI [0.42, 0.91], p < .001, I2 = 76.80%). South America and Australia showed the greatest effects. Using quasi-experimental designs showed significant effect sizes compared to using randomized designs. Only one quality indicator, intention-to-treat, influenced effect size. Dance might be used as an alternative treatment to improve depression.

Dance Is an Accessible Physical Activity for People with Parkinson's Disease

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the outcomes of face-to-face, digital, and virtual modes of dancing for people living with Parkinson's disease (PD).

DESIGN

Systematic review informed by Cochrane and PRIMSA guidelines. Data Sources. Seven electronic databases were searched: AMED, Cochrane, PEDro, CINHAL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and MEDLINE.

METHODS

Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials (RCT) and other trials with quantitative data. The PEDro scale evaluated risk of bias for RCTs. Joanna Briggs Institute instruments were used to critically appraise non-RCTs. The primary outcome was the feasibility of dance interventions, and the secondary outcomes included gait, balance, quality of life, and disability.

RESULTS

The search yielded 8,327 articles after duplicates were removed and 38 met the inclusion criteria. Seven were at high risk of bias, 20 had moderate risk of bias, and 11 had low risk of bias. There was moderately strong evidence that dance therapy was beneficial for balance, gait, quality of life, and disability. There was good adherence to digital delivery of dance interventions and, for people with PD, online dance was easy to access.

CONCLUSION

Dancing is an accessible form of exercise that can benefit mobility and quality of life in people with PD. The COVID-19 pandemic and this review have drawn attention to the benefits of access to digital modes of physical activity for people living with chronic neurological conditions.

Effects of Exercise in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

The authors aimed to provide an overview of the evidence on the effects of exercise in people with Alzheimer's disease through a comprehensive review of the existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. A literature search was performed in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The AMSTAR-2-Tool was used for the quality assessment. Twenty-three reviews fulfilled the criteria. Most of the reviews investigated the effects of aerobic exercise on Alzheimer's disease symptoms. The largest effects of exercise were seen in terms of improved cognition by multiple exercises. The majority of the reviews were rated as being of moderate quality and none were classified as having high quality. Exercise is an effective way to treat Alzheimer's disease symptoms and has a low incidence of related adverse events. As most reviews were evaluated as low-moderate quality, caution is needed in the interpretation of the results.

The effects of exercise on sleep quality in persons with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review with meta-analysis

We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to determine the evidence in support of exercise to improve sleep quality assessed subjectively and objectively in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Standardized mean differences (SMD) comparing the effects of exercise and control interventions on sleep quality with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Data from 10 randomized and 2 non-randomized controlled trials, including a total of 690 persons with PD were included. Exercise had a significant positive effect on sleep quality assessed subjectively (SMD = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.16-0.90; p = 0.005). However, the methodological quality of the studies showing positive effects on sleep quality was significantly poorer than the studies showing no effects. Only one study assessed the impact of exercise on objective sleep quality, showing improvements in sleep efficiency assessed with polysomnography (SMD = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.38-1.50; p = 0.001). Exercise performed at moderate to maximal intensities (SMD = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.05-0.87; p = 0.03) had significant effects on subjective sleep quality. In contrast, exercise performed at mild to moderate intensities showed non-significant effects (SMD = 0.76; 95% CI = -0.24-1.76; p = 0.14). These results support the use of exercise to improve sleep quality in persons with PD and reinforce the importance of achieving vigorous exercise intensities. Biases, limitations, practice points and directions for future research are discussed.