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Current Oncology (Toronto, Ont.) Jul 2023Children with cancer and their caregivers face physical and psychosocial challenges during and after treatment. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) has been used to improve...
Children with cancer and their caregivers face physical and psychosocial challenges during and after treatment. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) has been used to improve well-being, promote healthy coping, and mitigate the impact of illness, but limited knowledge exists regarding DMT utilization, delivery, and outcomes in pediatric oncology. This retrospective study aimed to identify reasons for referral to DMT, DMT visit characteristics, key DMT techniques and processes, and clinician-reported outcomes. We examined the electronic medical records of 100 randomly selected pediatric patients (resulting in 1160 visits) who received DMT services between 2011 and 2021. Sociodemographic, clinical, and visit characteristics, referral reasons, and clinician-reported outcomes were reported as frequency and proportions. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify key DMT techniques and processes. Among 100 patients (63% female, aged 0-27 years), 77.9% were referred for psychological distress and 19.6% for pain. Two distinct DMT approaches were used during visits: a traditional DMT approach (77%) and a multisensory DMT approach (23%). The most common visit length was 15-25 min (41.6%), followed by sessions of 30-45 min (22.5%) and ≤10 min (18.1%). A total of 61.9% of DMT visits were inpatient and 38.1% outpatient. Of all visits, 8.8% were new and 91.2% were follow-ups. Caregivers were engaged in treatment in 43.7% of visits, and 5.5% of visits focused entirely on the work with the caregiver. DMT intervention focused on self-expression, emotional self-regulation, coping strategies, socialization, and caregiver-child interaction. Clinician-reported outcomes included enhanced coping with hospital experience (58%), improved pain management (27%), improved self-regulation (21%), and increased physical activation (13.2%). The results suggest DMT as a supportive intervention for psychological distress and pain management in pediatric oncology patients and provide insights into DMT practices and outcomes to guide intervention development and future research.
Topics: Humans; Child; Female; Male; Dance Therapy; Retrospective Studies; Caregivers; Adaptation, Psychological; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37504337
DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30070477 -
Sport Sciences For Health 2022Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to tremor, slowness, muscle stiffness, and other movement disorders. The benefits of exercise for reducing disability... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to tremor, slowness, muscle stiffness, and other movement disorders. The benefits of exercise for reducing disability in individuals with Parkinson's disease are numerous. However, not much is known about the designing and prescription of exercise in neurodegenerative diseases. A brief review and indications for exercise prescription and evaluation are discussed throughout. In this scoping review, we specifically aimed to describe the applicability of walking tests (6-min/10-m) for the prescription of exercise in individuals with Parkinson's disease and to propose training (undulating periodized) designs in three exercise modalities, Brazilian dance rhythms (Samba and Forró), deep-water exercises, and Nordic walking. These training models and evaluation methods may assist coaches and therapists in organizing exercise programs adequate to people with Parkinson's disease, and are essential steps toward a comprehensive and more detailed understanding of the training loads in motor disorders and disease states.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11332-022-00894-4.
PubMed: 35194464
DOI: 10.1007/s11332-022-00894-4 -
Complementary Therapies in Clinical... Nov 2021This study aims to analyse the effect of an intervention with belly dance or mat Pilates on range of motion, self-esteem and depressive symptoms in women with breast... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to analyse the effect of an intervention with belly dance or mat Pilates on range of motion, self-esteem and depressive symptoms in women with breast cancer receiving hormone therapy.
METHOD
A randomized clinical trial of 52 participants, diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing adjuvant hormone therapy that were randomized and divided into three groups (1): Belly dance group, which received 16 weeks of Belly Dance classes 2) Mat Pilates group, that performed 16 weeks of Pilates intervention and (3) Control group, that received educational activities in the form of lectures and was invited to maintain its routine activities. The participants answered a questionnaire in which they contained the clinical and personal characteristics; quantification of the range of motion of the upper limbs using the Absolute Axis 360° digital goniometer; self-esteem by the Self-Esteem Scale (EAR) and depressive symptoms by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). All data was collected at two moments in the study, in the pre-intervention period (baseline) and at the end of the 16 weeks of intervention.
RESULTS
Only the variable range of motion variable showed significant results in all study groups (p = 0.025), with the Mat Pilates group having the best scores. Although not significant, the other study variables also improved after the intervention period.
CONCLUSION
Belly dance and the Mat Pilates can bring positive results in the range of movement of women undergoing adjuvant treatment of breast cancer, with the Pilates method being the one that most contributed to improvements in this variable.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Depression; Exercise Movement Techniques; Female; Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Range of Motion, Articular; Self Concept
PubMed: 34517217
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101483 -
A Safe and Feasible Online Dance Intervention for Older Adults With and Without Parkinson's Disease.Journal of Dance Medicine & Science :... Dec 2023Dancing is one way of maintaining an active lifestyle, and online dance interventions in group settings can be a solution when in-person classes are impossible. This...
Dancing is one way of maintaining an active lifestyle, and online dance interventions in group settings can be a solution when in-person classes are impossible. This study investigated the feasibility and potential clinical effects of an online dance program for older adults with and without Parkinson disease (PD). Participants attended 2 weekly dance classes in the same videoconference room for 2 months. The dance activities were mainly performed while seated (around 75%). Researchers monitored feasibility (ie, adherence, attendance, and technological barriers) and safety. Pre- and post-intervention assessments investigated self-perceptions, effects on emotional domains, quality of life, activity-specific balance confidence, lower-limb functional mobility, and PD non-motor symptoms. Individuals also reported their self-perceptions regarding technology usability, enjoyment, and social interaction. Most of the participants with PD (n = 12) had moderate PD (Hoehn & Yahr score) and presented a greater risk of falls when compared to participants without PD (n = 14). Overall, we found a high rate of adherence (100%), attendance (87.5%-91.7%), and safety (100%) for both groups. No falls or near-falls occurred during the sessions. Only the PD group ameliorated emotional domains (anxiety and depression) and improved lower-limb functional mobility. All participants reported feeling safe and perceived benefits, although over a third of older adults with PD reported moderate difficulties in using technology and in socializing with the group. This online dance protocol is feasible, safe, and a potential strategy to improve clinical parameters in older adults and people with moderate PD.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Parkinson Disease; Dance Therapy; Quality of Life; Dancing; Life Style
PubMed: 37537758
DOI: 10.1177/1089313X231186201 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023The embodied mind in motion is a concept in which health and well-being, prevention and therapy, as well as lifestyle and habits meet. The mind changes profoundly in the... (Review)
Review
The embodied mind in motion is a concept in which health and well-being, prevention and therapy, as well as lifestyle and habits meet. The mind changes profoundly in the course of dementias, affecting daily living and resulting in reduced quality of life. Interdisciplinary approaches are required for a holistic understanding of how the mind is affected by dementia. We here explore what such a holistic theory of dementia might look like and propose the idea of "embodied mind in motion". The paradigm is biopsychosocial or biocultural, the theoretical anchor point is the lifeworld, and the guiding concept is "embodiment," as body and mind are constantly in motion. Physical activity is, hence, central for the experience of health and well-being, beyond being "exercise" and "health behavior". We discuss the embodied mind in motion referring to phenomenology, enactivism and (philosophical) anthropology. In our view, habits are embodied long-term memories and a philosophical equivalent to lifestyle. They unfold the meaningfulness of moving the body, complementing the objectifiable benefits of physical exercise. Empirical studies on "holistic activities" like hiking, yoga, music and dance illustrate improved integration into everyday life. Their meaningfulness enhances compliance and increases the preventive and even therapeutic potential. A crucial factor for this is the emotional dimension of lifestyle, exemplified by the virally popularized performance of "Swan Lake" by wheel-chair bound ex-ballerina Marta Cinta González Saldaña, suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A number of epistemological and ontological consequences anchor "embodied movement" as a valuable principle for dementia research.
PubMed: 37663337
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1174424 -
Journal of Dance Medicine & Science :... Jun 2022Foot injuries occur frequently in dancers, and researchers have investigated different protective measures to reduce their incidence. Research has primarily focused on... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Foot injuries occur frequently in dancers, and researchers have investigated different protective measures to reduce their incidence. Research has primarily focused on ballet, but foot injuries also are common in modern and contemporary dance where footwear is not worn. While padded dance socks are a potential solution, the extent to which they provide force reduction for the feet is unknown.
Purpose: This study investigates the extent to which padded dance support socks can reduce force on the foot during a dance sequence and when landing from a sauté jump.
Methods: Twenty-one injury-free dancers (2 M, 19 F; age: 21.5 ± 6.7 years; height: 165.5 ± 6.1 cm; mass: 68.6 ± 15.0 kg) volunteered for this randomized, cross-over design study. Participants per- formed a 40-second modern dance sequence and a sauté jump landing under two conditions: wearing Apolla Performance Shock™ dance socks (DS) and with bare feet (BF). During these activities, 1.0 cm diameter circular force transducers were affixed under the first metatarsophalangeal joint and under the center of the heel. The sensors wirelessly recorded peak toe force, peak heel force, mean toe force, and mean heel force during dancing. A force platform measured vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) and time to peak VGRF, while the foot sensors measured peak toe force and peak heel force, during the jump landings. A Noraxon MR3.12 biomechanics system synchronized and recorded the data. All force data were normalized to body weight (BW). Dependent samples t-tests were used to assess pairwise differences in these measures between the DS and BF conditions. Alpha was set at p < 0.05.
Results: Mean and peak heel forces/BW when dancing with DS were significantly lower than during BF dancing (mean: p = 0.015; peak: p = 0.0004). Peak VGRF/BW when landing from the sauté jump with DS was significantly lower compared with landing in BF (p = 0.035). All other variables were not significantly different between conditions, but all DS force values were lower than BF.
Conclusions: We offer evidence that padded dance socks may reduce foot forces dancers commonly encounter during modern dance. The trends we recorded require further study to assess the extent to which the socks exhibit beneficial effects when considering both the many hours dancers train and the cumulative effects of impacts sustained by their feet.Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Ankle Joint; Biomechanical Phenomena; Dancing; Foot; Foot Injuries; Humans; Young Adult
PubMed: 35287788
DOI: 10.12678/1089-313X.061522c -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2022Studies have underscored the complexity of psychotherapy for Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and cross-cultural therapy in particular, which evokes fear of disruption of basic...
Studies have underscored the complexity of psychotherapy for Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and cross-cultural therapy in particular, which evokes fear of disruption of basic values. Parents' sense of responsibility for their child's religious education exacerbates these problems in child therapy. However, there is scant research on child therapy for the Ultra-Orthodox, especially in the field of arts therapies. The present study examined the perceptions of 17 Ultra-Orthodox parents whose children were receiving arts therapies (including art therapy, dance/movement therapy, music therapy, psychodrama and bibliotherapy). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the parents and analyzed based on the principles of Consensual Qualitative Research. The study covered five domains: (1) The parents' experiences in therapy; (2) The parents' perceptions of the child's experiences in therapy; (3) Implications of environmental-social factors on the parents' perceptions and experiences of therapy; (4) Effects of intercultural aspects on therapy; (5) Perceptions of the use of the arts in therapy. The findings show that the experiences of ultra-Orthodox parents in the arts therapies of their children is complex due to the influence of the socio-cultural context, which involves dealing with stigma and tensions in their relationship with the education system. This context also shapes their perceptions of therapy, which can be characterized as purpose-oriented. The findings also highlight the parents' challenges in coping with the intercultural therapeutic relationship, and emphasizes the parents' preference for a therapist from a similar religious/cultural background and for cultural supervision of therapy. However, the results also suggest that there are benefits inherent to intercultural therapy in general and arts therapies in particular, including a sense of security, openness and acceptance of the parents and children.
PubMed: 36291512
DOI: 10.3390/children9101576 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2022The global COVID-19 outbreak has forced psychotherapists to find creative ways to continue treating their clients from afar. Dance movement therapy emphasizes the...
The global COVID-19 outbreak has forced psychotherapists to find creative ways to continue treating their clients from afar. Dance movement therapy emphasizes the body-mind connection and offers a unique mode of emotional intervention for supporting mental processes. The present study is the first to examine the distinctive qualities of group dance movement therapy in the context of remote emotional intervention with young children. Fourteen preschool children participated in six DMT meetings. The data generated three themes: 1. play as a platform for transforming technical complexity into an expression of the inner world; 2. accessories and props as means of motivation for movement and imaginative play; 3. playfulness-inhibiting conditions in settings of remote therapy. The discussion examines the significance of bodily expressions in remote therapy for understanding the needs of children in times of crisis and for getting acquainted with feelings and sensations which do not lend themselves easily to verbal expression.
PubMed: 35740807
DOI: 10.3390/children9060870 -
Complementary Therapies in Clinical... May 2023Depersonalization-derealization disorder (DDD) is a dissociative disorder encompassing pronounced disconnections from the self and from external reality. As DDD is...
BACKGROUND
Depersonalization-derealization disorder (DDD) is a dissociative disorder encompassing pronounced disconnections from the self and from external reality. As DDD is inherently tied to a detachment from the body, dance/movement therapy could provide an innovative treatment approach.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We developed two online dance tasks to reduce detachment either by training body awareness (BA task) or enhancing the salience of bodily signals through dance exercise (DE task). Individuals with DDD (n = 31) and healthy controls (n = 29) performed both tasks individually in a cross-over design. We assessed symptom severity (Cambridge Depersonalization Scale), interoceptive awareness (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness - II), mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), and body vigilance (Body Vigilance Scale) before, during and after the tasks.
RESULTS
At baseline, individuals with DDD exhibited elevated depersonalization-derealization symptoms alongside lower levels of interoceptive awareness and mindfulness compared to controls. Both tasks reduced symptoms in the DDD group, though dance exercise was perceived as easier. The DE task increased mindfulness in those with DDD more than the BA task, whereas controls showed the opposite pattern. In the DDD group, within-subject correlations showed that lower levels of symptoms were associated with task-specific elevations in interoceptive awareness and mindfulness.
CONCLUSION
Individual and structured dance/movement practice, performed at home without an instructor present, offers an effective tool to reduce symptoms in DDD and can be tailored to address specific cognitive components of a mindful engagement with the body.
Topics: Humans; Depersonalization; Dance Therapy; Dancing; Awareness; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 37018935
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2023.101749 -
Emergency Medicine Journal : EMJ Dec 2020
Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Diagnosis, Differential; Electric Countershock; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
PubMed: 33229417
DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2019-209353