Neural effects of multisensory dance training in Parkinson's disease: evidence from a longitudinal neuroimaging single case study

Jenny R Simon; Judith Bek; Katayoun Ghanai; Karolina A Bearss; Rebecca E Barnstaple; Rachel J Bar; Joseph F X DeSouza

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2024.1398871

Neural effects of multisensory dance training in Parkinson's disease: evidence from a longitudinal neuroimaging single case study

Front Aging Neurosci. 2024 Oct 9:16:1398871. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1398871. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Jenny R Simon^#¹, Judith Bek^#^{2

3}, Katayoun Ghanai⁴, Karolina A Bearss¹, Rebecca E Barnstaple^{1

5}, Rachel J Bar^{1

6}, Joseph F X DeSouza^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
² Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Centre for Motor Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
⁴ Department of Music, Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ School of English and Theatre Studies, College of Arts University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
⁶ Canada's National Ballet School, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Multisensory Neuroscience Laboratory, VISTA, Connected Minds, Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Dance is associated with beneficial outcomes in motor and non-motor domains in Parkinson's disease (PD) and regular participation may help delay symptom progression in mild PD. However, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms of dance interventions for PD. The present case study explored 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), where the individual imagined a dance choreography while listening to the corresponding music. Neural activity was compared between dance-imagery and fixation blocks at each timepoint. Analysis of functionally defined regions revealed significant blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal activation in the supplementary motor area, right and left superior temporal gyri and left and right insula, with modulation of these regions observed over the training period except for the left insula. The results suggest the potential for dance to induce neuroplastic changes in people with PD in regions associated with motor planning and learning, auditory processing, rhythm, emotion, and multisensory integration. The findings are consistent with dance being a multimodal therapeutic activity that could provide long-term benefits for people with PD.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; dance; fMRI; learning; motor imagery; neuroplasticity; neurorehabilitation.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The research was funded by a Parkinson Canada Pilot grant awarded to JFXD; a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant (2017–05647) and donations from the Irpinia Club of Toronto and others. J. Bek was supported by funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101034345.