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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Oct 23;11(10):1857-1862.
doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibab009.

The effects of the BAILAMOS Dance Program on hippocampal volume in older Latinos: a randomized controlled pilot study

Jacqueline Guzman  1 , Susan Aguiñaga  1 , Guilherme M Balbim  2 , Melissa Lamar  3 , Isabela G Marques  4 , David X Marquez  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The effects of the BAILAMOS Dance Program on hippocampal volume in older Latinos: a randomized controlled pilot study

Jacqueline Guzman et al. Transl Behav Med. .

Abstract

Hippocampal atrophy is associated with cognitive decline. Physical activity (PA) can reverse the hippocampal loss. This study investigated the effects of the 4 month BAILAMOS dance program on hippocampal volume and self-reported PA in Latinos. Participants were randomized to the BAILAMOS dance program or waitlist control group (N = 14, n = 10 intervention, n = 4 waitlist, 67 ± 6.1 years old, 70% female). Hippocampal volumes were derived from Magnetic Resonance Imaging whole-brain T1-weighted images. Participants self-reported PA through the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors Physical Activity Questionnaire for older adults. There were no statistically significant changes in hippocampal volume preintervention to postintervention (F[1, 8] = .077, p = .79, d = .05) and no associations between PA change and hippocampal volume (F[4, 13] = .71, p = .61). However, dance participants self-reported more PA (d = .54) compared to the control. These findings demonstrate that the BAILAMOS dance program did not decrease hippocampal atrophy; however, it increased self-reported PA. Future studies should include longer and more cognitively demanding interventions to determine whether dance can reduce cognitive decline through hippocampal changes.

Keywords: Cognition; Dance; Latinos; Magnetic resonance imaging; Physical activity.

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