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Review
. 2022 Jul 29;16(4):373-383.
doi: 10.1590/1980-5764-DN-2021-0103. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Dance therapy and cognitive impairment in older people: A review of clinical data

Ana Clara Menezes  1   2 , Gabrielle Drumond  1   2 , Nadia Shigaeff  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Dance therapy and cognitive impairment in older people: A review of clinical data

Ana Clara Menezes et al. Dement Neuropsychol. .

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

The growing interest for nonpharmacological treatment alternatives to older people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia has increased exponentially for the past few years; in this context, dance therapy is an effective therapeutic tool in improving the cognition of older people. The aim of this study was to verify whether dance therapy is a viable tool in promoting benefits with regard to the cognition and mood of older people with cognitive impairment. A database search covering the past 10 years was carried out. Result: The search found 193 papers; after title, abstract, and duplicity analysis, 14 of those were selected, of which 10 were fully revised. The studies showed positive results regarding the improvement of cognitive function after dance stimulations, as well as beneficial effects on the mood of older people with cognitive impairment.

O interesse por alternativas de tratamento não farmacológico para idosos com demência ou comprometimento cognitivo leve aumentou nos últimos anos. Entre elas, a dança destaca-se como uma eficaz ferramenta terapêutica na cognição de idosos. Dessa forma, o objetivo da presente revisão foi determinar se a dança é uma ferramenta capaz de promover benefícios em relação à cognição e ao humor de idosos comprometidos cognitivamente, por meio de uma revisão das publicações de estudos longitudinais dos últimos dez anos, que avaliaram os efeitos na cognição da terapia por intermédio da dança em idosos com alterações cognitivas, nas bases de dados PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) e Cochrane Library. A busca identificou 193 artigos; após a análise de títulos, resumos e duplicidade, 14 foram selecionados, dos quais dez foram revisados. De maneira geral, os estudos apresentaram resultados positivos quanto à melhora das funções cognitivas após a estimulação com dança, além de efeitos positivos também no humor de idosos comprometidos cognitivamente.

Keywords: Aged; Cognition; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dance Therapy; Dementia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flowchart of review process and study selection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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