From depression to Parkinson’s disease: the healing

power of dance

Adrianna Mendrek from Bishop’s University devoted a research in behavioral neurobiology and
psychiatry. In her experience, long walks, dancing and yoga are ways on how she deals with her mental
health problems. This is why she entered a dance/movement therapy.

Dance/movement therapy uses dance and movement to promote well being and diminish undesirable
symptoms of health problems. It uses the entire body to approach client in a nonverbal and creative way.
It has been around for several decades but never widely became popular. That being said, it has a big
positive effect on depression.

One of the reasons people dance is to modify their emotional state, to feel happiness and relieve stress
and anxiety. The exploration of new movements can evoke perception and feelings and enhance better
understanding on one’s environment and history. One of the most compelling studies supporting this
ideas and identified unique sets of movement components that can elicit feeling of happiness, sadness,
fear and anger. The associations between emotions have been used in diagnosis or emotional
recognition. A recent review of research on DMT found it to be effective in treatment of adults with
depression.

Not only that but there has also found of improvement in Parkinson’s disease since dancing involves
sequence of steps and movements in space which requires physical and cognitive engagement. Dancing
improves not only muscle strength and coordination but as well as memory and attention.

Researchers found improvement in memory and cognitive function for adults with mild cognitive
impairment after doing DMT. In Parkinson’s disease, it is also found to be beneficial for executive
function that helps us plan, organize and regulate our actions.

Dancing involves activities that engage extensive areas of our cerebral cortex and other brain structures.
A descriptive review found changes in brain structure which includes increased in hippocampal and
parahippocampal volume which is involved in memory.

Overall, these studies suggest the idea of using dance and DMT neurological disorders like Parkinson’s
disease, Alzheimer’s and mood disorders which makes it clear that dance has a powerful effect on the
human body and psychology.