A new study demonstrates that dancing can significantly reduce depression symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients, with evidence shown through both MRI brain scans and participant surveys. The research followed 23 participants with Parkinson’s disease and 11 healthy controls through an 8-month dance program at Canada’s National Ballet School as they progressed from simple movements to complex choreographed dances.
The researchers focused on the subcallosal cingulate gyrus (SCG), a brain region linked to depression, and found that after each dance class, depression rates decreased, with the effect building over time. Moreover, the study revealed reduced signals in the frontal-cortex brain region associated with emotional regulation and changes in the SCG node correlated with decreased depression scores in some participants. While dancing isn’t presented as a cure for Parkinson’s disease, the research suggests it offers significant benefits for both patients and their caregivers, improving quality of life through a combination of music activating reward centers and movement engaging sensory and motor circuits.