Effect of virtual reality dance exercise on the balance, activities of daily living, and depressive disorder status of Parkinson’s disease patients

TLDR

The study investigated how virtual reality dance exercise affects balance, daily living activities, and depression in Parkinson’s disease patients. Twenty patients were randomized to a 6‑week program of neurodevelopmental therapy plus functional electrical stimulation, with the experimental group also receiving 30 minutes of virtual‑reality dance; outcomes were measured pre‑ and post‑intervention using the Berg Balance Scale, Modified Barthel Index, and Beck Depression Inventory and analyzed with paired and independent t‑tests. Significant improvements in balance, daily living activities, and depression were observed in the experimental group compared to baseline and to the control group, indicating that virtual reality dance exercise positively impacts these outcomes.

Abstract

[Purpose] In this study, we examined the effects of virtual reality dance exercise on the balance, activities of daily living and depressive disorder status of Parkinson's disease patients. [Subjects] Twenty patients were assigned either the experimental group (n = 10) or the control group (n = 10). All participants received 30 minutes of neurodevelopment treatment and 15 minutes of functional electrical stimulation 5 times per week for 6 weeks. The experimental group additionally performed 30 minutes of dance exercise. Balance, activities of daily living, and depressive disorder status were assessed before and after the 6-week treatment period using the Berg balance scale, the Modified Barthel Index, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The paired t-test was used to detect differences before and after treatment, and the independent t-test was used to detect differences between the treatment groups. [Results] The values for balance, activities of daily living, and depressive disorder status significantly differed between before and after treatment in the experimental group, and significantly differed between the experimental group and control group. [Conclusion] Virtual reality dance exercise has a positive effect on balance, activities of daily living, and depressive disorder status of Parkinson's disease patients.