Dancing is known to lift the spirit, and a new study shows that Alzheimer’s disease patients respond to the rhythmic moves as well.

Dance classes eased agitation in a small group of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias, researchers reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

“This study highlights how movement-based interventions, like adapted dance, can be a meaningful way to improve both physical and emotional well-being for individuals with dementia,” researcher Rodney Guttmann, interim chair of biology with the University of West Florida, said in a news release.

The three-month study took place in The Retreat, an adult day care fun by the Council on Aging of West Florida.

“I was fortunate to witness the dancing intervention multiple times in person, and the activity was so well-run and fun that I could see morale, comprehension and physical ability among the participants improve in real time,” Council on Aging President and CEO Josh Newby said in a news release.

For the study, researcher recruited four men and 12 women with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.

Half of the participants were randomly assigned to take hour-long dance classes twice a week for three months, while the other half participated in activities without music like bingo, puzzles, crafts, cards and board games.

Those in the dance group were taught six different routines like the box step and the Charleston, modified to meet their physical capabilities.

Patients were able to safely dance, with none losing their balance or falling, results show.

The sessions lifted participants’ moods even when they were taking rest breaks, researchers noted.

“During these rest periods, the participants were still present in the room and often were observed clapping and tapping their feet when music was playing,” researchers wrote in their paper.

The dance lessons also gave participants a chance to keep their memory active.

“Six out of eight dance participants were also noted as being able to recall dance movements for at least three dances learned during the 12-week period,” researchers added.

Caregivers reported seeing their loved one dancing at different times of the day outside class, even if music wasn’t playing.

“It’s exciting to see such a simple activity provide tangible benefits for both participants and caregivers,” Guttmann said.

However, the group of participants was too small and the number of classes too few for researchers to reach statistically significant conclusions about the benefits of dance for dementia patients. 

“Future studies should consider increasing the frequency of the dance sessions per week and ensuring adequate sample size to assess the impacts of the intervention,” the paper concluded.

More information

The National Institute on Aging has more on adapting activities for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

SOURCES: University of West Florida, news release, March 13, 2025; Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, study, March 13, 2025

Source: HealthDay

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