Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning. The most common sign is loss of short-term memory, but other signs can be losing track of things, getting lost in familiar places or having difficulties with tasks such as paying bills, cooking or driving. As the disease progresses, there could be changes in long-term memory, problem-solving, language, and mood or behaviour.1
The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 60-80% of cases. In Alzheimer’s disease, there is an accumulation of certain proteins inside and outside of brain cells that cause damage and affect the ability of the brain cells to communicate with each other. In Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss is one of the first symptoms observed because the hippocampus, the area of the brain for memory and learning, is usually one of the first areas affected.1
There are many risk factors for dementia, some more of a risk in certain types of dementia than others. The greatest risk factor for all dementias is age, but dementia is not a normal part of aging. Other risk factors include gender, family history, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet, high alcohol consumption, low levels of cognitive engagement, depression, social isolation and traumatic brain injury.1 You can see that this list contains risk factors we can change and those we can’t change. By adopting healthy lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, cognitive stimulation, cessation of smoking, and reduced alcohol consumption, we can potentially reduce our risk of developing dementia.
One of the physical activities that has been studied in relation to the brain, cognition and dementia is dance. Here are a few findings:
- In seniors, a dance program involving learning new movement patterns was shown to be superior to other fitness activities and repetitive exercise in increasing brain neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to form and reorganize new neuronal connections, and this appears to occur in areas of the brain for learning and memory.2
- An analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials showed that dance improved global cognitive function in healthy older adults and those with mild cognitive impairment.3
- A 21 year study found that older adults who danced frequently (several times a week) had a 76% reduction in dementia risk, the greatest reduction among the activities investigated.4
- Long-term amateur dancers, who had been dancing on average for 16.5 years, were found to have better cognitive performance, reaction time, posture and balance, motor performance, and tactile performance than inactive controls that never danced.5
Dance brings so many benefits to our lives. The movements of dance improve our physical and mental health. Learning different dance movements on a regular basis stimulates our brains. The social component of dance nourishes our soul. Try to incorporate some dance in your life. Your body and your mind will thank you for it.
References
- Alzheimer Society. https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia
- Müller P, Rehfeld K, Schmicker M, Hökelmann A, Dordevic M, Lessmann V, Brigadski T, Kaufmann J, and Müller NG. (2017) Evolution of neuroplasticity in response to physical activity in old age: the case for dancing. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 9, 56. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00056 DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2017.00056 ISSN=1663-4365
- Hewston P, Kennedy CG, Borhan S, Merom D, Santaguida P, Ioannidis G, Marr S, Nancy Santesso N, Thabane L, Bray S, and Papaioannou A. (2021) Effects of dance on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Age and Ageing, 50(4): 1084–1092. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaa270
- Verghese J, Lipton RB, Katz MJ, Hall CB, Derby CA, Kuslansky G, Ambrose AF, Sliwinski M, and Buschke H. (2003) Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly. N. Engl. J. Med., 348 (25): 2508-2516, doi:10.1056/NEJMoa022252 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022252
- Kattenstroth JC, Kolankowska I, Kalisch T, and Dinse HR. (2010) Superior sensory, motor, and cognitive performance in elderly individuals with multi-year dancing activities. Front. Aging Neurosci., 21(2):31. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2010.00031. PMID: 20725636; PMCID: PMC2917240
