2022 Theses Master's

Dance for AD: A Multicomponent Intervention to Mitigate the Negative Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease

Zhang, Michelle Y.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes symptoms such as dementia, or memory loss. The symptoms associated with cognitive decline can interfere with an individual’s capacity to function independently and participate in social interaction. Thus, it has debilitating effects not only on the patient, but also on the patient’s friends and family members. Although AD has been widely studied both in the lab and in the clinic, there is not presently a cure. The medications that do exist have not seen success in terms of preventing neuronal damage or mitigating the effects of symptoms. However, behavioral interventions related to exercise and music have demonstrated success in mitigating the effects of AD-related dementia and cognitive decline. Based on this evidence and prior applied research supporting the efficacy of dance programs for Parkinson’s Disease, another neurodegenerative disease, I propose Dance for AD, a multicomponent dance intervention aimed at mitigating the cognitive effects of AD, thereby improving patient and caretaker quality of life.