2023-07-17 16:24:28
In addition to being beneficial for physical and psychological health, dancing improves the cognitive health of seniors, suggests a meta-analysis published in the journal “Arts & Health”. However, additional research is still needed to identify what distinguishes dance from other physical activities, nuance a specialist.
The meta-analysis, published online last summer, looked at several studies looking at the links between cognition and dance. Despite its shortcomings, including the fact that it looks at only five studies that measure the association between dance and cognitive health, this research is interesting because it joins several others that find the positive effects of dance for seniors, says Annie Gauthier, scientific advisor at the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ). “Overall, we agree that dancing has positive effects on the health of the elderly, both physically and cognitively,” says Dr. Louis Bherer, Full Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal. , and director of the ÉPIC Center at the Montreal Heart Institute.
Dr. Bherer, who has participated in several studies on the issue, points out that the practice of dancing alone cannot guarantee a person’s health. However, “we include it in our recommendations in a comprehensive health management”. Despite everything, dance remains a way of getting people moving. It can also help different people manage their stress, concluded a study to which Dr. Bherer contributed. The research, carried out in particular in collaboration with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, compared a group that danced three times a week with a group that did a physical exercise program.
“After three months, people who did the dance program had a better decrease in cortisol when they were awake, says Dr. Bherer. On the other hand, our dance group did not improve their cardio-respiratory health as did the exercise group. “Dancing alone, I believe in it a little less than dancing accompanied with other activities in everyday life that make sure that I stay in (good) overall health too,” he continued. . When it comes to cognitive health, however, dancing stimulates the brain in several ways: cognitive, sensory (through music) and emotional.
“You can imagine that the body is moving, the brain is stimulated, the emotions are positive, and there is sensory stimulation at the same time,” says Dr. Bherer. “There’s also the fact that dancing requires developing certain skills, then learning something, and that too is a protective factor for cognitive health,” said Annie Gauthier. According to the scientific adviser, practicing a dance activity in a group is also positive. “In the way it was offered to participants in the studies, (dancing) was also a socialization activity, which therefore makes it possible to limit isolation. And isolation is a risk factor for cognitive disorders,” explains Ms. Gauthier.
What effects on the brain?
What explains why dancing can have a positive impact on the brains of seniors? “It’s through an action on brain volume and the number of neurons, which are more or less important in each person. It can evolve throughout a lifetime,” explains Annie Gauthier. And physical activity in general has a positive impact on this phenomenon. “There are some studies that suggest that complex physical exercise combined with other stimulation, particularly cognitive, will improve brain connectivity, for example,” argues Dr. Bherer. “There are studies that also suggest a better capacity for coordination in the environment at the behavioral level. When people do combined training programs, with motor gestures and physical activity, they will improve their ability to do several things at the same time,” he added.
However, currently available studies are unclear as to what elements of dance set it apart from other physical activities in terms of improving cognitive health. In addition, it has not yet been decided for how long and at what intensity one must practice this sport to see the benefits. “Does it take a dance that is physically hyper stimulating so that people, following the dance program, are in better physical health? Or is it the simple cognitive stimulation that is associated with dancing? Or is it the complexity of it all? “, enumerates Dr. Bherer. The important thing is above all to move more, regardless of the sport, underlines the researcher, deploring that “we have never been so sedentary”. And to improve your cognitive health, it’s never too late to act, points out Annie Gauthier.
“There is something malleable in the brain. That’s why it’s never too late to start acting, although the earlier we act, the more we can build up a brain reserve and also act on the structural characteristics of the brain. Then, finally having better abilities to compensate for the normal cognitive losses that occur with age,” she explains.
___
This dispatch was produced with financial assistance from the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for News.
Photo credit: PxHere.
1689611725
#Dancing #improves #cognitive #health #seniors #metaanalysis #finds
