Dementia is a progressive decline in cognition that impairs a person's ability to perform activities of daily living. Changes in mood, gait, and balance are prominent secondary symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia that can dramatically decrease quality of life for the person with dementia and increase caregiver burden. The overall aim of this study is to determine the independent and combined effects of dance movement and social engagement on quality of life in people with early-stage dementia, and test the neural mechanisms of these effects.
Dementia is a progressive decline in cognition that impairs a person's ability to perform activities of daily living. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, the most common neurodegenerative disease in older adults, and the 6th leading cause of death in the US. Neuropsychiatric symptoms (apathy, depression, anxiety) and altered gait and balance are prominent secondary symptoms of Alzheimer's disease that increase medical costs and decrease quality of life for both the person with dementia and their caregiver. In a report from the Secretariat (Executive Board, 134th Session, December 20th, 2013), the World Health Organization identified a need to integrate evidence-based palliative care services into the continuum of care for serious chronic diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. However, two recent NIH workshops identified major gaps in the evidence supporting the wider use of non-pharmacologic activities to ameliorate secondary symptoms of chronic disease. Arts-based activities were identified as particularly understudied for symptom management, given growing evidence that various arts-based activities can improve quality of life, relieve symptoms, and reduce reliance on medications. It is important that these benefits can be achieved without adding medications. Dance is an arts-based activity that can improve quality of life, decrease symptoms of depression, and improve balance in healthy older adults, those with Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Thus, dance is a non-pharmacological intervention that simultaneously addresses two sets of prominent secondary symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: 1) gait and balance and 2) neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, the mechanisms through which dance exerts these effects are unknown. Pilot data from the investigators' laboratory suggest that participating in a group improvisational movement class twice weekly improved balance and connectivity in motor-related brain regions, as well as improving mood and connectivity in brain regions associated with social engagement. Improvisation is the ability to create new gestures and movements spontaneously. Improvisation can be a part of many different art forms. However, improvisational movement can also be practiced as a specific dance form. The objective in improvisational movement is that choreographed movement is replaced by a cue or prompt that allows the possibility for multiple responses. This unique form of dance is especially well-suited for people with dementia because it: 1) does not rely heavily on memory of repeated movements; 2) can be seamlessly adapted to include sitting, standing, or moving around the room; 3) is cognitively challenging; and 4) fosters a social, playful atmosphere. Participants seemed to benefit from both the social nature of the class and the movement. Therefore, the overall aim of this proposal is to experimentally determine the independent and combined effects of dance movement and social engagement on quality of life in people with early stage dementia, and test the neural mechanisms of these effects. To accomplish this goal, the investigators will use a 2x2 factorial design and randomize 120 community-dwelling older adults adjudicated as having early-stage dementia of the presumed Alzheimer's type to one of four 3-month interventions: 1) Dance Group, 2) Non-group Dance, 3) Social Group, or 4) No Contact Control. It is not hypothesized that dance affects the underlying disease course, and therefore no improvement is expected in cognition.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
104
Active imagination refers to working with imagery and is crucial in improvisatory practice. Verbal auditory cues are used to create movement scenarios that cue or activate the motor imagination. Variability means the improvisational method does not aim to learn a specific movement pattern and habituate to it. Cues are delivered quickly, one after another. Within an average of two minutes, tasks requiring quicker decision-making are introduced. Pacing is the rate at which new movement prompts are presented. Quick changes in pace avoid defaulting to habitual responses, thereby facilitating new movement options. Participants cannot rely on copying another, memory, or anticipation to address the motor problem.
The caregiver will be asked to stay in the area while the subject is dancing. A video camera will be affixed in an upper corner of the room to record individual dance sessions. This recording will yield data that a trained student or staff member can view and code to document movement fidelity (e.g., that the person has responded to the dance prompts and for the purpose of comparing the amount of quality of movements that occur in individual vs. group dance settings). For the first two sessions, study staff would observe the full dance session from outside the room to be sure that instruction was clear and adherence was attained, and that no safety issues arise.
The social group will consist of improvisational party games to foster curiosity and playfulness, use imagery, and encourage non-judgment. Games that may be used include 'Balderdash', 'Wise and Otherwise', 'Charades', 'Pictionary', and 'Tell Me A Story' cards. These games will also use the same core strategies as the dance group. Games will be varied within an hour-long session to incorporate pacing and variability into the social group, akin to the dance group. The social group will occur 2x/week for 1 hour each time and be led by the same instructors who lead the Dance Group, to control for effects of personality of the group leader.
The condition of not receiving an intervention can have ethical implications and reduce retention rates. Therefore, these participants will be invited to join in a weekly community improvisational dance class after they complete the study, for as many sessions as they would like.
Wake Forest Baptist Health
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD)--Participants With Dementia (PWD)
Self-reported quality of life in the person with dementia is the primary outcome and will be measured using the QOL-AD . The QOL-AD is validated for use in people with Mini Mental State Exam scores as low as 10.The QOL\_AD contains 13 items.Points are assigned to each item as follows: poor = 1, fair = 2, good = 3, excellent = 4.The total score is the sum of all 13 item (range 13- 52) higher scores represent better outcomes.
Time frame: Baseline
QOL-AD--PWD
Self-reported quality of life in the person with dementia is the primary outcome and will be measured using the QOL-AD . The QOL-AD is validated for use in people with Mini Mental State Exam scores as low as 10.The QOL\_AD contains 13 items.Points are assigned to each item as follows: poor = 1, fair = 2, good = 3, excellent = 4.The total score is the sum of all 13 item (range 13- 52) higher scores represent better outcomes.
Time frame: Week 12
Community Structure--PWD
This is a brain imaging variable derived from fMRI images. Modularity (Q) ranges from 0 (no community structure) to 1 (perfectly modular network). One Q-value is generated for each person and group averages are shown.
Time frame: Baseline
Community Structure--PWD
This is a brain imaging variable derived from fMRI images. Modularity (Q) ranges from 0 (no community structure) to 1 (perfectly modular network). One Q-value is generated for each person and group averages are shown.
Time frame: Week 12
Global Efficiency (eGlob)--PWD
This is a brain imaging variable derived from fMRI images.Scale ranges from 0 (no long-range information processing) to 1 (maximal distributed processing). Decreased Eglob has been associated with aging, cognitive impairment, and depression.
Time frame: Baseline
Global Efficiency (eGlob)--PWD
This is a brain imaging variable derived from fMRI images.Scale ranges from 0 (no long-range information processing) to 1 (maximal distributed processing). Decreased Eglob has been associated with aging, cognitive impairment, and depression.
Time frame: Week 12
Local Efficiency (eLoc)--PWD
Scale ranges from 0 (no local connectivity) to 1 (maximal local connectivity - all connections are local) and has been observed to change with cognitive impairment and depression.
Time frame: Baseline
Local Efficiency (eLoc)--PWD
Scale ranges from 0 (no local connectivity) to 1 (maximal local connectivity - all connections are local) and has been observed to change with cognitive impairment and depression.
Time frame: Week 12
Path Length--PWD
Refers to the number of edges that must be crossed to get from one node to another. Longer path length in people with AD has been associated with slower cognitive performance, beta amyloid deposition, and depression.
Time frame: Baseline
Path Length--PWD
Refers to the number of edges that must be crossed to get from one node to another. Longer path length in people with AD has been associated with slower cognitive performance, beta amyloid deposition, and depression.
Time frame: Week 12
Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (Overall Balance) PWD
Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (FAB) measures balance using 10 different performance-based tests (scored 0 worst - 4 best), including; standing with feet together and eyes closed, standing on a foam pad with eyes closed, walking while turning the head from side to side rhythmically, functional standing reach, turning around to the left and right, stepping up and over a 6-inch box, standing on one leg, and a test for postural reaction. The scale goes from 0-40 with 40 being the best outcome and a cutoff of \<=25 for risk of falls.
Time frame: Baseline
Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (Overall Balance) PWD
Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (FAB) measures balance using 10 different performance-based tests (scored 0 worst - 4 best), including; standing with feet together and eyes closed, standing on a foam pad with eyes closed, walking while turning the head from side to side rhythmically, functional standing reach, turning around to the left and right, stepping up and over a 6-inch box, standing on one leg, and a test for postural reaction. The scale goes from 0-40 with 40 being the best outcome and a cutoff of \<=25 for risk of falls.
Time frame: Week 12
Falls Efficacy Scale - International (FES) PWD
A 16-item scale to assess fear of falling where higher scores reflect a higher fear and risk of falling. Out of a total score of 100, a score of 70 or above indicates the individual has a fear of falling.
Time frame: Baseline
Falls Efficacy Scale - International (FES) PWD
A 16-item scale to assess fear of falling where higher scores reflect a higher fear and risk of falling. Out of a total score of 100, a score of 70 or above indicates the individual has a fear of falling.
Time frame: Week 12
Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q)
The NPI is a reliable and valid structured interview designed to assess neuropsychiatric symptoms in person with dementia through a structured interview with the caregiver. The NPI includes questions about 12 domains of symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, agitation/aggression, depression, anxiety, elation/ euphoria, apathy, disinhibition, irritability, aberrant motor activity, sleep, and eating. For each, symptom severity is scored on a scale of 0-4, with 4 being the worst outcome and caregiver distress is scored on a scale from 0-5, with 5 being the worst outcome. The sum of all 12 domains is calculated. Severity scores are reported here with a range from 0-36 with a higher score reflecting greater symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline
NPI-Q
The NPI is a reliable and valid structured interview designed to assess neuropsychiatric symptoms in person with dementia through a structured interview with the caregiver. The NPI includes questions about 12 domains of symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, agitation/aggression, depression, anxiety, elation/ euphoria, apathy, disinhibition, irritability, aberrant motor activity, sleep, and eating. For each, symptom severity is scored on a scale of 0-4, with 4 being the worst outcome and caregiver distress is scored on a scale from 0-5, with 5 being the worst outcome. The sum of all 12 domains is calculated. Severity scores are reported here with a range from 0-36 with a higher score reflecting greater symptom severity.
Time frame: Week 12
Geriatric Depression Scale
The person with dementia will be asked to complete a screening tool for assessing depression. This test has 15 yes/no questions with a yes receiving 1 point for a depressive answer. A total score is calculated and will be on a scale from 0-15 with 0-4 indicating no depression, 5-10 suggestive of a mild depression, and 11+ suggestive of severe depression.
Time frame: Baseline
Geriatric Depression Scale
The person with dementia will be asked to complete a screening tool for assessing depression. This test has 15 yes/no questions with a yes receiving 1 point for a depressive answer. A total score is calculated and will be on a scale from 0-15 with 0-4 indicating no depression, 5-10 suggestive of a mild depression, and 11+ suggestive of severe depression.
Time frame: Week 12
Geriatric Anxiety Scale
The Geriatric Anxiety Scale measures symptoms of anxiety in older adults. A single total score ranges from 0 (low anxiety) to 63 (high anxiety). Four cutoff scores have been provided by authors in the manuals: 0-7 (normal anxiety), 8-15 (mild-moderate anxiety), 16-25 (moderate-severe anxiety), and 26-63 (severe anxiety).
Time frame: Baseline
Geriatric Anxiety Scale
The Geriatric Anxiety Scale measures symptoms of anxiety in older adults. A single total score ranges from 0 (low anxiety) to 63 (high anxiety). Four cutoff scores have been provided by authors in the manuals: 0-7 (normal anxiety), 8-15 (mild-moderate anxiety), 16-25 (moderate-severe anxiety), and 26-63 (severe anxiety).
Time frame: Week 12
Apathy Evaluation Scale--PWD
The Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) addresses characteristics of goal directed behavior that reflect apathy including behavioral, cognitive, and emotional indicators. A short form will be used that has been modified for use with people with dementia. This shortened version has 10 questions scored 1-4 with 4 being the positive outcome answer. The total score is calculated and on a scale of 10-40 with lower scores reflecting less apathy and thus a better outcome.
Time frame: Baseline
Apathy Evaluation Scale--PWD
The Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) addresses characteristics of goal directed behavior that reflect apathy including behavioral, cognitive, and emotional indicators. A short form will be used that has been modified for use with people with dementia. This shortened version has 10 questions scored 1-4 with 4 being the positive outcome answer. The total score is calculated and on a scale of 10-40 with lower scores reflecting less apathy and thus a better outcome.
Time frame: Week 12
Expanded Short Physical Performance Battery (eSPPB)
The eSPPB is a brief test of global mobility function with excellent test-retest and inter-examiner reliability; is sensitive to change; is safe, and is a robust predictor of future physical disability and death. To avoid ceiling effects, investigators will use an expanded version (eSPPB) that increases the difficulty of the standing balance task by asking participants to hold postures for 30 instead of 10 seconds, adds a one-leg stand, and adds a narrow walk. The resulting score is normally distributed, continuous, and shows greater sensitivity to change. Dementia patients have lower scores on the SPPB so a favorable outcome for this outcome measure would be a significantly higher score post treatment. The eSPPB is scored as a continuous measure with a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 3.0 where 3 is the best possible outcome.
Time frame: Baseline
Expanded Short Physical Performance Battery (eSPPB)
The eSPPB is a brief test of global mobility function with excellent test-retest and inter-examiner reliability; is sensitive to change; is safe, and is a robust predictor of future physical disability and death. To avoid ceiling effects, investigators will use an expanded version (eSPPB) that increases the difficulty of the standing balance task by asking participants to hold postures for 30 instead of 10 seconds, adds a one-leg stand, and adds a narrow walk. The resulting score is normally distributed, continuous, and shows greater sensitivity to change. Dementia patients have lower scores on the SPPB so a favorable outcome for this outcome measure would be a significantly higher score post treatment. The eSPPB is scored as a continuous measure with a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 3.0 where 3 is the best possible outcome.
Time frame: Week 12
Postural Sway--PWD
Center of pressure displacement (area of the 95% confidence ellipse) using an AccuSway forceplate. Center of pressure displacement is one way to characterize postural sway. Increased postural sway is correlated with decreased balance in older adults and increased fall risk. Center of pressure displacement was measured using the area of the 95% confidence ellipse using an AccuSway forceplate. Higher numbers indicate greater levels of postural sway.
Time frame: Baseline
Postural Sway--PWD
Center of pressure displacement (area of the 95% confidence ellipse) using an AccuSway forceplate. Center of pressure displacement is one way to characterize postural sway. Increased postural sway is correlated with decreased balance in older adults and increased fall risk. Center of pressure displacement was measured using the area of the 95% confidence ellipse using an AccuSway forceplate. Higher numbers indicate greater levels of postural sway.
Time frame: Week 12
Gait Speed--PWD
The time one takes to walk a specified distance on level surfaces over a short distance. 4m usual gait speed was measured as part of the eSPPB.
Time frame: Baseline
Gait Speed--PWD
The time one takes to walk a specified distance on level surfaces over a short distance. 4m usual gait speed was measured as part of the eSPPB.
Time frame: Week 12
Gait Variability--PWD
Stride time variability, which is calculated out of the mean and standard deviation of stride time, reflects the change in time elapsed between the first two contacts of two consecutive footfalls of the same foot over a number of gait cycles. Increased gait variability is associated with increased fall risk in older adults.
Time frame: Baseline
Gait Variability--PWD
Stride time variability, which is calculated out of the mean and standard deviation of stride time, reflects the change in time elapsed between the first two contacts of two consecutive footfalls of the same foot over a number of gait cycles. Increased gait variability is associated with increased fall risk in older adults.
Time frame: Week 12
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