Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41194042›Full record

SynthesisBMC geriatrics2025

Effects of dance interventions on brain health for older adults with cognitive impairment: an umbrella review.

Raquel A C S Prates, Magda Kaczmarska, Danrlei Senger, Stefanie D Piña-Escudero, Sophia W Light, Maritza Pintado-Caipa, Petronilla Battista, Peggy Tahir, Erica Pitsch, Isabel E Allen and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Raquel A C S PratesDepartment of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Dance, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Felizardo, 750 - Jardim Botânico, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90690-200, Brazil.
Magda KaczmarskaGlobal Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
Danrlei SengerDepartment of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Dance, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Felizardo, 750 - Jardim Botânico, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90690-200, Brazil.
Stefanie D Piña-EscuderoGlobal Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
Sophia W LightCenter for Applied Health Research on Aging and the Division of General Internal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 750 N. Lake Shore Drive 10th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Maritza Pintado-CaipaGlobal Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
Petronilla BattistaGlobal Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
Peggy TahirUCSF Library, University of California, 530 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
Erica PitschMemory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, 1207 1651 4th St, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
Isabel E AllenGlobal Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
Katherine L PossinGlobal Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
Aline N HaasDepartment of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Dance, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Felizardo, 750 - Jardim Botânico, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90690-200, Brazil. aline.haas@gbhi.org.

Funding

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) Finance Code 001GBHI, Alzheimer's Association, and Alzheimer's Society GBHI ALZ UK-24-1068625
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Dementia is increasing globally, expected to affect 153 million people by 2050. Dance is an emerging non-pharmacological evidence-based intervention, that integrates artistic, aesthetic, and physical exercise domains. This umbrella review synthesizes evidence on the effects of dance on brain health in older adults with mild-cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis were selected according to the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome): older adults with MCI or dementia; dance interventions; comparison with no intervention or other types of interventions; brain health outcomes (cognitive, physical, and emotional domains). The 10 included systematic reviews indicated potential benefit of dance on cognition, compared to control conditions. The meta-analysis of meta-analysis showed significant effects on global cognition, increasing MoCA (SMD = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.91, p < 0,001) with high heterogeneity (I² = 67%); MMSE scores (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.47, p < 0.001) with low heterogeneity (I² = 0%); and, combined MMSE (SMD = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.87, p < 0.001) with low heterogeneity (I² = 0%). Significant effects were also observed on cognitive domains, improving TMT-A scores (SMD = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.36, p < 0,01) with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 36.7%); and, TMT-B scores (SMD = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.32, p < 0,01) with low heterogeneity (I² = 8%). The overall quality of evidence remains weak: 3 included systematic reviews were rated as critically low-quality, and 7 as low quality. While dance interventions are promising for supporting brain health in older adults with MCI, few systematic reviews have focused on people with dementia. This umbrella review provides a comprehensive evidence synthesis and highlights critical research gaps. Future work should focus on establishing methodological rigor, expanding studies on dementia, and integrating dance into broader brain health frameworks through global, collaborative efforts. Registration: PROSPERO, CRD42024503578.

Indexed as

BrainCognitive DysfunctionDance TherapyDancingAgedCognitive EnhancementHumansAgingBrain healthCognitionDanceDementiaUmbrella review

Identifiers

PMID41194042
PMCPMC12587612

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.