NeuroDance – International cooperation for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease
EACEA project 2025 - 2027
Under the direction of the Znanstveno-Raziskovalno Sredisce Research Center (ZRS in Koper, Slovenia), Prof. Dr. Hökelmann, Dr. Kathrin Rehfeld and doctoral students from the Sports Science Department at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg are conducting an international project together with other European project partners (University of Trikala in Greece; University of Olomouc in the Czech Republic).
The aim of the project is to develop and jointly test evidence-based dance training programs for Parkinson's patients. Dancing is an emotional and stimulating form of physical activity. By applying the rhythmic teaching method and the necessary music processing in the brain as a prerequisite for dancing, dance-based forms of movement have strong effects on the rhythmization of movement actions, especially on gait, balance, orientation and reaction ability, and can thus alleviate typical Parkinson's symptoms and thus improve the quality of life of those affected.
The dance programs will be evaluated in 5-month intervention studies and will then be available for therapy centers and sports clubs.