ATMRD 2025

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disease characterized by difficulty initiating movement, bradykinesia, and reduced range of motion as well as non-motor symptoms such as despression and risk for social isolation. Dance and movement therapy can have important benefits for people with Parkinson’s disease. This session will review the research on the efficacy of movement-based programs, such as dance, and explain how these help with balance, gait, range of motion, spatial awareness, confidence, and mood. Attendees will participate in a dance class to experience firsthand this form of therapeutic movement so that they may better understand and explain dance therapy to patients.

Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders can impact the voice, resulting in soft, breathy speech devoid of pitch changes, articulation issues, and dysarthria. Parkinson’s disease is also characterized muscle rigidity causing small movements of the limbs. In this session we will review evidenced-based speech and physical therapies designed to help people with movement disorders speak louder and make larger limb movements to improve communication, movement, and ADL’s. This session will present the latest research on the efficacy of these treatments and allow attendees to participate in demonstration exercises to gain firsthand experience.

While healthcare providers seek to manage the significant motor and non-motor symptoms, having the opportunity to step into their patients' experiences may help them with patient communication, influence treatment approaches, and foster a deeper understanding of symptom burden and the need for personalized strategies. This multisensory, hands-on experience is designed to simulate various motor and nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease and related disorders.