Abstract
Abstract: Background: Stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury frequently cause lasting motor, cognitive, and quality-of-life limitations. Standard rehabilitation largely emphasizes task-specific motor practice, while multimodal approaches may further stimulate neuroplastic recovery. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) combines structured movement, rhythm, sensory input, and emotional expression and is increasingly used as an adjunct in neurological care. Because previous trials vary in design and outcome selection, this review assessed the overall effects of DMT on motor, cognitive, and psychosocial outcomes. Methods: Following PRISMA guidance, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception through January 2026 for randomized controlled trials of DMT in adults with neurological disorders. Eligible studies compared DMT with conventional rehabilitation or another control condition. Motor outcomes, including balance and gait, were primary; cognition, depression, and quality of life were secondary. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals were pooled using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was quantified with I². Results: Eighteen trials involving 1,142 participants (mean age 63.4±9.7 years; 54.2% women) met the criteria. DMT improved overall motor function (SMD=0.62, 95% CI 0.41-0.83, p
References
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