Impact of a Therapeutic Dance Program Compared With Circuit Physiotherapy in Rehabilitation of Older People With Recent Acquired Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial With Embedded Qualitative Assessment

Abstract

Objective

To assess the feasibility of providing dance groups to people with recent acquired brain injuries (ABIs) in a hospital rehabilitation outpatient setting.

Design

A mixed methods exploratory trial that included qualitative interviews and a single blind randomized controlled trial comparing 10 weeks (3 per wk: 30 sessions) of dance group to circuit group.

Setting

A day rehabilitation outpatient setting in a tertiary hospital in South Australia.

Participants

A total of 49 participants (N=49) with ABI consented and were randomly divided.

Interventions

Patients were randomly divided to a 10-week program of either dance group (n=25) or physiotherapy circuit group (n=24). The intervention was completed by 84% of dance participants and 87% of physiotherapy circuit group participants.

Main Outcome Measures

Primary outcome measure was health-related quality of life measured with Short Form-36. Secondary outcomes included a battery of assessments of balance, function, mobility, mood, and cognition. Feasibility outcomes included information on enrolment rates, attendance, participant satisfaction, and adverse events.

Results

Physical outcomes were comparable between the 2 groups (with no adverse outcomes), but gains in the mental health component of quality of life measures were observed in the dance group only, including energy/fatigue and emotional well-being. Qualitative results indicated that participants found both dance and circuit groups enjoyable and acceptable. Participants offered that dance had complemented other aspects of their rehabilitation.

Conclusions

Dance groups in rehabilitation outpatient settings appear a safe, feasible therapeutic option post ABI, with significant gains in health-related quality of life, mood, and fatigue measures. Findings support feasibility to progress to a larger cluster randomized controlled trial to assess cost effectiveness and implementation issues in rehabilitation services generally.