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Tango-therapy vs physical exercise in older people with dementia; a randomized controlled trial
Bracco L, Pinto-Carral A, Hillaert L, Mourey F.. BMC geriatrics, 2023-10-24
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Dementia is a growing health concern that affects millions of people worldwide. Gait and mobility disorders are often present and represent a major risk factor for falls. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of tango-therapy in gait speed, functional mobility, balance, falls, ability to perform activities of daily living and quality of life. Methods A randomised controlled trial with 31 participants living in a specialised dementia unit, aged 65 to 93 years old, who were randomly assigned to tango group (IG) or physical exercise group (CG). The primary outcome was gait speed and Timed Up and Go test. The secondary outcomes include the Short Physical Performance Battery, the ability to perform activities of daily living (Katz Index) and quality of life (Quality of life in Alzheimer Disease). Measurements were performed at baseline, and after one and three months of training. Results After 3 months, IG improved gait speed (p = 0.016), implying a statistically significant difference between groups in favour of IG (p = 0.003). CG significantly worsened the time to complete the TUG (p = 0.039). Both groups declined in their ability to perform activities of daily living, being statistically significant only in the CG (p Conclusion Tango interventions showed efficacy in improving gait speed and in mitigating the decline in functional mobility and ADL skill capacities. Allowing older people with dementia access to non-pharmacological interventions may be a successful strategy to prevent functional decline. Trial registration Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT05744011).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Bracco, L., Pinto-Carral, A., Hillaert, L., & Mourey, F. (2023). Tango-therapy vs physical exercise in older people with dementia; a randomized controlled trial. BMC geriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04342-x
Vancouver
Bracco L, Pinto-Carral A, Hillaert L, Mourey F. Tango-therapy vs physical exercise in older people with dementia; a randomized controlled trial. BMC geriatrics. 2023. doi:10.1186/s12877-023-04342-x. PMID: 37875856.
BibTeX
@article{bracco2023-37875856,
author = {Bracco, L. and Pinto-Carral, A. and Hillaert, L. and Mourey, F.},
title = {{Tango-therapy vs physical exercise in older people with dementia; a randomized controlled trial}},
journal = {BMC geriatrics},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1186/s12877-023-04342-x},
pmid = {37875856},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04342-x}
}
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Key findings
- Results After 3 months, IG improved gait speed (p = 0.016), implying a statistically significant difference between groups in favour of IG (p = 0.003).
- CG significantly worsened the time to complete the TUG (p = 0.039).
- Both groups declined in their ability to perform activities of daily living, being statistically significant only in the CG (p Conclusion Tango interventions showed efficacy in improving gait speed and in mitigating the decline in functional mobility and ADL skill capacities.
Why it matters
In people with dementia living in a specialized unit, tango therapy improved gait speed and lessened decline in functional mobility and daily living skills compared with physical exercise. Both groups declined in ability to perform activities of daily living, and the study had only 31 participants.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Participants31
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 65/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC geriatrics) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | BMC Geriatrics: journal h-index 153 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 31 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 27 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.4 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 15.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 27 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author France Mourey: h-index 25 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37875856) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 65 / 100 | — |
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