Grove Ayers

Can the Bee Gees activate the Parkinson’s brain and improve walking? Spoiler alert: It seems YES. Stayin’ Alive and stepping forward: why groove may unlock better walking in Parkinson’s. Groove is the feeling that makes you want to move to music and sync your body to the beat. Kristen Sowalsky and colleagues describe in a new paper in JAMA Network Open how music, including a Bee Gees track, compares to metronomes for improving walking in the setting of Parkinson’s disease. Key points: - Music was associated w/ faster walking speed, longer steps and improved arm swing when compared to no cue and to a regular metronome. - A regular metronome worsened natural stride timing patterns, while a fractal metronome improved these patterns. - Music improved multiple gait features at once, suggesting benefits beyond simple rhythm alone. My take: This study highlights something we see in clinic all the time. Not all cues are created equal. Groove, emotion and reward circuits may amplify movement in ways a simple beep cannot. The Bee Gees may be doing more than entertaining; they may be activating brain networks that help folks move. Please read and make up your own mind as I am biased as an author on the study. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Music may improve walking by tapping into emotion and possibly dopamine related brain circuits as well as possibly some non-motor circuits. 2- Groove matters and high groove songs may naturally synchronize steps and improve movement. 3- Not all metronomes are helpful and a simple steady beat could worsen natural walking patterns. 4- Fractal rhythms may better mimic how the body naturally walks and may restore healthier timing. A fractal metronome is a special kind of rhythm that isn’t perfectly regular like a ticking clock. It subtly speeds up and slows down in patterns that mirror how the brain naturally times movement. 5- Choosing the right music may be a simple, low cost and powerful tool for improving mobility in Parkinson’s. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam… #parkinson @ParkinsonDotOrg