Dr. Barnes speculated that the PLIÉ program is effective in part "because there are repetitions of the same sequence of events in each class. We know that memory for events is impaired in people with dementia, but procedural memory is actually maintained pretty well. What we found in the class was that people would come in after they’d been doing it a few weeks. They would not remember having been in the class before, but we would start going through the movements, and they knew exactly what do to. They knew which movement came next in the sequence, so they were building procedural memory for these movements."
Another unique feature of the program, she said, is that it incorporates simple functional movements that increase in complexity as participants become "more facile with the movements, really focusing on being able to stand and sit down safely – basic physical functions that decline in dementia. We also have a slow pace, which gives them enough time to absorb the information and consolidate it."
Dr. Barnes also noted that social connection developed between the study participants over time. "During rests between movements, people in the program often shared personal stories," she said. "The movements themselves also encouraged group interaction by having participants reach out to shake hands, for example. These enhanced social connections may have contributed to improvements in quality of life."
The study was funded by a gift to the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Barnes said she had no relevant financial disclosures.