Frontiers in Immunology · Oct 30, 2026
Dance movement therapy and dance-based interventions in depression and neurodegenerative disorders: clinical outcomes and hypothesis-generating links with stress physiology, neuroplasticity, and immune signaling
By Pan Gao, Wenfan Dai
Depression and neurodegenerative disorders represent major public health challenges, often accompanied by affective, cognitive, and functional impairments that substantially reduce quality of life. Growing interest in non-pharmacological approaches has positioned Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) and other dance-based interventions as multimodal mind–body approaches integrating physical activity, emotional expression, social interaction, and cognitive engagement. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on DMT and broader dance-based interventions in depression, brain aging, psychiatric conditions, and neurodegenerative disorders, with particular emphasis on clinical outcomes and the proposed links among stress physiology, neuroplasticity, inflammation, and immune signaling. Relevant literature was examined to distinguish findings from clinical intervention studies, evidence from broader dance-based interventions, mechanistic findings from biomarkers and neuroimaging, and hypothesis-generating neuroimmune pathways. Available evidence suggests that DMT may improve mood, emotional regulation, and psychosocial well-being, while studies of dance-based interventions in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and related conditions report potential benefits in selected motor, cognitive, and quality-of-life outcomes, although findings vary across populations and outcome measures. A recent meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials involving 1,375 participants reported reductions in depressive symptoms following DMT and other dance-based interventions; however, substantial between-study heterogeneity and the predominance of non-hospitalized adults with elevated depressive symptoms limit the generalizability of these findings. Proposed mechanisms include modulation of stress-response and autonomic pathways, potential changes in peripheral inflammatory signaling, enhancement of neuroplasticity, and alterations in neural networks involved in emotion, movement, and cognition. However, direct evidence linking DMT to changes in neuroimmune signaling remains limited, and these proposed pathways should be regarded as hypotheses rather than established causal mechanisms. Overall, DMT and other dance-based interventions represent promising complementary approaches, but rigorously designed longitudinal and mechanistic studies are needed to clarify their clinical relevance and determine whether proposed biological pathways mediate observed outcomes.