# Compliance and Satisfaction for 16 months of Adapted Tango vs. Supervised Walking for People with Parkinson’s

## TL;DR

This study compares adapted tango and walking exercises for Parkinson’s patients, finding that cognitive function boosts satisfaction while dyskinesia hinders compliance.

## Contribution

Identifies specific PD characteristics linked to exercise compliance and satisfaction in a long-term study.

## Key findings

- Dyskinesia metrics negatively correlate with exercise compliance.
- Cognitive function (MoCA) is the strongest predictor of satisfaction.
- Freezing of gait does not significantly affect attendance or satisfaction.

## Abstract

The present study is an exploratory secondary analysis examining associations between Parkinson’s disease (PD) characteristics and compliance and satisfaction with exercise programs as part of ongoing clinical trial research. 36 participants with PD engaged in either adapted tango (AT; n = 20) or supervised walking (WALK; n = 16) classes for 16 months. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04122690) on October 10, 2019. PD-related metrics, dyskinesia frequency and duration, OFF-time, freezing of gait (FOG), disease duration, Hoehn-Yahr stage, and motor and cognitive function were collected. Linear regression models assessed associations with attendance and satisfaction. Attendance varied widely (range: 1–76; mean ± SD: 39.1 ± 26.0 sessions), with overall satisfaction favorable (4.0 ± 0.8 on a 5-point scale). Dyskinesia metrics showed negative correlations with compliance: percentage of dyskinesia (β = –0.381, R2 = 0.145, p = 0.055) and total dyskinesia duration (β = –0.377, R2 = 0.142, p = 0.058). Compliance positively predicted satisfaction (β = 0.378, R2 = 0.143, p = 0.063). Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was the strongest satisfaction predictor (β = 0.396, R2 = 0.157, p = 0.050), followed by the Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) scores (β = –0.343, R2 = 0.118, p = 0.093). FOG had no significant effect on attendance or satisfaction. Findings indicate dyskinesia limits compliance, while cognitive function enhances satisfaction, emphasizing the need for tailored exercise.