Madeleine E Hackney

Emory University | EU · School of Medicine

Background Most individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) experience one or more neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as agitation which negatively impacts their quality of life. Adapted dance integrates recorded music and movement that is appropriate for people with cognitive limitations. Adapted dance may be an enjoyable...

Background Dual-task function is compromised among individuals with prodromal Alzheimer's disease (AD) and others at risk of developing AD. While exercise has been studied as a therapeutic candidate, the activity of social dance might promote dual-task rehabilitation as well or better than conventional exercise. Objective Compare effects of social...

Creative movement, in the form of music- and dance-based exercise and rehabilitation, can serve as a model for learning and memory, visuospatial orientation, mental imagery, and multimodal sensory-motor integration. This review summarizes the advancement in cognitive neuroscience aimed at determining cognitive processes and brain structural and fun...

Date Presented 03/22/24 This presentation will discuss our study results showing that goal attainment scaling (GAS) is a feasible and sensitive measure of functional change in breast cancer survivors with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy after an adapted tango intervention. Primary Author and Speaker: Amy Watson-Grace Additional Authors and Speakers...

Background: Personalized dance-based movement therapies may improve cognitive and motor function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to Alzheimer's disease. While age- and MCI-related deficits reduce individuals' abilities to perform dance-like rhythmic movement sequences (RMS)-spatial and temporal modifications to mov...

Introduction Dance has been proposed to support superior intrinsic motivation over non-dance forms of therapeutic physical activity. However, this hypothesis has yet to be evaluated empirically, particularly among populations living with neuropathology such as survivors of cancer with neurologic complications from chemotherapy treatment. Questions...

Objective The aim of this study is to explore the impact of internally guided (IG) versus externally guided (EG) adapted tango (AT) dance training (i.e., dancing the IG “Leader” role or the EG “Follower” role), on motor and non-motor functions in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and freezing of gait (PD-FOG). The “Leader” role, a proxy for IG m...

Background No effective therapies exist to prevent degeneration from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer’s disease. Therapies integrating music and/or dance are promising as effective, non-pharmacological options to mitigate cognitive decline. Objective To deepen our understanding of individuals’ relationships (i.e., histories, experience...

Whether older adults participate in regular exercise is strongly influenced by individual, relationship, community, and society factors. Older adults from traditionally minoritized and underserved locations are even less likely to engage in recommended physical activity than other older adults. This is due to the intersections of many complex barri...

Physical human–robot interactions (pHRI) often provide mechanical force and power to aid walking without requiring voluntary effort from the human. Alternatively, principles of physical human–human interactions (pHHI) can inspire pHRI that aids walking by engaging human sensorimotor processes. We hypothesize that low-force pHHI can intuitively indu...

Background The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) initiative offers health care providers tools and resources to assist with fall risk screening and multifactorial fall risk assessment and interventions. Its effectiveness has never been evaluated in a randomized trial. Objective Th...

Background: Personalized dance-based movement therapies may improve cognitive and motor function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to Alzheimer's disease. While age- and MCI-related deficits reduce individuals' abilities to perform dance-like rhythmic movement sequences (RMS)-spatial and temporal modifications to move...

BACKGROUND The Center for Disease Control’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) offers healthcare providers tools and resources to assist with fall risk screening and multifactorial fall risk assessment and interventions. It’s effectiveness has never been evaluated in a randomized trial. OBJECTIVE To describe the protocol for...

This work reviews the growing body of interdisciplinary research on music cognition, using biomechanical, kinesiological, clinical, psychosocial, and sociological methods. The review primarily examines the relationship between temporal elements in music and motor responses under varying contexts, with considerable relevance for clinical rehabilitat...

Background: An 8-week educational intervention co-taught by medical students and faculty was designed to foster communication between clinical researchers and populations of interest to ultimately increase participation in clinical research by older adults, including underrepresented groups. Weekly topics focused on age-related changes and health c...

Background: People with Parkinson's disease (PWP) and their care partners (CP) are underrepresented in research. Methods: As an eight-week research advocacy training program, TeleDREAMS was designed to increase understanding of, and participation in, clinical research by older adults through topics on the research process. Qualitative analysis w...

Background Breast cancer (BC) is among the most common forms of cancer experienced by women. Up to 80% of BC survivors treated with chemotherapy experience chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN), which degrades motor control, sensory function, and quality of life. CIN symptoms include numbness, tingling, and/or burning sensations in the extremities;...

Physical human-robot interactions (pHRI) often provide mechanical force and power to aid and alter human walking without requiring voluntary effort from the human. Alternatively, we propose that principles of physical human-human interactions (pHHI) can inspire pHRI that aids walking by engaging human sensorimotor processes. We hypothesize that low...

Background Breast cancer (BC) is among the most common forms of cancer experienced by women. Up to 80% of BC survivors treated with chemotherapy experience chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN), which degrades motor control, sensory function, and quality of life. CIN symptoms include numbness, tingling, and/or burning sensations in the extremities;...

Background/objective: Understanding the effects of multimorbidity on motor and cognitive function is important for tailoring therapies. Individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a greater risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). This study investigated if individuals with comorbid PD and DM experienced poorer functional ability compared to...

Objective: The purpose of this case report was to describe the treatment of an older veteran with chronic low back pain, utilizing flexion-distraction as a primary intervention for management. Clinical features: A 67-year-old man with chronic low back pain for several decades presented to the chiropractic clinic for evaluation. He reported low b...

Objective The aim of this narrative review was to review literature relevant to manual therapists about cognitive impairment, together with screening, potential treatment, and prevention modalities. Methods A literature search of AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database), CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature), P...

Objective: The purpose of this case report is to examine the treatment of an older veteran with chronic low back pain (cLBP) utilizing Cox Technic ® flexion-distraction as a primary intervention for management.

Objective: To estimate referent values for performance on clinical mobility tests conducted amongst racially diverse adults aged 50-95 years in the Southeast US. Design: This is an observational study of community-dwelling older adults from diverse racial groups who participated in observational and rehabilitative studies conducted from 2011-201...

Background: Dancing is an engaging physical activity for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We conducted a process evaluation for a PD trial on online dancing. Methods: “ParkinDANCE Online” was co-produced by people with PD, healthcare professionals, dance instructors, and a PD organisation. The evaluation mapped the following inputs: (i)...

Introduction: Dance-based therapies are an emerging form of movement therapy aiming to improve motor and cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairments (MCIs). Despite the promising effects of dance-based therapies on function, it remains unclear how age-related declines in motor and cognitive function affect movement capacity a...

Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects both men and women with documented gender differences across functional domains, with findings varying among reports. Knowledge regarding gender differences in PD for different geographic locations is important for further understanding of the disease and for developing personalized gender-specific PD ass...

There is currently no literature addressing the impact that chiropractic services have on older adults achieving individualized specific goals throughout a course of care for chronic low back pain. This study aims to explore the impact of setting a self-determined, “what matters most” activity/goal of rehabilitation care with relevant activities as...

Background: Functional decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is impacted by impaired ability to integrate and modulate complex cognitive and motor abilities, commonly known as motor-cognitive integration. Impaired motor-cognitive integration occurs in the early stages of AD, prodromal AD (pAD), and may precede other symptoms. Combined motor and cogn...

Objective(s) To compare the effects of rhythmic-based and tonal-based music interventions on upper extremity (UE) outcomes in individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Rhythmic-cueing utilizes external beats to influence motor execution of rhythmic movements (e.g., walking); tonal-based interventions incorporate melody and harmony to motivate and...

Background To date, no medication has slowed the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Preclinical, epidemiological, and experimental data on humans all support many benefits of endurance exercise among persons with PD. The key question is whether there is a definitive additional benefit of exercising at high intensity, in terms of slowing disea...

Major advances in music neuroscience have fueled a growing interest in music‐based neurological rehabilitation among researchers and clinicians. Musical activities are excellently suited to be adapted for clinical practice because of their multisensory nature, their demands on cognitive, language, and motor functions, and music's ability to induce...

Objectives Health education may improve health in geriatric patients. To evaluate differences between remote and in-person education, the DREAMS ( Developing a Research Participation Enhancement and Advocacy Training Program for Diverse Seniors) health seminar series compared in-person and remote learning groups to assess feasibility, satisfaction,...

Objective: There is no literature addressing the impact chiropractic services have on older adults achieving individualized specific goals throughout a course of care for chronic low back pain. This study will explore the effect of setting a self-determined, "what matters most" activity/goal of rehabilitation care with relevant activities as part o...

This study evaluated initial information about psychosocial differences of 130 diverse, older adults ( M age: 70.8 ± 9.2 years) who received a “low-tech” remote (independent reading with telephone support) or in-person education through DREAMS ( Developing a Research Participation Enhancement and Advocacy Training Program for Diverse Seniors) healt...

Introduction Dance-based therapies are an emerging form of movement therapy aiming to improve motor and cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairments (MCIs). Despite promising effects of dance-based therapies on function, it remains unclear how age-related declines in motor and cognitive function affect movement capacity and in...

Background and purpose: Falling among older adults is common and can cause chronic health complications. Fear of falling, a lasting concern about falling that can lead an individual to avoid activities he or she can perform, is strongly associated with falling and fall risk. Although White older adults fall more often, Black older adults have more...

Objective: TeleDREAMS, a distance learning version of the Developing a Research Participation Enhancement and Advocacy Training Program for Diverse Seniors (DREAMS) program, provides remote clinical research process and advocacy education to older adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their care partners. Method: Participants engaged in remot...

Have you ever lost yourself in dance? Or have you bounced your foot or wiggled with the rhythm of music? Do you find yourself smiling when you do so? You are not alone! From a simple drumbeat to popular rock-and-roll, the sound of music makes people of all ages move along in time to the beat. We see people tapping, clapping, and bouncing when liste...

People with parental history (PH) of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD) are themselves at risk of developing dementia. ADRD are more prevalent in African Americans and women. A decline in executive function and motor-cognitive integration can cause an impaired performance of functional skills. The monitori...

The purpose of this review is to identify gaps and synthesize literature examining the associations of patient-led goals combined with care for cLBP. A total of 12 studies were reviewed and findings were synthesized. Patient-led goal setting may serve as an effective intervention for adults with cLBP. Current outcome measures may not align with pat...

Background and Objectives: This paper reports on an interpretive evaluation conducted to identify successes and weaknesses of an 8-week educational intervention co-taught by medical students and faculty that was designed to foster communication between clinicians and researchers and ultimately increase participation in clinical research by older ad...

Background: Apathy, often-unrecognized in Parkinson's Disease (PD), adversely impacts quality-of-life (QOL) and may increase with disease severity. Identifying apathy early can aid treatment and enhance prognoses. Whether feelings related to apathy (e.g., loss of pleasure) are present in mild PD and how apathy and related feelings increase with di...

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating, progressive neurodegenerative disease resulting in memory loss and a severe reduction in ability to perform activities of daily living. Ethnicity‐related genetic factors promoting the development of dementias among African Americans (AA) and increased risk among females for developing AD indicat...

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of face-to-face, digital, and virtual modes of dancing for people living with Parkinson's disease (PD). Design: Systematic review informed by Cochrane and PRIMSA guidelines. Data Sources. Seven electronic databases were searched: AMED, Cochrane, PEDro, CINHAL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and MEDLINE. Methods: Eligible...

Background Therapeutic dancing can be beneficial for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet community-based classes can be difficult to access. Objective To evaluate the feasibility and impact of online therapeutic dancing classes for people in the early to mid-stages of PD. Methods Co-produced with people living with PD, physiotherapis...

Background: 10%to 20%of Americans aged 65 and older have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with 10%progressing to Alzheimer's disease (AD) each year. Underserved groups, including African Americans (AAs), are among the most vulnerable to MCI and AD. Although evidence continues to amass, the benefits of exercise and movement for AD is still understud...

Restoring function to damaged neural pathways, or promoting compensatory strategies to overcome dysfunctional neural pathways have been topics of inquiry within motor rehabilitation. This study considers these topics in Parkinson’s disease (PD), where disruption within the striatal-thalamic-cortical (STC) circuits can cause impairment in internally...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating, progressive neurodegenerative disease resulting in memory loss and a severe reduction in the ability to perform activities of daily living. Ethnicity-related genetic factors promoting the development of dementias among African Americans (AA) and increased risk among women for developing AD indicates that A...

Although Parkinson disease (PD) causes profound balance impairments, we know very little about how PD impacts the sensorimotor networks we rely on for automatically maintaining balance control. In young healthy people and animals, muscles are activated in a precise temporal and spatial organization when the center of body mass (CoM) is unexpectedly...

Background Ethnic minority representation lacks in research. Understanding factors that promote minorities in research helps address this participation gap. Minorities often face representation disparities, including health education, socioeconomic status, and race. Compared to other races in the USA, over 50% of African Americans (AA) over age 65...

The STEADI Options trial uses a randomized, controlled-trial design to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the STEADI Initiative . Beginning March, 2020, we will randomize 3,000 adults ≥ 65 years of age at risk for falls seen in an Emory Clinic primary care practice to: (1) full STEADI; (2) a STEADI-derived gait, balance, and strengt...

Background Dementia caregivers have increased risk for psychological and physiological illness including depression, stress, hypertension, diabetes, diminished QOL, low‐grade inflammation and increased mortality. Dementia risk factors include gender, race and family history. Method This phase I pilot study evaluated the potential physiological, co...

Parkinson's disease (PD), an intractable condition impairing motor and cognitive function, is imperfectly treated by drugs and surgery. Two priority issues for many people with PD are OFF-time and cognitive impairment. Even under best medical management, three-fourths of people with PD experience “OFF-time” related to medication-related motor fluct...

Introduction African-Americans (AAs) are 64% more likely to be diagnosed with AD than non-Hispanic Whites. AAs with elevated AD biomarkers exhibit greater neurodegeneration in AD signature regions compared to non-Hispanic Whites with elevated AD biomarkers. This pilot trial examined whether normal or elevated plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-10 ar...

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease. Treatments are necessary to target people at high risk for AD. Inflammation, particularly tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), appears to be an important marker associated with the development of AD pathophysiology. Consuming a high-fat diet induces tissue expression of TN...

Social engagement and autonomy are vital for life satisfaction among older adults. We measured multiple domains of social participation and autonomy in 120 adults over age 55 years that were part of an educational program at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed for differences between Black and White par...

Objective To compare participants with Parkinson’s disease (PD) motor subtypes, postural instability with gait difficulty (PIGD) (n=46) and tremor dominant (TD) (n=28) in cognitive and motor-cognitive assessments with the purpose of identifying associations between subtype and visuospatial, whole-body spatial, inhibition/switching, and planning/org...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between objective and subjective findings of motor function measures in older adults following a 12-week adapted tango intervention. Methods: A quasi-experimental repeated-measures design was used. Secondary analysis of the experimental group (Tango) data is reported here. The...

Although Parkinson disease (PD) causes profound balance impairments, we know very little about how PD impacts the sensorimotor networks we rely on for automatically maintaining balance control. In young healthy people and animals, muscles are activated in a precise temporal and spatial organization when the center of body mass (CoM) is unexpectedly...

The risk of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) increases with age as over 90% of individuals are diagnosed after the age of 50. Older individuals with PD face a compounding burden of reduced muscle power, decreased muscular endurance, and weakness related to disease specific processes such as an altered pattern of motor unit activation, rigidity and bradykin...

Early in PD, women may experience a more benign disease course than man. Limited research has examined differences between men and women with moderate, treated PD with a mean duration >5 y. Retrospective analyses were performed on data collected from studies, conducted 2011–2019, that assessed motor, cognitive and psychosocial function in 199 peopl...

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to assess the relationship between objective and subjective perceptions of motor function measures in older adults following a 12 week adapted tango or health education intervention. A quasi-experimental, two-group, repeated-measures design was used. The study took place in diverse senior independent livin...

Background Falling among older adults is common and can cause chronic health complications. This study investigated differences between White and Black community-dwelling older adults in fall history, fear of falling, and indicators of fall risk. Methods All assessments and analyses were conducted in a clinical laboratory at Emory University in the...