Building on collective findings suggesting shared pathways between speech and dance production, Constantina has developed a hypothesis (read preprint here) proposing that a dance intervention could not only enhance general motor performance but also potentially improve speech performance. To test this hypothesis, she is coordinating clinical trials that aim to test the potential impact of structured dance interventions in speech performance and speech production brain pathways in people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, specifically Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease.

These collaborations are supported by Constantina’s affiliations as Visiting Scholar at the Center for Ballet and the Arts of New York University and as Research Associate at Emory University and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

The pictures used in this gallery are from the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for Parkinson’s Disease program’s website.