Analysis of Movement Entropy during Community Dance Programs for People with Parkinson’s Disease and Older Adults: A Cohort Study

Dance therapy can improve motor skills, balance, posture, and gait in people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy older adults (OA). It is not clear how specific movement patterns during dance promote these benefits. The purpose of this cohort study was to identify differences and complexity in dance movement patterns among different dance styles for PD and OA participants in community dance programs using approximate entropy (ApEn) analysis. The hypothesis was that PD participants will show greater ApEn during dance than OA participants and that the unique dance style of tango with more pronounced foot technique and sharp direction changes will show greater ApEn than smoother dance types such as foxtrot and waltz characterized by gradual changes in direction and gliding movement with rise and fall. Individuals participated in one-hour community dance classes. Movement data were captured using porTable 3D motion capture sensors attached to the arms, torso and legs. Classes were also video recorded to assist in analyzing the dance steps. Movement patterns were captured and ApEn was calculated to quantify the complexity of movements. Participants with PD had greater ApEn in right knee flexion during dance movements than left knee flexion (p = 0.02), greater ApEn of right than left hip flexion (p = 0.05), and greater left hip rotation than right (p = 0.03). There was no significant difference in ApEn of body movements (p > 0.4) or mean body movements (p > 0.3) at any body-segment in OA. ApEn analysis is valuable for quantifying the degree of control and predictability of dance movements and could be used as another tool to assess the movement control of dancers and aid in the development of dance therapies.

Traveling Alone or Together? Neighborhood Context on Individual and Group Juvenile and Adult Burglary Decisions

Neighborhood characteristics are important considerations when offenders make targeting decisions. Movement patterns among adults and juveniles vary widely, which impacts both the number of crime opportunities and the range of neighborhoods to which an offender is exposed. We test whether offending patterns among adult and juvenile burglars vary based on distances traveled, the types of neighborhoods targeted, and whether suspects acted alone or in a group. Using discrete choice modeling, we draw upon a unique sample of cleared burglaries in a representative city in the south over a 13-year period. Results show that adult burglars consistently travel further and are more sensitive to neighborhood conditions than their juvenile counterparts, but that group participation makes little difference in target decisions.