Irish dance for Parkinson's Disease

11 April 2013 Last updated at 06:57 ET

People with Parkinson's disease have taken to the dance floor to see if Irish set dancing can improve their symptoms.

It is part of an international study being led by the University of Limerick.

Results are yet to be analysed but in a previous study, patients fell less often and were more mobile after regular set dancing lessons.

Benefits may be down to exercise, the strong rhythm of Irish music and the sociability of group dances.

The research could potentially lead to people worldwide being offered traditional Irish set dancing as part of their Parkinson's treatment.

I'm very happy that this dance can help people improve their quality of life. This is our job.

Masters student Joanne Shanahan, a qualified set dance instructor, led an exercise programme twice a week for eight weeks in a pilot study.

Eight patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's took part and were compared against a control group.

One of them, Mary, spoke to the BBC but did not want her surname to be made public.

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Irish dance for Parkinson's Disease