• Claire Shackleton, Soshi Samejima, Tiev Miller, Ali Hosseinzadeh, Amanda Hx Lee, Rahul Sachdeva, Tom E Nightingale, and Andrei V Krassioukov.
• International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Div. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada. Tel 604-675-8810. Andrei.Krassioukov@vch.ca.
• Med Probl Perform Art. 2022 Dec 1; 37 (4): 269277269-277.

ObjectivesThis case-series investigated energy expenditure, cardiovascular responses, and psychosocial outcomes during two wheelchair dancing routines with different tempos.MethodsThree individuals with chronic, non-traumatic spinal cord injuries [males, mean age 42 (13) years, C3-T12, AIS D, schwannoma=1, poliomyelitis=1, ependymoma=1] performed slow (rumba, 80 bpm) and fast (salsa, 170 bpm) wheelchair dance routines. Physiological [heart rate, blood pressure, relative oxygen consumption (VO2), metabolic task equivalent] and psychosocial parameters [ratings of perceived exertion, enjoyment and Brunel Mood Score] were measured pre, during, and post-dancing.ResultsAll participants showed an elevation in heart rate and relative VO2 from rest to dancing with a subsequent decrease in these parameters post-dance for both routines. Relative to the slow dance routine, two out of three participants demonstrated greater heart rate, relative VO2, ratings of perceived exertion, and enjoyment during the fast dance routine. For all three participants, metabolic task equivalents ranged from 1.7-2.4 (slow) and 2.1-3.8 (fast), suggesting the intervention was of light to moderate intensity for slow and fast dance routines, respectively. Enjoyment ratings ranged from "quite a bit" to "extremely." No differences in Brunel mood subscales were observed.ConclusionThis case-series offers a preliminary understanding of the acute cardiometabolic and psychosocial responses to wheelchair dance routines of differing intensities per¬formed by individuals with spinal cord injury. Responsiveness observed among these participants suggests the potential use of wheelchair dance for promoting physical activity and improving psychological well-being.

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