Effect of Dance Movement Therapy on Gross Motor Function and Cognitive Function in Smartphone-Addicted Children

Background: Excessively used Smartphones, can cause various developmental problems in children, linking to higher risks of developmental delays in communication, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and personal and social skills. Physical activity is necessary for the growth of social, emotional, and cognitive abilities. Dance therapy serves as an effective educational tool that promotes physical and emotional well-being also reduces reliance on mobile phones. By engaging in structured, rhythmic movement, individuals are encouraged to focus on their body and mind, providing alternative to the passive consumption of digital content Aim: To find out the effect of Dance Movement Therapy on Gross Motor Function and Cognitive Function in smartphone-addicted children. Materials & methods: A single group pretest-posttest experimental study was conducted on 30 smartphone-addicted children between 5-15 years of age with a Modified Child MMSE score < 35 and Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version score > 33. Dance Movement Therapy was administered 45 minutes 5 days/week for 3 weeks. The outcomes measures; Modified child MMSE scale and Test of Gross Motor Development Scale (TGMD) 2 were assessed before and after the intervention Results: The intragroup comparison of the mean scores on the modified Child MMSE revealed a significant improvement in cognitive function (p<0.001), it also improved the sum of standard scores (2.2 ± 0.6), the Gross Motor Quotient (6.8 ± 1.6), and the percentile score (3.8 ± 2.4) on the TGMD scale (p<0.001). Conclusion: Dance Movement therapy is effective in improving gross motor function and cognition in smartphone addicted children Key words: Modified Child MMSE, Test of Gross Motor Development Scale, smartphone addicted Children, cognitive function