MDT Education Solutions

Dr. Hackney was recently featured on the cover of the FAVER newsletter in an article entitled “From Dance Floor to Lab Coat: Unveiling the Science of Movement with Dr. Madeleine E. Hackney.” The Foundation for Atlanta Veterans Education and Research (FAVER), is a nonprofit corporation that was created to advance the research and educational activities of the staff of the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Congratulations Dr. Hackney!

In December 2023 we were honored to lead three online exercise classes for the Fitness Fridays series from the Parkinson’s Foundation. These weekly events provide people with Parkinson’s access to quality exercise programming from the comfort of their home. We led classes focusing on aerobic exercise and balance, one with a fun Festivus theme! Visit our Resources page view the classes.

We are excited to share that the Parkinson's Foundation competencies for exercise professionals and criteria for exercise education programs has been published in Parkinsonism & Related Disorders! MDT Education Solution's flagship course has been accredited under these guidelines. Our very own Dr. Madeleine Hackney was a contributor in the development. This is a very important step forward in making sure that everyone with Parkinson's disease has access to safe and evidence-based exercise programming! Visit our Resources page to access the full article.

One of our founders, Dr. Madeleine Hackney, PhD, MFA, was recently featured on CNN explaining how social dance helps prevent cognitive decline. Congratulations Dr. Hackney!

Emory University faculty member, and MDT Education Solutions co-founder, Dr. Madeleine Hackney was recently named an inaugural recipient of the Science Gallery Atlanta Faculty Research Fellowship. The fellowship is given to scientists who will champion the Science Gallery Atlanta mission to strengthen public engagement in the science and the arts.

In 2020, the Parkinson’s Foundation hosted a group of experts, including Dr. Madeleine Hackney, to create guidelines and a competency framework to support exercise professionals in working with people with Parkinson’s disease. The guidelines help reduce variation in exercise delivery and facilitate delivery of safe and effective programs. The guidelines are available on the Parkinson’s Foundation website.

Can teaching tango to people with Parkinson disease slow their disease progression? That question is explored on the latest episode of Your Fantastic Mind, a production of Georgia Public Broadcasting that digs deep into transformative science. This episode features MDT Education Solutions co-founder, Dr. Madeleine Hackney, and the life-changing research she conducts. In her research, Dr. Hackney uses an adapted version of tango that not only improves walking, balance and transfers, but is also a form of cognitive rehabilitation, in part because of the improvisational nature of tango. It also facilities social engagement in a fun environment.

A study published in JAMA Neurology in 2017 found that high-intensity exercise is safe for people with early-stage Parkinson disease and slows worsening of motor symptoms. This is the first time researchers have looked at the efficacy of high-intensity exercise for people with Parkinson disease. It was previously thought that high-intensity exercise was too physically stressful. The 128 participants were between the ages of 40 and 80 and were not taking medication yet, so the results were totally due to exercise. The study showed that people with PD should exercise three times a week at a heart rate between 80 to 85 percent of maximum. Those in the study who exercised at a moderate intensity (60-65% of max heart rate) did not see the same benefits. Participants exercising at a high intensity were able to prevent worsening of their Parkinson's symptoms over the 6-month period of the study.