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There is an urgent need for approaches that help patients cope with the chronic progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This condition calls for integrative frameworks that connect neurophysiology, embodied experience, and arts-based practices. In this pilot study, we explored group singing in the Singing Hospitals format and examined its effects through the lens of Polyvagal Theory to assess its regulatory potential in PD. Polyvagal Theory proposes that shifting autonomic states from defense toward safety and social engagement can enhance neurophysiological regulation and support well-being across physical, mental, emotional, and social domains.

We recruited patients with PD to participate in two group singing formats (weekly sessions: N₁ = 13; one-day workshop: N₂ = 14) and compared them with a non-singing control group (N₃ = 22). Participants completed self-developed scales assessing physical, mental, emotional, and social states immediately before and after eight one-hour singing sessions (N₁) or an eight-hour workshop (N₂). Across both formats, patients reported short-term improvements (effect size: d = 2.43). In addition, self-reported interoceptive sensibility—used as a proxy for polyvagal autonomic reactivity—showed a reduction in discomfort after weekly singing, while remaining stable in the control group (effect size: d = 0.94).

These findings align with hypothesized singing-dependent shifts in autonomic regulation and suggest that group singing may function as a low-threshold, arts-based resource for coping in PD. More broadly, Polyvagal Theory may offer a conceptual bridge between motor and non-motor symptoms, helping to forge alliances between the arts and medicine in the care of people living with PD.