Ballroom Dancing Promotes Neural Activity in the Sensorimotor System: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Discrepant changes in structure-function coupling in dancers and musicians

Dance and music are well known to improve sensorimotor skills and cognitive functions. To reveal the underlying mechanism, previous studies focus on the brain plastic structural and functional effects of dance and music training. However, the discrepancy training effects on brain structure-function relationship are still blurred. Thus, proficient dancers, musicians, and controls were recruited in this study. The graph signal processing framework was employed to quantify the region-level and network-level relationship between brain function and structure. The results showed the increased coupling strength of the right ventromedial putamen in the dance and music groups. Distinctly, enhanced coupling strength of the ventral attention network, increased coupling strength of the right inferior frontal gyrus opercular area, and increased function connectivity of coupling function signal between the right and left middle frontal gyrus were only found in the dance group. Besides, the dance group indicated enhanced coupling function connectivity between the left inferior parietal lobule caudal area and the left superior parietal lobule intraparietal area compared with the music groups. The results might illustrate dance and music training's discrepant effect on the structure-function relationship of the subcortical and cortical attention networks. Furthermore, dance training seemed to have a greater impact on these networks.

Aerobic exercise promotes emotion regulation: a narrative review

Aerobic exercise improves the three stages of emotion regulation: perception, valuation and action. It reduces the perception of negative emotions, encourages individuals to reinterpret emotional situations in a positive or non-emotional manner, and enhances control over emotion expression behaviours. These effects are generated via increased prefrontal cortex activation, the strengthening of functional connections between the amygdala and several other brain regions, and the enhancement of the plasticity of key emotion regulation pathways and nodes, such as the uncinate fasciculus. The effect of aerobic exercise on emotion regulation is influenced by the exercise intensity and duration, and by individuals' exercise experience. Future research may explore the key neural basis of aerobic exercise's promotion of emotion regulation.

Embodied metacognition as strengthened functional connection between neural correlates of metacognition and dance in dancers: exploring creativity implications

Introduction

Dance education fosters embodied metacognition, enhancing student's creativity. This study examines the crucial role of functional connectivity (FC) between the neural correlates of metacognition (NCM) and dance (NCD) as the neurological foundation for dancers' embodied metacognition. The investigation also explores whether these consolidated FCs inform the general creativity in dancers.

Methods

The research involved 29 dancers and 28 non-dancer controls. The study examined resting-state connections of the NCM through seed-based FC analysis. Correlation analyses were employed to investigate the connections between the targeted NCM-NCD FCs, initiated from the a priori NCM seed, and general creativity.

Results

Dancers demonstrated heightened FC between NCM and NCD compared to non-dancer controls. The targeted regions included the putamen, globus pallidus, posterior cerebellum, and anterior insula of NCD. The dancers exhibited higher originality scores. In dancers, the enhanced FC showed a negative correlation with originality and a positive correlation with flexibility. Conversely, the controls exhibited no significant correlations.

Discussion

Extended dance training enhances the NCM-NCD connection signifying embodied metacognition. This interconnectedness may serve as the neural predisposition for fostering general creativity performance in dancers. Dancers with heightened levels of originality could leverage the relatively weaker NCM-NCD FCs to facilitate better integration and coordination of creative cognitive processes. Our findings suggest that the consolidated functional connections as sculpted by domain-specific training may inform general creativity.

Effects of dance therapy on cognitive and mental health in adults aged 55 years and older with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Individuals with mild cognitive impairment are at high risk of developing dementia. Dance therapy has promising applications in delaying cognitive decline. However, the effectiveness of dance therapy for older adults with mild cognitive impairment is unclear. The objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of dance therapy on global cognitive function, specific cognitive subdomains, quality of life, and mental health in older adults with mild cognitive impairment to enrich health management strategies for dementia.

METHODS

Electronic databases and grey literature were searched from inception up to September 23, 2023. The language was limited to English and Chinese. Relevant studies were screened and assessed for risk of bias. A meta-analysis and subgroup analyses stratified by measurement instrument, dance type, intervention duration, and frequency were conducted using the STATA 16.0 software. This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Ten studies involving 984 participants aged 55 years and over who met the eligibility criteria were included. Dance therapy significantly improved global cognitive function, memory, executive function, attention, language, and mental health (i.e., depression and neuropsychiatric symptoms). However, the effects of dance therapy on processing speed, visuospatial ability, and quality of life in older adults with mild cognitive impairment remain inconclusive. Moreover, dance interventions of longer duration (> 3 months) improved global cognition more than shorter interventions.

CONCLUSION

This review reported that dance therapy was effective in improving global cognitive function, memory, executive function, attention, language, and mental health (i.e., depression and neuropsychiatric symptoms). Hence, it may be an effective non-pharmacological complementary treatment for older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Enhanced neural synchrony associated with long-term ballroom dance training

Long-term dance training offers numerous benefits, including improvements in physical health, posture, body coordination, and mental health and well-being. Since dance is an art form of body-to-body communication, professional dancers may share feelings and thoughts on dance with their partners, owing to their shared training experiences. Considering this perspective, one may expect that professional dancers would demonstrate pronounced neural similarities when viewing dancing videos, which could be associated with their training duration. To test these hypotheses, we collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while presenting ballroom dancing and neutral video clips with long durations (∼100 s each) to 41 professional ballroom dancers (19 pairs of dance partners) and 39 age- and sex-matched nondancers. Our findings revealed that dancers exhibited broader and stronger neural similarities across the whole brain when watching dancing video clips, as compared to the control group. These increased neural similarities could be interpreted in at least two distinct ways. First, neural similarities in certain brain regions within the motor control circuit (i.e., frontal cortical-basal ganglia-thalamic circuit) were significantly correlated with dance-related information (e.g., dance partners' cooperation duration), which reinforced the impact of long-term dance training on neural synchronization. Second, neural similarities in other brain regions (e.g., memory-related brain regions) were significantly correlated with subjects' impression of the viewed videos (i.e., whether they have watched before, familiarity, and liking), which may not necessarily be directly linked to long-term dance training. Altogether, our study provided solid evidence for synchronized neural mechanisms in professional dancers due to long-term dance training.

Trait representation of embodied cognition in dancers pivoting on the extended mirror neuron system: a resting-state fMRI study

Introduction

Dance is an art form that integrates the body and mind through movement. Dancers develop exceptional physical and mental abilities that involve various neurocognitive processes linked to embodied cognition. We propose that dancers' primary trait representation is movement-actuated and relies on the extended mirror neuron system (eMNS).

Methods

A total of 29 dancers and 28 non-dancer controls were recruited. A hierarchical approach of intra-regional and inter-regional functional connectivity (FC) analysis was adopted to probe trait-like neurodynamics within and between regions in the eMNS during rest. Correlation analyses were employed to examine the associations between dance training, creativity, and the FC within and between different brain regions.

Results

Within the eMNS, dancers exhibited increased intra-regional FC in various brain regions compared to non-dancers. These regions include the left inferior frontal gyrus, left ventral premotor cortex, left anterior insula, left posterior cerebellum (crus II), and bilateral basal ganglia (putamen and globus pallidus). Dancers also exhibited greater intrinsic inter-regional FC between the cerebellum and the core/limbic mirror areas within the eMNS. In dancers, there was a negative correlation observed between practice intensity and the intrinsic FC within the eMNS involving the cerebellum and basal ganglia. Additionally, FCs from the basal ganglia to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were found to be negatively correlated with originality in dancers.

Discussion

Our results highlight the proficient communication within the cortical-subcortical hierarchy of the eMNS in dancers, linked to the automaticity and cognitive-motor interactions acquired through training. Altered functional couplings in the eMNS can be regarded as a unique neural signature specific to virtuoso dancers, which might predispose them for skilled dancing performance, perception, and creation.

The Neuroscience of Dance: A Conceptual Framework and Systematic Review

Ancient and culturally universal, dance pervades many areas of life and has multiple benefits. In this article, we provide a conceptual framework and systematic review, as a guide for researching the neuroscience of dance. We identified relevant articles following PRISMA guidelines, and summarised and evaluated all original results. We identified avenues for future research in: the interactive and collective aspects of dance; groove; dance performance; dance observation; and dance therapy. Furthermore, the interactive and collective aspects of dance constitute a vital part of the field but have received almost no attention from a neuroscientific perspective so far. Dance and music engage overlapping brain networks, including common regions involved in perception, action, and emotion. In music and dance, rhythm, melody, and harmony are processed in an active, sustained pleasure cycle giving rise to action, emotion, and learning, led by activity in specific hedonic brain networks. The neuroscience of dance is an exciting field, which may yield information concerning links between psychological processes and behaviour, human flourishing, and the concept of eudaimonia.

The association between ballroom dance training and empathic concern: Behavioral and brain evidence

Dance is unique in that it is a sport and an art simultaneously. Beyond improving sensorimotor functions, dance training could benefit high-level emotional and cognitive functions. Duo dances also confer the possibility for dancers to develop the abilities to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of their dance partners during the long-term dance training. To test this possibility, we collected high-resolution structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 43 expert-level ballroom dancers (a model of long-term exposure to duo dance training) and 40 age-matched and sex-matched nondancers, and measured their empathic ability using a self-report trait empathy scale. We found that ballroom dancers showed higher scores of empathic concern (EC) than controls. The EC scores were positively correlated with years with dance partners but negatively correlated with the number of dance partners for ballroom dancers. These behavioral results were supported by the structural and functional MRI data. Structurally, we observed that the gray matter volumes in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and EC scores were positively correlated. Functionally, the connectivity between ACC and occipital gyrus was positively correlated with both EC scores and years with dance partners. In addition, the relationship between years with dance partners and EC scores was indirect-only mediated by the ACC-occipital gyrus functional connectivity. Therefore, our findings provided solid evidence for the close link between long-term ballroom dance training and empathy, which deepens our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.

Structural and Functional Asymmetry in Precentral and Postcentral Gyrus in Patients With Unilateral Chronic Shoulder Pain

Objective

The purpose of this study was to explore the structural and functional asymmetry of precentral and postcentral gyrus in patients with unilateral chronic shoulder pain (CSP) utilizing MRI.

Patients and Methods

We collected structural and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data in 22 left-sided, 15 patients with right-sided CSP, and 24 healthy controls (HCs). Here, we performed the structural asymmetry and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analyses. We extracted regional cortical thickness and surface area measurements from T1-weighted MRI images, using asymmetry indexes (AIs) to assess asymmetries. We used Data Processing and Analysis for Brain Imaging software for seed-based FC analysis and selected unilateral-precentral and postcentral as the regions of interest. Then, we performed group comparisons of the neuroimaging metrics, and also explored the relationships between brain asymmetry and clinical variables.

Results

We found significant differences in surface area AIs of the precentral among three groups, the AI values were negatively correlated with the visual analog scale score and positively correlated with Constant–Murley scores (CMS) in the left-sided CSP group. Further, FC of left postcentral with cingulate gyrus and left paracentral lobule showed significant group differences; FC of right postcentral with left caudate, left paracentral, and left postcentral were different among groups; FC of right precentral with the cingulate gyrus, precuneus, and left paracentral revealed significant group differences. Besides, there was a positive correlation between right precentral-cingulate gyrus FC and CMS in the right-sided CSP group.

Conclusion

Surface area and FC patterns asymmetry exist in precentral and postcentral gyrus in patients with unilateral CSP. Asymmetry trend is associated with pain severity and shoulder joint function impairment. Brain structural and functional asymmetry may be an important indicator for understanding the potential mechanism of chronic pain.

Filipino Multicomponent Intervention to Maintain Cognitive Performance in High-Risk Population (FINOMAIN): Study Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: More than half of the people with dementia live in lower-middle income countries (LMIC), yet we lack research and evidence-based knowledge to guide health promotion and prevention strategies for cognitive decline. In the Philippines, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cardiovascular risk factors among older persons are high, making this population at high risk for developing dementia. This protocol describes a cluster randomized controlled trial that aims to investigate the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention to maintain cognitive performance among high-risk population. Methods: This is a cluster-randomized, two-arm, single-blind trial of a multicomponent intervention that combines dance called INDAK (Improving Neurocognition through Dance and Kinesthetics), nutrition counseling, and vascular risk management. The intervention arm will receive 12 months (1-h, twice per week) of INDAK and every 3 months of nutrition counseling and intensive vascular risk management and monitoring. The control group will receive the usual vascular care advice and referral. A total of 605 (20-25 clusters per arm) community-dwelling Filipino older adults aged ≥ 60 years old with MCI will participate in the study and will be assessed at baseline, 6th- and 12th-month follow-up. The primary outcome is cognitive performance assessed by the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog), Mnemonic Similarity Tasks (MST), and executive function composite (EFC). Secondary outcomes are functional connectivity assessed through brain imaging, and measures of behavioral, functional level, and quality of life. Discussion: The study aims to provide scientific evidence on a public health intervention that is contextualized in a community setting to reduce dementia risk among older adults with MCI. This model can be an ecological, low-cost, and effective program, thereby conducive to widespread implementation in the Philippines as well as in other low-resource settings with similar public health challenges. The pilot phase was underway with eight villages (clusters), but temporarily interrupted by the pandemic. The full study is anticipated to start after community restrictions are eased.

Contralesional homotopic functional plasticity in patients with temporal glioma

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the contralesional homotopic functional plasticity in the brain of patients with unilateral temporal glioma.

METHODS

Demographic, neurocognitive, and resting-state functional MRI data were collected from 17 patients with temporal glioma (10 in the right lobe and 7 in the left lobe), along with 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of the contralesional homotopic region and 2 control regions was examined. The region-of-interest-based analysis was used to determine the altered functional connectivity (FC) of the contralesional homotopic region, showing significantly different intrinsic regional brain activity between patients and controls. Partial correlation analysis was conducted to determine the association between the altered neural activity and behavioral characteristics.

RESULTS

Compared with controls, patients with right temporal glioma exhibited significantly increased ALFF in the contralesional homotopic hippocampus and parahippocampal region. In addition, the intrinsic regional activity in these regions was negatively correlated with the visuospatial score (r = -0.718, p = 0.045). Whole-brain FC analysis revealed significantly increased FC between the left hippocampus and parahippocampal regions and the left inferior temporal gyrus, and decreased FC between the left hippocampus and parahippocampal regions and the left inferior frontal gyrus. No significant changes were found in the 2 control regions.

CONCLUSIONS

Contralesional homotopic regions are instrumental in the process of neural plasticity and functional compensation observed in patients with unilateral temporal glioma. The observed findings might be used to help preoperative evaluation or rehabilitation of postsurgical patients.

The effectiveness of dance interventions on cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (published or unpublished RCTs in English) examined the effectiveness of dance interventions compared to waitlist/active controls on cognitive functions in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Literature search was conducted on MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and related databases through 3 August 2019. Risk of bias was assessed with the PEDro scale regarding randomization, allocation concealment, group comparability, blinding, attrition and selective reporting. Five included RCTs (N = 358) used Latin, ballroom and aerobic dances (frequency: 1-3 session/week; intensity: light to moderate; time: 25-60 min/session; type: aerobic). Results show that dance interventions improve global cognition (SMD [95 % CI] = 0.48 [0.21, 0.74]), attention (SMD [95 % CI] = 0.33 [0.12, 0.54]), immediate (SMD [95 % CI] = 0.54 [0.38, 0.71]) and delayed recall (SMD [95 % CI] = 0.33 [0.01, 0.64]), and visuospatial ability (SMD [95 % CI] = 0.16 [0.01, 0.32]). Study limitations include a small number of RCTs and high heterogeneity in some cognitive domains. In summary, dance interventions improve some cognitive domains in MCI. (PROSPERO registration: CRD42019145418).

Occupational Neuroplasticity in the Human Brain: A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis of Neuroimaging Studies

Many studies have revealed the structural or functional brain changes induced by occupational factors. However, it remains largely unknown how occupation-related connectivity shapes the brain. In this paper, we denote occupational neuroplasticity as the neuroplasticity that takes place to satisfy the occupational requirements by extensively professional training and to accommodate the long-term, professional work of daily life, and a critical review of occupational neuroplasticity related to the changes in brain structure and functional networks has been primarily presented. Furthermore, meta-analysis revealed a neurophysiological mechanism of occupational neuroplasticity caused by professional experience. This meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies showed that experts displayed stronger activation in the left precentral gyrus [Brodmann area (BA)6], left middle frontal gyrus (BA6), and right inferior frontal gyrus (BA9) than novices, while meta-analysis of structural studies suggested that experts had a greater gray matter volume in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (BA22) and right putamen than novices. Together, these findings not only expand the current understanding of the common neurophysiological basis of occupational neuroplasticity across different occupations and highlight some possible targets for neural modulation of occupational neuroplasticity but also provide a new perspective for occupational science research.