Brain Activity of Professional Dancers During Audiovisual Stimuli Exposure: A Systematic Review.

Many studies have shown the effect of dance to the brain. It seems that long-term practice modulates brain plasticity and visuomotor skills, as it activates the Action Observation Network (AON). The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate potential differences in the brain activity (visuomotor skills) between professional dancers and non-dancer adults, measured by electroencephalography (EEG), during the observation of an individual who is dancing (video dance stimuli). This literature search was conducted from February to June 2022, according to the PRISMA guidelines, in the PubMed database using advanced search, mesh terms, and extensive manual search. The included articles were published in English. Specifically, case-control studies were selected, which used healthy adults, professional dancers, and non-dancers as participants, who were exposed to video dance clips and measured by EEG. The articles were excluded if they were based on different type of study, unhealthy population, control group with athletic background, different type of stimuli (rhythmic), or different type of task and procedure. The ratings of quality of evidence were conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) critical appraisal tool. Five case-control studies were included with 193 participants in total, 87% females. The participating groups of professional dancers (n = 12-25) had mean age 25.14 years, with at least 9-19 years of professional training, whereas control groups had the same sample size, mean age of 24.14 years, and no experience in dancing. Most of the studies presented high methodological quality. All studies showed significant differences in dancers' brain activity, especially regarding the visuomotor skills. The results showed faster activation of AON demonstrated by higher P300 at the frontocentral regions and increased sensitivity of the occipital temporal cortex. Dancers could cope easier with familiar-unfamiliar and effortful-effortless movements. They also demonstrated faster alpha band peak frequency, stronger synchrony over the bands theta, beta, gamma during the audiovisual stimuli, and the ability to encode faster the visual information. The results demonstrate that dancers had better visuomotor skills suggesting dance-enhanced neuroplasticity, as professional dancers processed their actions easier. Dance, which includes visuomotor tasks, could help in prevention, therapy, and rehabilitation of neurodegenerative diseases or movement disorders.

The Effect of Pythagorean Self-Awareness on Heart Rate Variability, Perceived Stress and Behavior of Preschool Children.

Stress is associated with unhealthy habits and non-communicable diseases. It is also linked to communicable diseases due to its impact on immune function. These can be prevented through intervention programs in schools. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the simplified Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention on heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, perceived stress and behaviors of preschool children. The sample of the study consisted of 45 preschool students. A "one group (double) pretest­posttest design" was used, to allow for comparisons of the measurements before and after the intervention. Students were assessed via two questionnaires ("Perceived Stress Scale for Children" (PSS-C) and "Checklist for Screening Behavioral Problems in Preschool Children") and a photoplethysmographic (PPG) device. The intervention lasted 9 weeks and included practicing of the Pythagorean Self-awareness techniques and the adoption of healthy behaviors. The results showed no statistically significant differences between the two pretests (p > 0.05 for all comparisons) and statistically significant differences between the second pretest and posttest ("Perceived Stress Scale for Children", (PSS-C) p < 0.0001, "Checklist for Screening Behavioral Problems in Preschool Children" p < 0.0001 and two indices of PPG device: heart rate mean, p < 0.0001, low frequency/very low frequency, p = 0.034). In conclusion, the Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention had a beneficial effect on the sample of preschool students examined, as the results showed an improvement in the perceived stress and the HRV parameters tested, and in engaging healthier behaviors, findings that indicate a relaxed psychologic state and a healthier lifestyle.