Unleashing the potential of dance: a neuroplasticity-based approach bridging from older adults to Parkinson's disease patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects >1% of individuals worldwide and is manifested by motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, as well as non-motor symptoms such as cognitive impairment and depression. Non-pharmacological interventions such as dance therapy are becoming increasingly popular as complementary therapies for PD, in addition to pharmacological treatments that are currently widely available. Dance as a sensorimotor activity stimulates multiple layers of the neural system, including those involved in motor planning and execution, sensory integration, and cognitive processing. Dance interventions in healthy older people have been associated with increased activation of the prefrontal cortex, as well as enhanced functional connectivity between the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. Overall, the evidence suggests that dance interventions can induce neuroplastic changes in healthy older participants, leading to improvements in both motor and cognitive functions. Dance interventions involving patients with PD show better quality of life and improved mobility, whereas the literature on dance-induced neuroplasticity in PD is sparse. Nevertheless, this review argues that similar neuroplastic mechanisms may be at work in patients with PD, provides insight into the potential mechanisms underlying dance efficacy, and highlights the potential of dance therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention in PD. Further research is warranted to determine the optimal dance style, intensity, and duration for maximum therapeutic benefit and to determine the long-term effects of dance intervention on PD progression.

Neuromuscular Aging: A Case for the Neuroprotective Effects of Dancing.

AIM: We planned a cross-sectional investigation (study 1) and a longitudinal training intervention (study 2) to investigate whether recreational dancing affords greater neuroprotective effects against age-related neuromuscular junction (NMJ) degeneration compared to general fitness exercise training. METHODS: In study 1, we recruited 19 older volunteers regularly practising dancing (older dancers [OD]) and 15 recreationally physically active older individuals (OA) and physical performance, muscle morphology, muscle function, and NMJ stability (from serum C-terminal agrin fragment [CAF] concentration) were assessed. In study 2, employing a longitudinal study design in a different cohort (composed of 37 older adults), we aimed to study whether a 6-month dancing intervention decreased CAF concentration compared to general fitness exercise training in older adults. RESULTS: Our findings show that OD had a lower CAF concentration (suggesting an increased NMJ stability) compared to OA. This result was accompanied by superior functional performance despite no differences in muscle size. In study 2, we observed a reduction in CAF concentration only in the dancing group. CONCLUSION: Overall, these findings suggest that dancing is an effective training modality to promote neuroprotection and increase muscle function in healthy older individuals.

Corrigendum: Musical feedback system Jymmin® leads to enhanced physical endurance in the elderly-A feasibility study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2022.915926.].

Musical feedback system Jymmin® leads to enhanced physical endurance in the elderly-A feasibility study.

Background and objectives: Active music-making in combination with physical exercise has evoked several positive effects in users of different age groups. These include enhanced mood, muscular effectivity, pain threshold, and decreased perceived exertion. The present study tested the applicability of this musical feedback system, called Jymmin ®, in combination with strength-endurance exercises in a population of healthy older adults. Research design and methods: Sixteen healthy, physically inactive older adults (5 males, 11 females) at the mean age of 70 years performed physical exercise in two conditions: A conventional work-out while listening passively music and a Jymmin ® work-out, where musical sounds were created with one's work-out movements. According to the hypothesis that strength-endurance is increased during musical feedback exercise, parameters relating to strength-endurance were assessed, including exercise duration, number of repetitions, perceived exertion (RPE), and participants' mental state (Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire; MDMQ). Results: Results show that participants exercised significantly longer while doing Jymmin ® (Mdn = 248.75 s) as compared to the conventional work-out (Mdn = 182.73 s), (Z = 3.408, p = 0.001). The RPE did not differ between conventional work-out and the Jymmin ® condition, even though participants worked out significantly longer during the Jymmin ® condition (Mdn = 14.50; Z = -0.905; p = 0.366). The results of the MDMQ showed no significant differences between both conditions (Z = -1.037; p = 0.300). Discussion and implications: Results show that participants could work out longer while showing the same perceived exertion, relating to increased physical endurance. Music feedback work-out encouraged a greater degree of isometric contractions (muscle actively held at fixed length) and, therefore, less repetitions in this condition. In addition to the previously described effect on muscle effectivity, this non-stereotypic contraction pattern during music feedback training may have enhanced endurance in participants supporting them to better proportion energetic reserves during training (pacing). Clinical trial registration: Identifier: DRKS00023645.

Want to Impact Physical, Technical, and Tactical Performance during Basketball Small-Sided Games in Youth Athletes? Try Differential Learning Beforehand.

This study aimed to analyze the acute effect of small-sided games, based on differential learning, on the physical, technical, and positioning performance of young basketball players. Eight basketball players under 13 (U13) participated in this study. A total of eight sessions involving half-court small-sided games (4 sets × 3 min + 1 min of passive recovery) under randomly different numerical relations were performed. Before each trial, players were verbally instructed to perform the drill in one of the conditions, in random order. Pre- and post-tests were performed in the 4v4 half-court format, in each session. External load and positional data were collected via a WIMU PRO local positioning system. Individual heart rate monitoring was used to assess the internal load. Game videos also collected notational data. The results revealed that, after the intervention, the players significantly decreased the total distance covered, the peak acceleration, average speed, training impulse, and the spatial exploration index; conversely, the results confirmed an increase in the number of dribbles. Small-sided games under randomly different numerical relations imposed acute effects in distinct variables during 4v4 half-court games. However, further studies are warranted, including longer interventions and parallel-group designs, to confirm if the training-induced effects of this method are significantly better compared to other approaches.

Inter-Individual Differences in Cognitive Response to a Single Bout of Physical Exercise-A Randomized Controlled Cross-Over Study.

Recent reviews have shown that acute exercise can improve cognitive functions, especially executive functions. However, a closer look at the included studies revealed a wide inter-individual variability in the effects of exercise on cognition. Therefore, thirty-nine healthy adults (age: 19-30 years) were analyzed in a randomized, controlled cross-over study with two exercise groups (n = 13 each) and a sedentary control group (n = 13). The exercise conditions included moderate (30 min at 40-59% VO2max) and high intensity interval (five × 2 min at 90% VO2max with 3 min active recovery at 40% VO2max) treadmill exercise. The main outcome assessed was cognitive performance (attention, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility) and underlying inter-individual variability in young adults. On the group level no significant group or group × time interaction effects were observed. Using a median split, we found significant differences between low and high cognitive performers regarding cognitive function following moderate and high intensity interval treadmill exercise. Furthermore, using a pre-determined threshold we could identify responders and non-responders to acute exercise. Therefore, future research should consider individual performance requirements.

Dance training is superior to repetitive physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity in the elderly.

Animal research indicates that a combination of physical activity and sensory enrichment has the largest and the only sustaining effect on adult neuroplasticity. Dancing has been suggested as a human homologue to this combined intervention as it poses demands on both physical and cognitive functions. For the present exploratory study, we designed an especially challenging dance program in which our elderly participants constantly had to learn novel and increasingly difficult choreographies. This six-month-long program was compared to conventional fitness training matched for intensity. An extensive pre/post-assessment was performed on the 38 participants (63-80 y), covering general cognition, attention, memory, postural and cardio-respiratory performance, neurotrophic factors and-most crucially-structural MRI using an exploratory analysis. For analysis of MRI data, a new method of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) designed specifically for pairwise longitudinal group comparisons was employed. Both interventions increased physical fitness to the same extent. Pronounced differences were seen in the effects on brain volumes: Dancing compared to conventional fitness activity led to larger volume increases in more brain areas, including the cingulate cortex, insula, corpus callosum and sensorimotor cortex. Only dancing was associated with an increase in plasma BDNF levels. Regarding cognition, both groups improved in attention and spatial memory, but no significant group differences emerged. The latter finding may indicate that cognitive benefits may develop later and after structural brain changes have taken place. The present results recommend our challenging dance program as an effective measure to counteract detrimental effects of aging on the brain.

Dancing or Fitness Sport? The Effects of Two Training Programs on Hippocampal Plasticity and Balance Abilities in Healthy Seniors.

Age-related degenerations in brain structure are associated with balance disturbances and cognitive impairment. However, neuroplasticity is known to be preserved throughout lifespan and physical training studies with seniors could reveal volume increases in the hippocampus (HC), a region crucial for memory consolidation, learning and navigation in space, which were related to improvements in aerobic fitness. Moreover, a positive correlation between left HC volume and balance performance was observed. Dancing seems a promising intervention for both improving balance and brain structure in the elderly. It combines aerobic fitness, sensorimotor skills and cognitive demands while at the same time the risk of injuries is low. Hence, the present investigation compared the effects of an 18-month dancing intervention and traditional health fitness training on volumes of hippocampal subfields and balance abilities. Before and after intervention, balance was evaluated using the Sensory Organization Test and HC volumes were derived from magnetic resonance images (3T, MP-RAGE). Fourteen members of the dance (67.21 ± 3.78 years, seven females), and 12 members of the fitness group (68.67 ± 2.57 years, five females) completed the whole study. Both groups revealed hippocampal volume increases mainly in the left HC (CA1, CA2, subiculum). The dancers showed additional increases in the left dentate gyrus and the right subiculum. Moreover, only the dancers achieved a significant increase in the balance composite score. Hence, dancing constitutes a promising candidate in counteracting the age-related decline in physical and mental abilities.

Evolution of Neuroplasticity in Response to Physical Activity in Old Age: The Case for Dancing.

From animal research, it is known that combining physical activity with sensory enrichment has stronger and longer-lasting effects on the brain than either treatment alone. For humans dancing has been suggested to be analogous to such combined training. Here we assessed whether a newly designed dance training program that stresses the constant learning of new movement patterns is superior in terms of neuroplasticity to conventional fitness activities with repetitive exercises and whether extending the training duration has additional benefits. Twenty-two healthy seniors (63-80 years) who had been randomly assigned to either a dance or a sport group completed the entire 18-month study. MRI, BDNF and neuropsychological tests were performed at baseline and after 6 and 18 months of intervention. After 6 months, we found a significant increase in gray matter volume in the left precentral gyrus in the dancers compared to controls. This neuroplasticity effect may have been mediated by the increased BDNF plasma levels observed in the dancers. Regarding cognitive measures, both groups showed significant improvements in attention after 6 months and in verbal memory after 18 months. In addition, volume increases in the parahippocampal region were observed in the dancers after 18 months. The results of our study suggest that participating in a long-term dance program that requires constant cognitive and motor learning is superior to engaging in repetitive physical exercises in inducing neuroplasticity in the brains of seniors. Therefore, dance is highly promising in its potential to counteract age-related gray matter decline.

Improvements in Orientation and Balancing Abilities in Response to One Month of Intensive Slackline-Training. A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study.

Background: Slackline-training has been shown to improve mainly task-specific balancing skills. Non-task specific effects were assessed for tandem stance and preferred one-leg stance on stable and perturbed force platforms with open eyes. It is unclear whether transfer effects exist for other balancing conditions and which component of the balancing ability is affected. Also, it is not known whether slackline-training can improve non-visual-dependent spatial orientation abilities, a function mainly supported by the hippocampus. Objective: To assess the effect of one-month of slackline-training on different components of balancing ability and its transfer effects on non-visual-dependent spatial orientation abilities. Materials and Methods: Fifty subjects aged 18-30 were randomly assigned to the training group (T) (n = 25, 23.2 ± 2.5 years; 12 females) and the control group (C) (n = 25, 24.4 ± 2.8 years; 11 females). Professional instructors taught the intervention group to slackline over four consecutive weeks with three 60-min-trainings in each week. Data acquisition was performed (within 2 days) by blinded investigators at the baseline and after the training. Main outcomes Improvement in the score of a 30-item clinical balance test (CBT) developed at our institute (max. score = 90 points) and in the average error distance (in centimeters) in an orientation test (OT), a triangle completion task with walking and wheelchair conditions for 60°, 90°, and 120°. Results: Training group performed significantly better on the closed-eyes conditions of the CBT (1.6 points, 95% CI: 0.6 to 2.6 points vs. 0.1 points, 95% CI: -1 to 1.1 points; p = 0.011, [Formula: see text] = 0.128) and in the wheelchair (vestibular) condition of the OT (21 cm, 95% CI: 8-34 cm vs. 1 cm, 95% CI: -14-16 cm; p = 0.049, [Formula: see text] = 0.013). Conclusion: Our results indicate that one month of intensive slackline training is a novel approach for enhancing clinically relevant balancing abilities in conditions with closed eyes as well as for improving the vestibular-dependent spatial orientation capability; both of the benefits are likely caused by positive influence of slackline-training on the vestibular system function.

Motor-cognitive dual-task training improves local dynamic stability of normal walking in older individuals.

BACKGROUND: Extreme levels of gait variability and local dynamic stability of walking are associated with risk of falling and reduced executive functions. However, it is not sufficiently investigated how gait variability and local dynamic stability of human walking develop in the course of a motor-cognitive intervention. As dancing implies high demands on (and therewith trains) executive functioning and motor control, it might increase local dynamic stability or reduce gait variability. METHODS: 32 older healthy participants were randomly assigned to either a health-related exercise group (age: mean=68.33 years, standard deviation=3.17 years; BMI: mean=27.46, standard deviation=2.94; female/male: 10/6) or a dancing group (age: mean=66.73 years, standard deviation=3.33 years; BMI: mean=26.02, standard deviation=3.55; female/male: 11/5). Based on angular velocity data of trunk kinematics, local dynamic stability and stride-to-stride variability in level overground walking were assessed prior to and after the specific intervention. The data were analysed by a blinded observer using two-way repeated measures ANOVAs. Based on one-way ANOVAs, time and group effects were determined. FINDINGS: Regarding the variability of trunk movements, no interaction effect was observed (F 1,30=0.506, P=.482; η2=0.017). For local dynamic stability of trunk movements, an interaction effect in favour of the dancing group was observed (F 1,30=5,436; P=.026; η2=0.146). INTERPRETATION: Our data indicate that a dancing programme (which combines cognitive and motor efforts) might increase local dynamic stability in older people.

The Effect of a Six-Month Dancing Program on Motor-Cognitive Dual-Task Performance in Older Adults.

Dancing is a complex sensorimotor activity involving physical and mental elements which have positive effects on cognitive functions and motor control. The present randomized controlled trial aims to analyze the effects of a dancing program on the performance on a motor-cognitive dual task. Data of 35 older adults, who were assigned to a dancing group or a health-related exercise group, are presented in the study. In pretest and posttest, we assessed cognitive performance and variability of minimum foot clearance, stride time, and stride length while walking. Regarding the cognitive performance and the stride-to-stride variability of minimum foot clearance, interaction effects have been found, indicating that dancing lowers gait variability to a higher extent than conventional health-related exercise. The data show that dancing improves minimum foot clearance variability and cognitive performance in a dual-task situation. Multi-task exercises (like dancing) might be a powerful tool to improve motor-cognitive dual-task performance.