Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
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Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#2embodied cognition is definitely an interesting concept to explore. I know I get really interesting thoughts when I go for a walk.
Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#3"Regarding cognition, both groups improved in attention and spatial memory, but no significant group differences emerged."
So, the dance group showed increase volume of brain matter. Is there a benefit to having the extra brain volume, even if it doesn't lead to improved cognition?
Is it possible that increased volume just helped them become better dancers?
Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#4Balance training (standing on a ball type thing) also is supposed to help ADHD.
Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#5"Fifty-two seniors (25 males; 27 females) aged 63–80 years were then randomly assigned to the experimental dance group (DG) and the control sport group (SG) controlling for age, MMSE status and physical fitness."
I wonder if these findings remain true for young or middle aged adults.
Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#6Balance training (standing on a ball type thing) also is supposed to help ADHD.
Can you link anything on the subject? Sounds like a simple device you could own at home and spend 10m a day on balancing.
Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#7[flagged]
Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#8> 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 casual.
Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#9I think the difference in outcomes is likely to be down to "continuous learning of new movement patterns and choreographies" vs "participants performed the same exercises repeatedly ... We avoided combined arm and leg movements in order to keep coordinative demands low".
That said, I think dance is great.
Re: Dance training superior to physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity (2018)
#10"Fifty-two seniors (25 males; 27 females) aged 63–80 years were then randomly assigned to the experimental dance group (DG) and the control sport group (SG) controlling for age, MMSE status and physical fitness." I wonder if these findings remain true for young or middle aged adults.
> 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.
The result seems bloody obvious to me as a dancer. Dance is exercise. And this wasn't just dance, they were learning moves and choreography. Like, no duh, teaching people new and complicated things increases neuroplasticity! According to the quote there, the activities were matched in physical intensity and one treatment added a significant mental component versus the control.
Compare dance to rowing, lifting, spinning etc. Those activities are regularly accomplished by a brainless motor. That such activities induce neuroplasticity is cool, but it's no shock that more enriching activities are better for the brain.
I think it's obvious that a younger person's brain would be more improved by this class than your ordinary seniors athletics program. I'd be more inclined to compare with other low-impact competitive sport: badminton, table tennis, etc. Like dance, those require full-body coordination, planning, reflexes, etc.