AUTHOR=Balazova Zuzana , Marecek Radek , Novakova L’ubomíra , Nemcova-Elfmarkova Nela , Kropacova Sylvie , Brabenec Luboš , Grmela Roman , Vaculíková Pavlína , Svobodova Lenka , Rektorova Irena 

TITLE=Dance Intervention Impact on Brain Plasticity: A Randomized 6-Month fMRI Study in Non-expert Older Adults

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2021.724064

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2021.724064

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Dance is a complex activity combining physical exercise with cognitive, social, and artistic stimulation.</p><p><bold>Objectives:</bold> We aimed to assess the effects of dance intervention (DI) on intra and inter-network resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) and its association to cognitive changes in a group of non-demented elderly participants.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Participants were randomly assigned into two groups: DI and life as usual (LAU). Six-month-long DI consisted of supervised 60 min lessons three times per week. Resting-state fMRI data were processed using independent component analysis to evaluate the intra and inter-network connectivity of large-scale brain networks. Interaction between group (DI, LAU) and visit (baseline, follow-up) was assessed using ANOVA, and DI-induced changes in rs-FC were correlated with cognitive outcomes.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Data were analyzed in 68 participants (DI; <italic>n</italic> = 36 and LAU; <italic>n</italic> = 32). A significant behavioral effect was found in the attention domain, with Z scores increasing in the DI group and decreasing in the LAU group (<italic>p</italic> = 0.017). The DI as compared to LAU led to a significant rs-FC increase of the default mode network (DMN) and specific inter-network pairings, including insulo-opercular and right frontoparietal/frontoparietal control networks (<italic>p</italic> = 0.019 and <italic>p</italic> = 0.023), visual and language/DMN networks (<italic>p</italic> = 0.012 and <italic>p</italic> = 0.015), and cerebellar and visual/language networks (<italic>p</italic> = 0.015 and <italic>p</italic> = 0.003). The crosstalk of the insulo-opercular and right frontoparietal networks were associated with attention/executive domain Z-scores (<italic>R</italic> = 0.401, <italic>p</italic> = 0.015, and <italic>R</italic> = 0.412, <italic>p</italic> = 0.012).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The DI led to intervention-specific complex brain plasticity changes that were of cognitive relevance.</p>