Six months of dance intervention enhances postural, sensorimotor, and cognitive performance in elderly without affecting cardio-respiratory functions

Abstract

During aging, sensorimotor, cognitive and physical performance decline, but can improve by training and exercise indicating that age-related changes are treatable. Dancing is increasingly used as an intervention because it combines many diverse features making it a promising neuroplasticity-inducing tool. We here investigated the effects of a 6-month dance class (1 h/week) on a group of healthy elderly individuals compared to a matched control group (CG). We performed a broad assessment covering cognition, intelligence, attention, reaction time, motor, tactile, and postural performance, as well as subjective well-being and cardio-respiratory performance. After 6 months, in the CG no changes, or further degradation of performance was found. In the dance group, beneficial effects were found for dance-related parameters such as posture and reaction times, but also for cognitive, tactile, motor performance, and subjective well-being. These effects developed without alterations in the cardio-respiratory performance. Correlation of baseline performance with the improvement following intervention revealed that those individuals, who benefitted most from the intervention, were those who showed the lowest performance prior to the intervention. Our findings corroborate previous observations that dancing evokes widespread positive effects. The pre-post design used in the present study implies that the efficacy of dance is most likely not based on a selection bias of particularly gifted individuals. The lack of changes of cardio-respiratory fitness indicates that even moderate levels of physical activity can in combination with rich sensorimotor, cognitive, social, and emotional challenges act to ameliorate a wide spectrum of age-related decline.

Quadrupedal movement training improves markers of cognition and joint repositioning

“…The changes induced by coordinative exercise appear different to, and independent of those induced by cardiovascular activity, and are similar to those found following exposure to enriched and stimulating environments for elderly or untrained individuals (Voelcker-Rehage, Godde, & Staudinger, 2011;Kattenstroth et al, 2013). Dance, in particular, in addition to its purely physical challenges such as balance and physical activity, involves rhythmic motor coordination, emotions, social interaction, and acoustic stimulation (Kattenstroth et al, 2013).…”

“…In particular, the current training occurs without the presence of music and is less rhythmic. Some of the improvements in cognitive performance related to dance could be attributed to the fact that music may also be a motivator and may help to enhance positive emotions associated with neurological rehabilitation (Kattenstroth et al 2013). This shows that improvements in cognitive function can still occur without the presence of music and without a focus on rhythmic movements.…”

“…Balance and coordination related activities such as dance, also appear to have positive effects on measures of cognitive wellbeing as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and Parkinson's Disease (Ahlskog, Geda, Graff-Radford, & Peterson, 2011;Firth, Cotter, Elliott, French, & Yung, 2015;Hamer & Chida, 2009;Hui, Chui, & Woo, 2009;Kattenstroth, Kalisch, Holt, Tegenthoff, & Dinse, 2013;Kullberg-Turtiainen, 2012;Ravelin, Isola, & Kylmä, 2013;Scherder, Bogen, Eggermont, Hamers, & Swaab, 2010;Sehm, Weinstein, Ghent, Meyer, & Teuber, 2014;Tanaka, de Quadros, Sanots, Stella, Gobbi, & Gobbi, 2009). For instance, patients show more efficient patterns of brain activity, especially in frontal and parietal cortical areas, related to motor control and learning, following coordinative activity (Monno, Temprado, Zanone, & Laurent, 2002;Voelcker-Rehage & Niemann, 2013).…”

“…Dance, in particular, in addition to its purely physical challenges such as balance and physical activity, involves rhythmic motor coordination, emotions, social interaction, and acoustic stimulation (Kattenstroth et al, 2013). Yet even the performance of automated exercise such as walking can provide sufficient coordination challenges to induce these changes (Voelcker-Rehage & Niemann, 2013).…”

La atención selectiva modula el procesamiento de la información y la memoria implícita [Selective attention modulates information processing and implicit memory]

“…Los resultados de los estudios sobre atención y priming pueden tener implicaciones prácticas porque el DCL parece representar estadios previos de la EA y podría ser útil para detectar tempranamente la demencia. La realización de actividades estimulantes como la práctica de la danza (Kattenstroth, Kalisch, Holt, Tegenthoff y Dinse, 2013), el ejercicio fí-sico (Voelcker-Rehage, Godde y Staudinger, 2010), el entrenamiento cognitivo con videojuegos (Ballesteros, Mayas, Toril et al, 2013;Ballesteros, Prieto, Mayas et al, 2014;Mayas, Parmentier, Andrés y Ballesteros, 2014) y la participación en actividades sociales que eviten el aislamiento y reduzcan el sentimiento de soledad e inseguridad mediante la utilización de las redes sociales y la utilización de nuevas tecnologías de la comunicación por ordenador como las desarrolladas en el proyecto Europeo AGNES (Ballesteros, Peter, Waterworth y Waterworth, 2012;Peter, Kreiner, Schröter et al, 2013) producen efectos beneficiosos y pueden contribuir a mantener la vitalidad cognitiva en la vejez, retrasando los efectos negativos del envejecimiento patológico.…”