Structural neuroplasticity in the sensorimotor network of professional female ballet dancers

Abstract

Evidence suggests that motor, sensory, and cognitive training modulates brain structures involved in a specific practice. Functional neuroimaging revealed key brain structures involved in dancing such as the putamen and the premotor cortex. Intensive ballet dance training was expected to modulate the structures of the sensorimotor network, for example, the putamen, premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), and the corticospinal tracts. We investigated gray (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) using magnetic resonance-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging in 10 professional female ballet dancers compared with 10 nondancers. In dancers compared with nondancers, decreased GM volumes were observed in the left premotor cortex, SMA, putamen, and superior frontal gyrus, and decreased WM volumes in both corticospinal tracts, both internal capsules, corpus callosum, and left anterior cingulum. FA was lower in the WM underlying the dancers' left and right premotor cortex. There were no significant differences in MD between the groups. Age of dance commencement was negatively correlated with GM and WM volume in the right premotor cortex and internal capsule, respectively, and positively correlated with WM volume in the left precentral gyrus and corpus callosum. Results were not influenced by the significantly lower body mass index of the dancers. The present findings complement the results of functional imaging studies in experts that revealed reduced neural activity in skilled compared with nonskilled subjects. Reductions in brain activity are accompanied by local decreases in GM and WM volumes and decreased FA.

Neurocognitive control in dance perception and performance

“…These two studies suggest that the human action observation network may be more 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Neurocognitive control in dance 21 functionally apportioned and more responsive to sensorimotor experience than initially thought. Further evidence illustrating how dance experience shapes the nervous system is provided by a study investigating the impact of professional ballet training on the structure of and connectivity between sensorimotor brain regions (Hänggi, Koeneke, Bezzola, & Jäncke, 2010). Hänggi and colleagues report clear evidence of intensive dance training reducing the volume of grey and white matter within sensorimotor cortical and subcortical regions, compared to non-dancers.…”

Musical training intensity yields opposite effects on grey matter density in cognitive versus sensorimotor networks

“…However, new evidence exists that training and ensuing expertise sometimes induce local decrease of cortical volume (Granert et al 2011;Hanggi et al 2010). Skill acquisition provokes synaptic enhancement in frequently used connections that are strengthened whereas infrequently used connections are eliminated through pruning (Kanai and Rees 2011;Zatorre et al 2012).…”

Differential Adaptation of Descending Motor Tracts in Musicians

“…Previous studies comparing musicians with nonmusicians yielded contradictory results with regard to FA values in corticospinal motor tracts, and none of the studies related diffusivity measures to motor performance measures (Schmithorst and Wilke 2002;Bengtsson et al 2005;Han et al 2009;Imfeld et al 2009). Studies examining neural effects of long-term instrumental music practice have been complemented by studies showing white matter plasticity in response to the acquisition of other nonmusical sensorimotor skills (Scholz et al 2009;Hanggi et al 2010;Landi et al 2011) as well as in response to recovery from neurological disorders (Schlaug et al 2009;Wrigley et al 2009;Lindenberg et al 2010;Granziera et al 2012;Keil et al 2012;Zipse et al 2012) or neural effects of immobilization (Langer et al 2012). …”