Enhanced neural synchrony associated with long-term ballroom dance training

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Dance Science
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Long-term dance training enhances physical and mental well-being.
• Dance involves intricate body-to-body communication, potentially fostering shared neural experiences among partners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neural similarities in professional dancers compared to non-dancers while viewing dance videos.
• To explore the correlation between neural synchronization, dance training duration, and subjective impressions of dance.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to collect brain data.
• 41 professional ballroom dancers (19 pairs) and 39 non-dancers watched long ballroom dancing and neutral video clips.

Main Results:

• Dancers exhibited broader and stronger whole-brain neural similarities when viewing dance videos compared to non-dancers.
• Neural similarities in motor control circuits correlated with dance-specific information (e.g., cooperation duration).
• Neural similarities in memory-related regions correlated with subjective impressions (familiarity, liking).

Conclusions:

• Long-term dance training leads to synchronized neural mechanisms in professional dancers.
• Neural synchronization is influenced by both specific dance training and subjective perception of the viewed content.