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

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Dance is a complex activity combining physical exercise with cognitive, social, and artistic stimulation. <b>Objectives:</b> 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. <b>Methods:</b> 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. <b>Results:</b> Data were analyzed in 68 participants (DI; <i>n</i> = 36 and LAU; <i>n</i> = 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 (<i>p</i> = 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 (<i>p</i> = 0.019 and <i>p</i> = 0.023), visual and language/DMN networks (<i>p</i> = 0.012 and <i>p</i> = 0.015), and cerebellar and visual/language networks (<i>p</i> = 0.015 and <i>p</i> = 0.003). The crosstalk of the insulo-opercular and right frontoparietal networks were associated with attention/executive domain Z-scores (<i>R</i> = 0.401, <i>p</i> = 0.015, and <i>R</i> = 0.412, <i>p</i> = 0.012). <b>Conclusion:</b> The DI led to intervention-specific complex brain plasticity changes that were of cognitive relevance.