Research On Dance Training Effects On Brain Plasticity

Dance is a kind of kinaesthesia art which is rich in connotation and has its special traits.The excellent dancing motor skill as well as comprehensive physical quality make dance becomes a type of special human behavior distinguished from daily behavior and sports.Therefore,prolonged and systematic training of dance provides a brand-new model for brain plasticity study.By means of studying the dance training effects on brain plasticity could form a deep understanding of human brain.This will provide theoretical support for researches on brain disease and brain development.For the above-mentioned reasons,this dissertation focused on the effects on brain plasticity related to dance training.Based on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)technology,we used various analysis methods to form a multi-model characterization of function and structure of dancer’s brain.Based on data driven methods and hypothesis,this thesis started with the primary function(sensorimotor)and gradually deepened into the high level function(empathy)involved in dance.In contrast to previous researches,our comparative analysis was not limited to two groups(dancers and controls),but also included musicians as a third group.Through introducing musician data into our research,we hoped to separate the music effects from dance and form a better understanding of specific effects on brain plasticity related to dance.In summary,this dissertation carried out progressive researches from primary to advanced functions of dance and introduced three groups for comparison.Consequently,we found dance training had specific effects on brain plasticity compared with music training.Our main research content and findings are as follows:Firstly,we initially determined the enhanced brain function in sensorimotor network correlated with dance training,using resting-state fMRI,we examined the functional connectivity density(FCD)of dancers in contrast with a matched control group without formal dance training.The functional connectivity(FC)analyses were then performed based on the differences in FCDs.Compared to the controls,the dancers exhibited significantly increased FCDs and FCs in the cortico-basal ganglia loops which govern motor control and integration.Meanwhile,there were positive correlations between weekly training hours and FCs in dancers.All findings indicated the dance training partly affected the functional model of the brain and resulted in an enhanced functional integration in the sensorimotor process in dancers.Secondly,through the introduction of musician group into the comparing,we tried to separate the music effects from dance and form a portray of specific influence on brain structure in dancers.Using tract-based spatial statistics(TBSS)and voxel-based morphometry(VBM),we compared the diversity effects on brain white matter and grey matter of dance and music training.The result indicated the music group showed intensive changes in the motor-audio-semantic structure as an effector-specific training outcome.Compared with musicians,there were widespread changes in the white and grey matter in the sensorimotor networks in dancer group.Specifically,dancers indicated a greater fanning of fibers connecting sensorimotor regions and showed an optimized changed model in longer sensorimotor pathways.Meantime,there were systematic increase or decrease grey matter changes distributed in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamus-cerebella networks in dancers.All the results deepened the understanding on the brain structural plasticity related to sensorimotor process under dance training.Moreover,prolonged dance training might influence the whole sensorimotor network and result in a systematic optimization.Finally based on ’kinesthetic empathy’ hypothesis,this dissertation indicated the dance training effect on the higher-level brain functional plasticity.According to the kinesthetic empathy coming from dance training,as well as the important role of the insular in the empathy process,we hypothesized that dance training might influence the insular function which would further affect ones’ empathy ability.We conducted a seed-based FC analyses in three groups(with seeds from discrepant functional regions of posterior insula,ventral anterior insula and dorsal anterior insula).Then,the intergroup functional connectivity differences were associated with the empathy questionnaire scores.The results indicated enhanced FCs between insular seeds and specific regions.Increased insular FCs with those seeds related to basic interoceptive sensorimotor processes(e.g.,between posterior insula and anterior cingulated cortex and middle cingulated cortex),higher emotional processes(e.g.,between ventral anterior insula and anterior cingulated cortex and medial frontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus),and higher integrative processes(e.g.,between dorsal anterior insula and anterior cingulated cortex and middle temporal gyrus)were found in the dance groups.These results indicated that both dance and music training enhanced whole insular FCs.Comparatively,dance training had greater influence on the posterior insula.The improved integration of sensorimotor process in the posterior insula by dance training would further facilitate the affective process in the anterior insula.These finally formed one whole representation of one’s own feelings which forms the basis of understanding others emotion.Meanwhile,the musician group showed specific FCs between dAI and the sensorimotor cortex which might implicate enhanced efficiency in motor implement in music performance.Besides,both dancer and musician group got improved empathy assessment scores.However,there were different correlation between insular FCs and empathy scores which indicate a discrepant neuro basis of the effects on empathy in the two trainings.In brief,this dissertation focused on brain plasticity related to dance training and performed a series of explorations from primary function to high level function.Using MRI analyses methods,we found dance training would induce widespread and systematic changes in brain function and structure.These changes occurred in regions and networks related to sensorimotor process,showing enhanced FCs and optimized structure.These changes improved the processing and interaction eff-iciency in the related networks,enhanced the sensorimotor integration and built the foundation for higher functions.Based on it,dance training improved the brain’s higher functions through enhancing insula FCs on effective and cognitive process,which finally resulted in an increased empathy ability.All the findings have enriched the brain plasticity studies on dance training and helped us to understand the brain adaptation to the external environment,which would provide theoretical basis for the brain exploration and protection.