Dance Experience and Associations with Cortical Gray Matter Thickness in the Aging Population

Dance Experience and Associations with Cortical Gray Matter Thickness in the Aging Population

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Introduction: We investigated the effect dance experience may have on cortical gray matter thickness and cognitive performance in Vases elderly participants with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Methods: 39 cognitively normal and 48 MCI elderly participants completed a questionnaire regarding their lifetime experience with music, dance, and song.Participants identified themselves as either dancers or nondancers.All participants received structural 1.5-tesla MRI scans and detailed clinical and neuropsychological evaluations.

An advanced 3D cortical mapping technique was then applied to calculate cortical thickness.Results: Despite having a trend-level significantly thinner cortex, dancers performed better in cognitive tasks involving learning and memory, such as the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) short delay free recall (p = 0.004), the CVLT-II long delay free recall (p = 0.003), and the CVLT-II learning over trials 1-5 (p = 0.001).

Discussion: Dishwasher Escutcheon Panel Together, these results suggest that dance may result in an enhancement of cognitive reserve in aging, which may help avert or delay MCI.