Dance for brain-building in mature brains

Neuroplasticity means the changes produced in brain networks and functions as a result of stimulation; brain-building, if you prefer. It is becoming widely recognised that dance is one of the best exercises to do this as it creates many kinds of physical and mental stimulation. This article published in Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews in 2018 says it so well that I've just copied and pasted the abstract from the article (see here online).

"We conducted a systematic review of randomized clinical trials to investigate whether dance practice promotes neuroplasticity. We also determined how dancing is able to alter (1) brain volumes and structures (2) brain function, (3) psychomotor adjustment and (4) levels of neurotrophic factors" (these are nerve growth factors). "This systematic review formulated a research question (...), "What is the influence of dance practice on neuroplasticity in already mature brains?" We screened 1071 studies and from these eight studies were included in the review. Of the selected studies, all demonstrated positive structural and/or functional changes. Structural changes included increased hippocampal volume, gray matter volume in the left precentral and parahippocampal gyrus, and white matter integrity. Functional changes included alterations in cognitive function such as significant improvement in memory, attention, body balance, psychosocial parameters and altered peripheral neurotrophic factor. Based on the evidence, dance practice integrates brain areas to improve neuroplasticity."

Never too little, never too late!

Go to the Clickanddance YouTube channel for doses of dance to try through the day.

#dance #brainbuilding #mature #brain #aging #remedy #fun #exercise