Just a week ago we summarized research lead by
Neuroscientist Aga Burzynska, PhD that showed that dancing improved brain white
matter, while other exercise and the control group didn’t. Now we have another
related research study led by Dr. Kathrin Rehfeld that shows important brain
improvement from dancing. The research was conducted at the German Center for
Neurodegenerative Diseases and at the Otto von Geuricke University Medical
Center. Further, dancing achieved better
results than an exercise program.
Participants were divided into two groups. One group took
dancing lessons. The dance steps and routines became more complex as the study
continued. The second group did a combination of endurance training, strength
training, flexibility and stretching. Both groups showed measurable
improvement. However, the dancers showed more improvement in the part of the
brain associated with balance.
From the study: “Results reveal that higher
cardiorespiratory fitness levels (VO2 Max) are associated with larger
hippocampal volumes in late adulthood, and that larger hippocampal volumes may,
in turn, contribute to better memory function.”
As we at www.bigbrain.place
have noted before, neurogenesis-growing new brain cells-is associated with
learning to do new activities that require concentration and fine motor skills.
Dr. Rehfeld’s dance therapy, combining the physical and mental requirements of
learning new dance steps-e.g.-bop to salsa-while following the different beats
of the changing music, fits that bill.
The results were so encouraging that the study authors are
working on creating a new program of dancing and exercise. As they noted: “The
dancers showed increases in some hippocampal subfields where there was no
change to be observed in the sports (i.e.-exercise) group”.
www.bigbrain.place offers research-based
products to help maintain brain health and grow a bigger brain
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