Efficacy of Digital Dance on Brain Imagery, Cognition, and Health: Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Multidomain interventions have demonstrable benefits for promoting healthy aging, but self-empowerment strategies to sustain long-term gains remain elusive.

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of digital somatosensory dance game participation on brain imagery changes as primary outcomes and other physical and mental health measures as secondary outcomes related to healthy aging.

Methods: Between August 31, 2020, and June 27, 2021, this randomized controlled trial recruited 60 eligible participants older than 55 years with no recent engagement in digital dance games. A computer-generated randomization sequence was used to allocate participants 1:1, without stratification, to an intervention group (n=30) who underwent digital somatosensory dance game training or a control group (n=30). An anonymized code masked the intervention allocations from the investigators, and individuals who assigned the interventions were not involved in analyzing the study data. The intervention entailed two 30-minute dance game sessions per week for 6 months, and the control group received healthy aging education. Primary outcomes were brain imagery changes. All variables were measured at baseline and the 6-month follow-up, and intervention effects were estimated using t tests with intention-to-treat analyses.

Results: Compared with the control group, intervention participants had significantly different brain imagery in the gray matter volume (GMV) of the left putamen (estimate 0.016, 95% CI 0.008 to 0.024; P<.001), GMV of the left pallidum (estimate 0.02, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.034; P=.004), and fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations of the left pallidum (estimate 0.262, 95% CI 0.084 to 0.439; P=.004). Additionally, the intervention group had different imagery in the cerebellum VI GMV (estimate 0.011, 95% CI 0.003 to 0.02; P=.01). The intervention group also had improved total Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores (estimate 1.2, 95% CI 0.27 to -2.13; P<.01), quality of life (estimate 7.08, 95% CI 2.35 to 11.82; P=.004), and time spent sitting on weekdays (estimate -1.96, 95% CI -3.33 to -0.60; P=.005). Furthermore, dance performance was significantly associated with cognitive performance (P=.003), health status (P=.14), resilience (P=.007), and demoralization (P<.001).

Conclusions: Digital somatosensory dance game participation for 6 months was associated with brain imagery changes in multiple regions involving somatosensory, motor, visual, and attention functions, which were consistent with phenotypic improvements associated with healthy aging.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05411042; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05411042.

Keywords: RCT; aged; ageing; aging; brain; cognition; cognitive; cognitive performance; controlled trial; controlled trials; dance; dancer; dancing; demoralization; digital; elder; elderly; game; games; gaming; geriatric; geriatrics; gerontology; image; imagery; imaging; movement; neuroscience; older adult; older adults; older people; older person; physical function; quality of life; randomized; resilience; somatosensory; somatosensory dance; somatosensory game; sport; sports.

Figure 1

Study flowchart. MRI: magnetic resonance imaging.

Figure 2

Comparison between the intervention and control groups of the slopes of the (A) left putamen gray matter volume (GMV), (B) left pallidum GMV, (C) center cerebellum VI GMV, and (D) left pallidum fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF).