Identifying electrophysiological signatures of proactive and reactive cognitive brain processing of professional dancers

This study investigated the electrophysiological correlates of proactive and reactive brain processing and behavior associated with a visuomotor cognitive task of professional dancers to test the effect of dance practice on their cognitive functions. To control for the physical activity practice effects, dancers were compared with non-dancers matched for physical activity level. Behavioral data showed that dancers were more accurate than controls, and they had comparable response times. This effect was paralleled by the analysis of event-related potential (ERP), showing dancers compared to controls larger cognitive preparation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), indexed by the prefrontal negativity (pN) ERP component. This may indicate a more intense top-down attentional control of the upcoming task. Dancers also showed reduced early sensory processing (P1 component) and less intense stimulus-response mapping (pP2 component), suggesting more efficient reactive processing in sensorial and associative brain areas. In contrast, the pP1 component was enhanced in dancers, likely reflecting superior sensory-motor integration, a pivotal function in choreographic demands. No difference emerged in the P3, signaling a similar cognitive load for the two groups. The results outline a peculiar neurofunctional profile of professional dancers, relying on intense cognitive anticipatory control and optimized proactive processing, allowing them superior response precision in sensory-motor performance. Further studies are needed to fully understand the specific trajectories of brain plasticity found here associated with dance practice.