The Effects of the BAILAMOS Dance Program on Brain Functional Connectivity of Older Latinos: An Exploratory Study. (16th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Balbim, Guilherme Moraes; Ajilore, Olusola; Lamar, Melissa; Erickson, Kirk; Aguiñaga, Susan; Bustamante, Eduardo; Marquez, David
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 4(2020)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 504
• Page End: 505
• Publication Date: 2020-12-16
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1629
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: Compared to non-Latinos whites, older Latinos are at higher risk of cognitive impairment and engage in less leisure-time physical activity (PA). Resting-state brain functional connectivity (FC) is a putative biomarker for age-related cognitive decline. PA plays a role in FC of brain networks associated with cognitive decline. Objective: Investigate the effects of the BAILAMOS ™ dance program on FC in three brain networks associated with age-related cognitive decline (Default Mode [DMN], Frontoparietal [FPN], and Salience [SAL] networks). Methods: Single-group pre-post design. Ten cognitively intact older Latinos participated in the four-month (2x/week for 60min) BAILAMOS ™ dance program with four Latin dance styles. MRI was obtained pre- and post-intervention. FC was analyzed using the resting-state fMRI toolbox (CONN) via pairwise BOLD signal correlations and then converted into z-scores. We performed dependent t-tests, computed Cohen's d and 95%CI for p < 0.05. Results: Within-FPN FC significantly increased (t(9) = 2.35, p = 0.043, d = 0.70) from pre (M=0.49±0.15) to post-intervention (M=0.59±0.13). In the DMN, we observed moderate effect size changes in the ratio of the FC between-networks by the FC within-networks (Mdiff = 0.10; 95%CI = -0.01; 0.21, p = 0.08, d = 0.64). Conclusions: The BAILAMOS ™ program increased within-FPN FC, which is a cognitive-control network related to adaptive control and flexibility. Moderate changes between- vs. within-DMN FC suggest BAILAMOS™ also increased whole-brain DMN integration. Taken together, results might signal that Latin dance can combat the disruption of FC between the DMN and other networks, and within-FPN, which are associated with cognitive decline.