The Motor Engram of Functional Connectivity Generated by Acute Whole-Body Dynamic Balance Training

Abstract

Purpose: Whole-body dynamic balance is necessary for both athletic activities and activities of daily living. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acute dynamic balance training on neural networks. Methods: We evaluated resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC), white matter fiber density, fiber-bundle cross-section, and gray matter volume in 28 healthy young adults (14 women) before and after 30 min of slackline training using a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design. Results: The rs-FC between the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the foot area of the primary sensorimotor (SM1) cortex increased significantly after slackline training compared with that after a control condition involving ergometer-based aerobic exercise. In addition, changes in rs-FC between the left lateral PFC and the primary sensorimotor were correlated with performance changes after training (i.e., offline process) rather than online learning. We also observed a main effect of time between the hippocampus and the cingulate cortex, including the anterior areas, and between the bilateral lateral PFC. Although we observed no structural changes, fiber density in the commissural fiber pathway before the first balance assessment was correlated with initial balance capability. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that acute whole-body dynamic balance training alters specific rs-FC, and that this change is associated with performance changes after training. In addition, rs-FC changes in cognitive regions were modulated by both acute dynamic balance training and aerobic exercise. These findings have the potential to influence various fields (e.g., sports neuroscience, neurorehabilitation) and may aid in the development of methods that can improve motor and cognitive performance.

The Mode of Endurance Exercise Influences Changes in EEG Resting-State Graphs among High-Level Cross-Country Skiers

“…On an neural level, these demands may induce an additional stimulus to the brain compared with less complex exercise modes like RUN. This observation is supported by previous evidence reporting mode-specific modulations of RSN applying functional magnetic resonance imaging in the context of balance and coordination training (11,54). Therefore, exercise mode may be considered as a factor affecting exercise-induced modulations of brain networks.…”

“…Apart from intensity and volume, the mode of endurance exercise affects the physiological responses to exercise bouts because of differences in movement constraints, muscles involved, and muscle actions (8). Despite sports-specific factors such as involved limbs/ muscles, technique, and equipment that affect movement economy (9), endurance mode has been barely investigated as a factor modulating acute exercise-induced neuroplasticity of the resting brain (10,11). In contrast to exercise-intensity where metabolic processes affect brain signaling, endurance mode is likely to alter brain function because of task-specific activation of cortical areas involved into mode-specific sensorimotor control demands (12).…”

Neural Correlates of Balance Skill Learning in Young and Older Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…In young individuals, two studies reported the effects of acute balance training on the performance of a non-trained static balance task. One of these studies reported a significant increase in unipedal stance time (+ 4%) but only while standing on an unstable balance disk and not while standing on a stable surface [ 56 ]. No reductions in the CoP velocity were reported following one day of balance training on an unstable device [ 39 ].…”

“…One 30-min session of unipedal stance balance training on unstable boards decreased coherence between relevant muscle synergies and the left paracentral lobule synergy in the 40-Hz band (Piper rhythm) [ 74 ]. A 30-min session of heel-to-toe beam walking increased alpha power in the occipital and parietal areas and decreased power in the gamma band [ 75 ] and 30-min of slackline training increased resting-state functional connectivity between the left prefrontal cortex and the medial areas in the primary sensorimotor area [ 56 ]. Three consecutive days of treadmill slip perturbation training increased activity in several cortical regions (left middle frontal gyrus, right superior parietal lobule, right inferior occipital gyrus, and left lingual gyrus) during motor imagery of slipping and walking tasks [ 76 ].…”

“…In addition, 90 min of practice on a complex balancing task within 2 weeks resulted in macroscopic structural gray matter adaptations in frontal and parietal brain areas [ 37 ]. However, 30 min of slackline training did not induce adaptations in gray matter volume or white matter microstructure [ 56 ]. The effects of acute balance training on structural brain adaptations in older individuals have not yet been assessed.…”