Effects of neurologic dance training (NDT) on cognitive control underlying task performance among breast cancer (BC) survivors with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN).

To evaluate the effect of an NDT intervention on cognitive control during performance of motor-cognitive dual task challenges among BC survivors with CIN. Interventional clinical trial. These exploratory pilot data were collected within a larger clinical intervention trial. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during performance of the following balance tasks: bilateral quiet standing (Q) with eyes open (QEO), eyes open while performing an auditory oddball motor-cognitive dual-task (QEOa), and eyes open while performing a visual oddball motor-cognitive dual-task. We compared cognitive control pre- vs. post intervention using a t-test (one-tailed, heteroscedasticity assumed). Community cancer survivorship facility within an academic medical center. 10 BC survivors with CIN and demonstrated postural control deficits per age-equivalent norms (Worthen-Chaudhari, et al. (2018)). Five of these participants underwent testing before intervention commencement and 5 after intervention completion. 8 weeks of NDT that took the form of Adapted Argentine Tango. Frequency 2x per week. Movement-to-music dose approximately 15 min per session. Mean high gamma activity amplitude during the oddball paradigm, relative to activity detected during a baseline task of quiet bilateral standing with eyes open (QEO). Ozdemir et al (2018, 2016) reported that high gamma activity is associated with age-related performance deficits during challenging balance tasks. After 8 weeks of NDT intervention, high gamma activity was lower during the visual and auditory oddball tasks compared to QEO relative to before intervention. We explored one potential mechanism of action underlying the NDT intervention as a solution for BC survivors with CIN. Our results suggest reduced cognitive load during oddball processing in standing post-NDT relative to baseline. Worthen-Chaudhari receives royalties from the start-up business "Games That Move You". The clinical trial that this pilot study was associated with was funded by R21-AG068831 (MPIs: Worthen-Chaudhari and Lustberg). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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