Abstract
Balancing is a complex task requiring the integration of visual, somatosensory and vestibular inputs. The vestibular system is linked to the hippocampus, a brain structure crucial for spatial orientation. Here we tested the immediate and sustained effects of a one-month-long slackline training program on balancing and orientation abilities as well as on brain volumes in young adults without any prior experience in that skill. On the corrected level, we could not find any interaction effects for brain volumes, but the effect sizes were small to medium. A subsequent within-training-group analysis revealed volumetric increments within the somatosensory cortex and decrements within posterior insula, cerebellum and putamen remained stable over time. No significant interaction effects were observed on the clinical balance and the spatial orientation task two months after the training period (follow-up). We interpret these findings as a shift away from processes crucial for automatized motor output towards processes related to voluntarily controlled movements. The decrease in insular volume in the training group we propose to result from multisensory interaction of the vestibular with the visual and somatosensory systems. The discrepancy between sustained effects in the brain of the training group on the one hand and transient benefits in function on the other may indicate that for the latter to be retained a longer-term practice is required.
Highlights
It is known that many new movements, especially when learned for the first time, can cause both transient and sustained structural brain changes, which can often be detected using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) [1,2,3,4,5,6]
One month of intensive slackline training led to improvements in balancing and path-integration abilities immediately after the training, these were entirely lost at the follow-up testing
According to a meta-analysis of balance trainings, it is sufficient to perform three trainings over four weeks, with each training lasting at least 10 min, to expect significant improvements in balance [23]. Another meta-analysis on slackline trainings in particular revealed high task-specific effects and low to moderate non-task-specific effects [11]. This is in accordance with our earlier findings at the post-test [9], where our participants had learned how to slackline and achieved small to medium effect size for the improvements on the clinical balance test
Summary
It is known that many new movements, especially when learned for the first time, can cause both transient and sustained structural brain changes, which can often be detected using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The ability of the human nervous system to adapt to new experiences by altering its connectivity and creating new neurons (in areas such as the hippocampus), a process termed neuroplasticity, has been confirmed by numerous previous studies that used movement interventions as stimulus [7,8]. Brain Sci. 2020, 10, 210 trainings in terms of the involved neuroanatomical structures; it is more intensive and should, lead to faster and stronger effects. It was required to organize a well-designed longitudinal study for this purpose. Such a study needs to address the remaining questions pertaining to the specific influence of slackline training on behavioral improvements in balancing and spatial orientation. It is reasonable to expect that behavioral improvements in vestibular dependent path-integration and balancing [9] are coupled with associated neuroanatomical alterations
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