SharpBrains

Hi,

It's Andreas, the neuroscience intern from Norway.

Lately, you might have noticed the comedian Judson Laipply's awesome movie clip, the Evolution of Dance on Youtube?

The dance is part of Laipply's "Inspirational Comedy" and has become a huge success. As a neuroscientist I'm interested in what are the neural substrates of dance? Further, I thought of ways to express this in an easy way so that people can learn more about the dance and the brain in a fun way. The result is my new Youtube video: A neurocomment on Laipply's movie clip.

Actually, dance can challenge your mind as well as your muscles. It provides an excellent brain exercise and is associated with reduced risk of dementia.

At least one observational study has shown sharper minds with ballroom dancing.

The study appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine two years ago. Joe Verghese, MD, and colleagues studied 469 people who were at least 75 years old.

At the study's start, they answered surveys about mental and physical activities, like doing crossword puzzles or dancing. Back then, none had dementia.

Five years later, 124 had dementia. Frequent dancers had a reduced risk of dementia compared with those who rarely or never danced.

Of 11 physical activities considered, only dancing was tied to a lower dementia risk.

So what are you waiting for? Start shaking those hips!

For more videos on brain fitness and keeping your mind sharp, check out our Brain Fitness channel on Youtube