Identifying electrophysiological signatures of anticipatory and reactive processing in a discrimination response task in professional dancers

This study investigated the electrophysiological correlates of anticipatory and reactive processing and behavior associated with a visuomotor discrimination response task of professional dancers to test the effect of dance practice on their cognitive functions. To control the physical activity practice effects, dancers were compared with non-dancers matched for physical activity level. Considering the intrinsic features of the training routine to which professional dancers are constantly exposed — characterized by high temporal anticipation, continuous spatial monitoring and complex sensorimotor integration — we hypothesized differences in attentional control mechanisms and anticipatory processes compared to physically active controls in a discrimination response task. Behavioral data showed that dancers were more accurate than controls, and they had comparable response times. This effect was paralleled by the analysis of event-related potential (ERP), showing dancers compared to controls larger cognitive preparation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), indexed by the prefrontal negativity (pN) ERP component. This may indicate a more intense top-down attentional control of the upcoming task. Dancers also showed reduced early sensory processing (P1 component) and less intense stimulus-response mapping (pP2 component), suggesting more efficient reactive processing in early sensory processing and associative brain areas. In contrast, the pP1 component was enhanced in dancers, likely reflecting superior sensory-motor integration, a pivotal function in choreographic demands. No difference emerged in the P3, signaling a similar workload load for the two groups. The results outline a peculiar neurofunctional profile of professional dancers, relying on intense cognitive anticipatory control and optimized proactive processing, allowing them superior response precision in sensory-motor performance. Further studies are needed to fully understand the specific trajectories of brain plasticity found here associated with dance practice.