Dance Training and the Neuroplasticity of the Vestibular-Ocular Reflex: Preliminary Findings

Trained dancers maintain a healthy VOR and may develop enhanced voluntary control, enabling more effective VOR suppression. The earlier onset of anti-compensatory saccades suggests neural adaptations in eye-head coordination for high-velocity movements. Given the study's small sample size and the inclusion of non-fulltime dancers, future research with larger samples of professional dancers is needed for enhanced generalizability. These findings provide preliminary evidence of dance-related neuroplasticity in brainstem-mediated vestibular reflexes and open new research avenues.