Neural Efficiency Hypothesis in Motor Actions; Spectral Power of Balancing Ballet Dancers

Reduced activity observed during functional imaging of motor experts led to the Neural Efficiency Hypothesis (NEH) in motor skills, which posits that expert performers use fewer neural resources during motor execution than novices, reflecting greater neural efficiency. This pilot study compared EEG recordings from five novices and four expert ballet dancers during standing and one-leg balance. Whole-brain theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha (8–12 Hz) power were quantified, and topographic maps were generated. In addition to testing the primary hypotheses, the experimental design was evaluated as a practical and scalable approach for investigating the NEH in motor skills. Novices showed significantly larger increases in both theta and alpha power when switching from standing to balancing. Increased theta power is theorized to reflect greater cortical engagement and lower neural efficiency. Although the rise in alpha power is unusual, greater change in power (despite direction) may still suggest less efficient cortical functioning. Topographic maps revealed similar spatial distributions across groups. These preliminary findings support the NEH, indicating that extensive practice yields more efficient neural processing during balance. The success of this pilot study suggests this design is a promising strategy for large-scale investigations the NEH, provided that limitations are properly addressed.