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Researchers looking at ways of improving the treatment of chronic dizziness have been given hope after studying the dance moves of ballerinas.
They found that years of training cause structural changes in a ballerina's brain that help her stay balanced while performing a pirouette.
Brain scans of professional ballerinas revealed differences from other people in two parts of the brain - one that processes input from the balancing organs in the inner ear, and another responsible for the perception of dizziness.
Most people, after turning around rapidly, feel dizzy for a period afterwards.
This is because of the fluid-filled chambers of the ear's balance organs, which sense the rotation of the head through tiny hairs that perceive the fluid swishing about.
The fluid continues to move for a while after the spin. This creates the perception that one is moving when he or she is actually still - causing the dizziness.
But ballet dancers can perform multiple pirouettes with little or no feeling of dizziness, a feat that has puzzled researchers.
The pirouette sees them execute one or more full-body turns on the toe or ball of one foot.
For the study, the researchers span 29 ballerinas around in a chair in a dark room, then did the same with 20 female rowers of similar age and fitness levels.
The women were asked to turn a lever on a small wheel attached to their chair in rhythm with the spinning sensation they experienced after the chair was brought to a halt.
For the dancers, the perception of spinning lasted for a "significantly" shorter period, said the study. The researchers also did brain scans on the women.
They found that the part of the cerebellum, which processes the signal from the balancing organs, was smaller in the dancers. The cerebellum is the part of the brain that governs body movement.


Spinning ballerinas help in search for new treatment for dizziness

Researchers looking at ways of improving the treatment of chronic dizziness

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World

Researchers looking at ways of improving the treatment of chronic dizziness have been given hope after studying the dance moves of ballerinas.


Spinning ballerinas help in search for new treatment for dizziness

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Researchers looking at ways of improving the treatment of chronic dizziness have been given hope after studying the dance moves of ballerinas.

Researchers looking at ways of improving the treatment of chronic dizziness have been given hope after studying the dance moves of ballerinas.