title: EEG-based investigation of brain connectivity changes in psychotic patients undergoing the primitive expression form of dance therapy: a methodological pilot study.
abstract: Primitive expression (PE) is a form of dance therapy (DT) that involves an interaction of ethologically and socially based forms which are supplied for re-enactment. There exist very few studies of DT applications including in their protocol the measurement of neurophysiological parameters. The present pilot study investigates the use of the correlation coefficient (ρ) and mutual information (MI), and of novel measures extracted from ρ and MI, on electroencephalographic (EEG) data recorded in patients with schizophrenia while they undergo PE DT, in order to expand the set of neurophysiology-based approaches for quantifying possible DT effects, using parameters that might provide insights about any potential brain connectivity changes in these patients during the PE DT process. Indication is provided for an acute potentiation effect, apparent at late-stage PE DT, on the inter-hemispheric connectivity in frontal areas, as well as for attenuation of the inter-hemispheric connectivity of left frontal and right central areas and for potentiation of the intra-hemispheric connectivity of frontal and central areas, bilaterally, in the transition from early to late-stage PE DT. This pilot study indicates that by using EEG connectivity measures based on ρ and MI, the set of useful neurophysiology-based approaches for quantifying possible DT effects is expanded. In the framework of the present study, the causes of the observed connectivity changes cannot be attributed with certainty to PE DT, but indications are provided that these measures may contribute to a detailed assessment of neurophysiological mechanisms possibly being affected by this therapeutic process.
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technological Educational Institution of Athens, Agiou Spyridonos Str., Egaleo, Athens, 12210 Greece.
authors: Errikos-Chaim
authors: EC
authors: Ventouras
authors: 1st Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, University of Athens, 74 Vas. Sophias Ave., Athens, 11528 Greece ; Department of Theater Studies, University of Peloponnese, 21, Vas. Konstantinou Str., Nafplion, 21460 Greece.
authors: Alexia
authors: A
authors: Margariti
authors: 1st Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, University of Athens, 74 Vas. Sophias Ave., Athens, 11528 Greece.
authors: Paraskevi
authors: P
authors: Chondraki
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technological Educational Institution of Athens, Agiou Spyridonos Str., Egaleo, Athens, 12210 Greece.
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Kalatzis
authors: 1st Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, University of Athens, 74 Vas. Sophias Ave., Athens, 11528 Greece.
authors: Nicholas-Tiberio
authors: NT
authors: Economou
authors: 1st Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, University of Athens, 74 Vas. Sophias Ave., Athens, 11528 Greece.
authors: Hara
authors: H
authors: Tsekou
authors: 1st Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, University of Athens, 74 Vas. Sophias Ave., Athens, 11528 Greece.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Paparrigopoulos
authors: 1st Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, University of Athens, 74 Vas. Sophias Ave., Athens, 11528 Greece.
authors: Periklis
authors: P
authors: Ktonas
keywords: Brain connectivity; Correlation coefficient; Dance therapy; Electroencephalography (EEG); Mutual information; Primitive expression