How does long-term training to enhance physical coordination affect the neural control of movements? How does it affect how we do everyday tasks? 

A team of collaborative researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University set out to find the answers. Their study, from the lab of Petit Institute researcher Lena Ting and published in the Journal of Neurophysiology, compares the movements of professional ballet dancers to individuals with no training. 

The research showed that years of ballet training changed how the nervous system coordinated muscles for walking and balancing behavior. The team’s discoveries may also implications for rehabilitation medicine.

Read more about the research from the Ting lab.