Dancing and music are part of the fabric of the majority of Earth’s most ancient cultures.

And recent research has discovered there are distinct changes in sensory and motor pathways – in the brains of dancers and musicians.

But the changes in white matter are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Researchers from the International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research in Montreal – using an advanced imaging technique – looked in detail at the white matter structure of dancers, musicians –  and individuals with training in neither discipline.

The scientists suggest that dance and music training affect the brain in opposite directions, increasing global connections and crossing of fibres in dance training and strengthening specific pathways in music training.