This report contains a description of physiological and motion data, recorded simultaneously and in synchrony using the hyperscanning method from two professional dancers using wireless mobile brain-body imaging (MoBI) technology during rehearsals and public performances of “LiveWire” - a new composition comprised of five choreographed music and dance sections inspired by neuroscience principles. Brain and ocular activity were measured using 28-channel scalp electroencephalography (EEG), and 4-channel electrooculography (EOG), respectively; and head motion was recorded using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the forehead of each dancer. Video recordings were obtained for each session to allow for tagging of physiological and motion signals and for behavioral analysis. Data recordings were collected from 10 sessions over a 4-month period, in which the dancers rehearsed or performed (in front of an audience) choreographed expressive movements. A detailed explanation of the experimental set-up, the steps carried out for data collection, and an explanation on the usage are provided in this report.

Although significant progress has been made in understanding the cortical correlates underlying balance control, these studies focused on a single task, limiting the ability to generalize the findings. Different balance tasks may elicit cortical activations in the same regions but show different levels of activation because of distinct underlying mechanisms. In this study, twenty young, neurotypical adults were instructed to maintain standing balance while the standing support surface was either translated or rotated. The differences in cortical activations in the frontocentral region between these two widely used tasks were examined using electroencephalography (EEG). Additionally, the study investigated whether transcranial magnetic stimulation could modulate these cortical activations during the platform translation task. Higher delta and lower alpha relative power were found over the frontocentral region during the platform translation task when compared to the platform rotation task, suggesting greater engagement of attentional and sensory integration resources for the former. Continuous theta burst stimulation over the supplementary motor area significantly reduced delta activity in the frontocentral region but did not alter alpha activity during the platform translation task. The results provide a direct comparison of neural activations between two commonly used balance tasks and are expected to lay a strong foundation for designing neurointerventions for balance improvements with effects generalizable across multiple balance scenarios.

Although significant progress has been made in understanding the cortical correlates underlying balance control, these studies focused on a single task limiting the ability to generalize the find-ings. Different balance tasks may elicit cortical activations in the same regions but show different levels of activation because of distinct underlying mechanisms. In this study, we instructed twenty young, neurotypical adults to maintain standing balance while the standing support surface was either translated or rotated and investigated the differences in cortical activations between these two widely used tasks using whole head electroencephalography (EEG). Addi-tionally, we investigated whether transcranial magnetic stimulation could modulate these cortical activations. We found higher delta and lower alpha relative power over the fronto-central region during the platform translation task when compared to the platform rotation task suggesting greater engagement of attentional and sensory integration resources for the former. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) over the supplementary motor area (SMA) significantly reduced delta activity in the fronto-central region but did not alter alpha activity during the platform translation task. Our results provide a direct comparison of neural activations between two commonly used balance tasks and are expected to lay a strong foundation for designing neuro-interventions for balance improvements with effects generalizable across multiple balance scenarios.

Symmetrical resistance training induces corticospinal and cortical network plasticity; however, the neural consequences of asymmetrical resistance training (offset loading or OL) remain unclear. In this preliminary study, fourteen healthy adults completed eighteen supervised upper-extremity training sessions over a 6-week intervention period. Participants were allocated to either an offset loading (OL) intervention group (n = 8) or a conventional symmetrical resistance training active control group (AC; n = 6). Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings were acquired during motor task performance at baseline, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks. Directed functional connectivity among predefined cortical regions was quantified, and longitudinal changes were assessed using Friedman tests with false-discovery-rate correction for multiple comparisons. Significant changes in the OL group were observed involving two cortical pathways after correction for multiple testing. Connectivity from the right parietal cortex to the right sensorimotor cortex increased over time (Friedman χ² = 8.00, q = 0.037), with post hoc analyses showing a significant increase between the midpoint and post-training assessments (q = 0.047; effect size r = 0.894). No significant longitudinal changes in cortical connectivity were identified in the AC group. Six weeks of OL training was associated with selective strengthening of directed connectivity within prefrontal-to-sensorimotor and parietal-to-sensorimotor cortical pathways. In contrast, conventional symmetrical resistance training was not associated with detectable changes in connectivity. These findings suggest that asymmetrical loading may induce task-specific reorganization of cortical networks involved in sensorimotor processing and motor control.

Clinical tests such as the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) are used to assess balance and functional mobility following stroke. These tests are subjective due to dependence on the assessor’s judgment and the patient’s effort, potentially affecting their sensitivity to early or subtle balance recovery. This study aimed to identify objective markers of BBS and TUG among corticomuscular coherence (CMC) and force platform center of pressure (COP) measures using machine learning in 18 chronic stroke patients and 15 age-matched healthy adults. Participants performed a continuous balance task on a sway-referenced force platform with simultaneous recording of EEG, EMG, and COP data. We used a two-stage machine learning approach: first, a binary classifier, such as XGBoost and Elastic Net models, reduced dimensionality while preserving interpretability, and selected features that differentiated between stroke and healthy controls; second, regression models used selected features to identify predictors of BBS and TUG. Tibialis anterior delta-band CMC and medio-lateral root mean square COP predicted BBS and TUG. These features capture the dynamic stability mechanisms shared across the two clinical tests of balance and functional mobility. Soleus theta-band CMC asymmetry index predicted BBS, whereas TUG was predicted by biceps femoris beta-band CMC asymmetry index and rectus femoris beta-band CMC. These muscle-specific measures highlighted the use of ankle and hip strategies for the control of balance during BBS and TUG tests, respectively. Our study provides objective neurophysiological and biomechanical markers that may be sensitive to subtle changes in balance following stroke.