Long-Term Experience of Chinese Calligraphic Handwriting Is Associated with Better Executive Functions and Stronger Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Related Brain Regions

PLOS ONE, Dec 2019

Chinese calligraphic handwriting (CCH) is a traditional art form that requires high levels of concentration and motor control. Previous research has linked short-term training in CCH to improvements in attention and memory. Little is known about the potential impacts of long-term CCH practice on a broader array of executive functions and their potential neural substrates. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 36 practitioners with at least 5 years of CCH experience and 50 control subjects with no more than one month of CCH practice and investigated their differences in the three components of executive functions (i.e., shifting, updating, and inhibition). Valid resting-state fMRI data were collected from 31 CCH and 40 control participants. Compared with the controls, CCH individuals showed better updating (as measured by the Corsi Block Test) and inhibition (as measured by the Stroop Word-Color Test), but the two groups did not differ in shifting (as measured by a cue-target task). The CCH group showed stronger resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) than the control group in brain areas involved in updating and inhibition. These results suggested that long-term CCH training may be associated with improvements in specific aspects of executive functions and strengthened neural networks in related brain regions.

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Long-Term Experience of Chinese Calligraphic Handwriting Is Associated with Better Executive Functions and Stronger Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Related Brain Regions

January Long-Term Experience of Chinese Calligraphic Handwriting Is Associated with Better Executive Functions and Stronger Resting- State Functional Connectivity in Related Brain Regions Wen Chen 0 1 2 Yong He 1 2 Yang Gao 1 2 Cuiping Zhang 1 2 Chuansheng Chen 0 2 Suyu Bi 2 Pin Yang 2 Yiwen Wang 2 Wenjing Wang 1 2 0 Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America, 3 IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China , 4 School of International Journalism and Communication, Beijing Foreign Studies University , Beijing , China , 5 School of Arts and Media, Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China , 6 Conservation Department, National Palace Museum , Beijing , China 1 State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China 2 Editor: Lin Lu, Peking University , CHINA Chinese calligraphic handwriting (CCH) is a traditional art form that requires high levels of concentration and motor control. Previous research has linked short-term training in CCH to improvements in attention and memory. Little is known about the potential impacts of longterm CCH practice on a broader array of executive functions and their potential neural substrates. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 36 practitioners with at least 5 years of CCH experience and 50 control subjects with no more than one month of CCH practice and investigated their differences in the three components of executive functions (i.e., shifting, updating, and inhibition). Valid resting-state fMRI data were collected from 31 CCH and 40 control participants. Compared with the controls, CCH individuals showed better updating (as measured by the Corsi Block Test) and inhibition (as measured by the Stroop WordColor Test), but the two groups did not differ in shifting (as measured by a cue-target task). The CCH group showed stronger resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) than the control group in brain areas involved in updating and inhibition. These results suggested that long-term CCH training may be associated with improvements in specific aspects of executive functions and strengthened neural networks in related brain regions. - Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are within the manuscript and supporting information files. Funding: This study was supported by the 14YJAZH081 Project (received by W.J.W.) of the Ministry of Education of China (http://www.moe. edu.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/moe/moe_ 2792/) and the No. 31221003 Project (received by Y.H.) of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal1/). The funding of 14YJAZH081 Project was mainly for 1. Introduction Chinese calligraphy has a long history, originated from oracle-bone writing (chia ku wen) and evolved into subsequent five main forms, including seal script (chuan shu), clerical script (li shu), running script (hsing shu), grass writing (tsao shu), and model script (kai shu) [ 1 ]. To study design, data analysis and decision to publish, while the No. 31221003 Project was mainly for data collection. master any style of Chinese calligraphy is a difficult task and requires years of practice, which includes learning the precise creation of each stroke, the composition of the whole piece, and the rhythm of writing and associated breathing [ 2 ]. The particular demands of Chinese calligraphic handwriting (CCH) on mental resources have intrigued psychologists since the 1970s [ 3 ]. Researchers have found that the act of brushwriting is associated with calligraphers' physiological changes [ 4, 5 ] and brain activity [ 6, 7 ]. Physiological changes include decelerated respiration, slower heart rate, decreased blood pressure, and reduced muscular tension [ 4, 5 ]. These changes are similar to those resulting from relaxation training [8] or mindful meditation [ 9, 10 ], suggesting that CCH promotes relaxation and attention/concentration, which are further related to executive functions (EFs) [ 11, 12 ]. In terms of neural correlates of CCH, an EEG study [ 13 ] found that CCH training increased theta wave, which has been associated with working memory (a key component of EF) in previous studies [14±16]. Finally, indirect evidence linking CCH to EFs also came from the beneficial effect of short-term CCH training in children with attention deficiency (attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder) [ 17 ]. These children are known to have deficits in EFs [18±21], but they were helped by CCH training, perhaps via improved EFs. In sum, previous research has provided some evidence linking CCH to EFs. No study to our knowledge, however, has systematically examined the effects of long-term CCH on various components of EFs and related brain connectivity. Based on Miyake's conceptualization [ 22 ], EFs have three components: updating (or WM), shifting (or cognitive flexibili (...truncated)


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Wen Chen, Yong He, Yang Gao, Cuiping Zhang, Chuansheng Chen, Suyu Bi, Pin Yang, Yiwen Wang, Wenjing Wang. Long-Term Experience of Chinese Calligraphic Handwriting Is Associated with Better Executive Functions and Stronger Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Related Brain Regions, PLOS ONE, 2017, Volume 12, Issue 1, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170660