Neuro-Circus is a concept that uses circus skills to improve neurology and the capabilities of the brain. Circus skills, in one form or another, have existed for millennia as a form of entertainment and as a recreational hobby. More recently, studies have revealed that novel motor patterns and motor sequences as found in juggling and circus skills have a number of positive effects on individuals;
particularly the way in which the brain and it’s associated processes are modified by learning and performing such skills. Research has demonstrated that the motor patterns involved in skills such as juggling and circus skills have a number of positive effects on the brain and thus on ones metal capabilities. Research has also demonstrated favorable effects on those suffering with psychological disorders and those in need of mental rehabilitation. Some of these effects include:
• Reduced Depression and Anger-Hostility making juggling therapy useful in treating both state and trait anxiety.
• Juggling has been shown to cause an increase in grey matter in both brain hemispheres. Grey matter is correlated with individuals’ ability to perform tasks and functions, including but not limited to: music, linguistics, spatial navigation and memory.
• Juggling causes enhanced white matter structures in the brain. White matter is responsible for the rate at which information is processed in the brain.
• Increased activation of the posterior parietal cortex, responsible for recalling memorised information.
• Adaptations suggest that better delivery of oxygen to the brain is made possible by creation of new capillaries and thus cerebral blood volume.
• These changes in brain matter are not only found in the specific regions of the brain being used to perform a specific task but also in associative areas.
