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Dissertation Defense: Identifying the psychological, behavioral, and neural effects of dance on young adults with ADHD

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Noor Tasnim

Dissertation Defense: Identifying the psychological, behavioral, and neural effects of dance on young adults with ADHD

Noor Tasnim

Graduate Student, Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health
Graduate Research Assistant, Embodied Brain Lab, Virginia Tech
December 5, 2025, at 12 p.m.
Integrated Life Science Building, Room 1040
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More About the Candidate and Project

Education

Virginia Tech, Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Ph.D. Candidate

Duke University, B.S., Evolutionary Anthropology

Duke Univserity, B.A., Global Health

Training

Graduate Research Assistant, Emobided Brain Lab, Virginia Tech

Mentors

Julia Basso, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise; Affiliate Professor, School of Neuroscience; Affiliate Professor, Center for Autism Research; Fellow, Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion; Fellow, Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology

Committee Members

  • Dr. Rosanna Breaux, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology; Director, Child Study Center; Director, CALMER Lab
  • Myounghoon "Philart" Jeon, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
  • Robin Queen, Ph.D., L. Preston Wade Professor of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics; Affiliate Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Affiliate Professr, Faculty of Health Sciences at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion; Director, Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Laboratories
  • Sujith Vijayan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Neuroscience

Publications


Peer-Reviewed Articles

  • Tasnim, N., Hutchinson, A., Gyamfi, D., Makani, K., Nobriga, G., & Basso, J. (Submitted November 2025). Theta oscillations are associated with movement during choreographed and improvised dance - a case series with Memphis Jookin’: The show. Human Brain Mapping
  • Culligan, J., Tasnim, N., Winter, P., Upthegrove, T., English, D. F., & Basso, J. C. (2025). Methods for measuring interpersonal behavioral and neural synchrony during group music therapy for individuals with dementia and their caregivers: A case series study. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 105(4), 1097–1113.
  • Pasquerella, L., Aychman, M. M., Tasnim, N., Piccirillo, A., Holmes, V., & Basso, J. C. (2025). The benefits of chronic sport participation and acute exercise on mental health and executive functioning in adolescents. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 22392.
  • Smith, A. J., Tasnim, N., Psaras, Z., Gyamfi, D., Makani, K., Suzuki, W. A., & Basso, J. C. (2024). Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 203, 65332.
  • Humphries, A., Tasnim, N., Rugh, R., Patrick, M., & Basso, J. C. (2023). Acutely enhancing affective state and social connection following an online dance intervention during the COVID-19 social isolation crisis. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 13.
  • Lynn, S., Satyal, M. K., Smith, A. J., Tasnim, N., Gyamfi, D., English, D. F., Suzuki, W. A., & Basso, J. C. (2022). Dispositional mindfulness and its relationship to exercise motivation and experience. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4.
  • Rugh, R., Humphries, A., Tasnim, N., & Basso, J. C. (2022). Healing minds, moving bodies: Measuring the mental health effects of online dance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research in Dance Education, 0(0), 1–21.
  • Tasnim, N., Heneine, E. M., MacDermod, C. M., Perez, M. L., & Boyd, D. L. (2020). Assessment of Maya women’s knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs on sexually transmitted infections in Guatemala: A qualitative pilot study. BMC Women’s Health, 20(1), 58.
  • Tasnim, N., Schmitt, D., & Zeininger, A. (2021). Effects of human variation on foot and ankle pain in rural Madagascar. American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

Book Chapters

  • Basso, J.C., Tasnim, N. (2024). Dance and the Body-Mind Community Connection. In P. Bala (Ed.), Music, Health and the Body: Cross-Cultural Perspectives (1st ed, pp. 59-90). Lexington Books/Fortress Academic.

Presentations

Conference Sessions

  • Tasnim, N., Smith, A., Gyamfi, D., Arndt, K. C., English, D. F., & Basso, J. C. (2023, May 31–June 2). Dance on the brain: Examining how dance enhances social skills through behavioral and neural synchrony [Conference session]. American College of Sports Medicine, Denver, CO, United States.
  • Tasnim, N., Smith, A., Gyamfi, D., Rugh, R., & Basso, J. C. (2022, October 29–31). Memphis Jookin’ and flow state in dance [Conference session]. National Dance Education Organization, Atlanta, GA, United States.

Poster Sessions

  • Tasnim, N., Aychman, M., Diesel, S.P., Golding, C., Liu, C., and Basso, J.C. (2024, October 5-9). Choreography creation is associated with increased dispositional flow and changes in beta neural activity in experienced dancers [Poster session]. Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, United States.
  • Tasnim, N., Satyal, M. K., Oberlin, D. J., Crosta, C., O’Brien, C. E., Suzuki, W. A., & Basso, J. C. (2024, May 28–31). Long-term exercise improves cognition, mood, and motivation while affecting brain state in low-fit, middle-aged adults [Poster session]. American College of Sports Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.
  • Tasnim, N., Gyamfi, D., Makani, K., Lattig, K. T., Singh, N., Rockwell, L. B., English, D. F., & Basso, J. C. (2023, November 11–15). Examining the neurological and behavioral effects of musical theater training on people with disabilities [Poster session]. Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC, United States.
  • Tasnim, N., Smith, A., Gyamfi, D., English, D. F., & Basso, J. C. (2022, November 12–16). Flow state in dance: An exploratory analysis of psychological state and electroencephalography hyperscanning with members of Memphis Jookin': The Show [Poster session]. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, United States.
  • Tasnim, N., Hansen, R., Weiss, S., Arena, S. L., & Queen, R. M. (2022, August 21–25). Improvements in bilateral balance after unilateral total ankle arthroplasty [Poster session]. North American Congress on Biomechanics, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
  • Tasnim, N., Canizares, R., Keeler, C. (2020). Methods of self-treatment utilized by dancers presenting to an academic medical center dancer wellness clinic [Poster session]. International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, Chiba, Japan (canceled due to COVID-19).
  • Tasnim, N., Zeininger, A., & Schmitt, D. (2018, March 16–18). Identifying the causes of foot pain in rural Madagascar to improve musculoskeletal health [Poster session]. Consortium of Universities for Global Health, New York, NY, United States.

Invited Lectures

  • Sense of self: Embodying and expressing self through dance [Lecture] (2025, October 30). Duke Forever Learning Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.

    ADHD, dance, and the brain [Lecture] (2025, October 23). MTE 4450 (Dance for the Musical Stage IV), Elon University, Elon, NC, United States.
  • 2025 AAAS CASE Informational Webinar: Personal Experiences on the Hill through Science Policy [Lecture] (2025, February 6). Princeton GradFUTURES, Princeton University, Princeton NJ, United States.
  • Effects of Dance on the Brain and Behavior [Lecture] (2025, February 18). HTS 3089 (Science, Technology, and Sports), Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, USA.
  • Impact of Movement on the Brain [Lecture] (2023, February). Springhouse Community School, Blacksburg, VA, USA.

Campus Presentations

  • Opportunities in Science Policy and Advocacy for Graduate Students (2025, October 21). TBMH 5106 (Professional Development and Ethics), Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA.
  • Epiphany Machine: Real-time EEG Brain Scanning for Live Performance (2024, November 8). Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology Playdate, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
  • Brain Activity During Different Cognitive Tasks in Young Adults with ADHD (2024, November 2). The Center for Communicating Science Nutshell Games, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
  • How to Get Involved with Science Policy in Graduate School (2024, October). TBMH 5106 (Professional Development and Ethics), Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA.]
  • Development and Performance of Embodied Art (2023, October 20). Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology Playdate, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.]
  • Studying how Improvisational Dance Training Promotes Psycho-Physiological Synchrony through Multimodal Approaches in EEG and PPG (2023, July 24). School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
  • Impact of Movement on the Brain (2023, February 10). Rhizome Living-Learning Community, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
  • Navigating Higher Education as a First-Generation American (2022, November 9). APIDA+ Center InspirAsian Series, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.

Performances

Exhibits

  • Carving Out Creativity: Discover how Bodies and Brains Connect while Making Art [Exhibition] (2025, February 28). Center for the Arts, Blacksburg, VA, USA. https://icat.vt.edu/events/2025/02/carving-out-creativity.html
  • Exploring the Human Brain [Exhibition] (2024, November 2). Virginia Tech Science Festival, Center for the Arts, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
  • Development of Epiphany Machine [Exhibition] (2024, April 29). Institute for Creativity, Art, and Technology Day, Center for the Arts, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
  • Exploration of EEG Sonification [Exhibition] (2023, July 8). STEM Saturdays, Wonder Universe Children’s Museum, Christiansburg, VA, USA.
  • Development of Embodied Art [Exhibition] (2023, May 1). Institute for Creativity, Art, and Technology Day, Virginia Tech, Center for the Arts, Blacksburg, VA, USA.

Honors and Awards

  • Presidential Management Fellowship Semi-Finalist (program cancelled in 2025) October 2024
  • AAAS Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering Workshop Sponsorship March 2024
  • Society for Neuroscience’s Neuroscience Scholars Program Associate May 2023
  • Virginia Tech Health Science & Technology Shark Tank Contest (2nd Place) December 2021

Service

University Service

  • Graduate Student Representative, Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Caucus, Virginia Tech, 2022-2025
  • Director of Communications, Graduate and Professional Student Senate, Virginia Tech, 2022-2023
  • Graduate Student Representative, Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies, Virginia Tech, 2022-2023
  • Graduate Student Representative, University Council, Virginia Tech, 2022-2023

Departmental Service

  • Graduate Scholar, Science, Technology, and Engineering in Policy Program, Virginia Tech, 2024-2025
  • Senator, Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, Graduate and Professional Student Senate, Virginia Tech, 2024-2025
  • Program Ambassador and Peer Mentor, Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, 2022-2025

Professional Service

  • Undergraduate Admissions Interviewer, Duke University Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee, 2022- Present
  • Hill Day Representative, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2024
  • DC/Maryland/Virginia Coalition Organizer, Science on the Ballot, National Science Policy Network, 2024
  • Consultant, Public Art Implementation Plan and Policy, Office of the Arts, City of Alexandria, Virginia, 2024.
  • STEM Professional Pen Pal, Letters to a Pre-Scientist, 2022-2024

About this Dissertation

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopment disorder marked by a variety of psychological, cognitive, and somatic traits such as forgetfulness, lack of attention to small details, fidgeting, and incoordination. Although it is commonly diagnosed in childhood, it accompanies patients throughout the lifespan and impacts quality of life in adulthood. ADHD diagnoses and help-seeking behavior in adults have increased in the United States in recent years. In tandem, these increased diagnostic rates along with the ability to prescribe stimulant medications through telemedicine have contributed to medication shortages. Therefore, this dissertation set out to achieve the following aims: 1) Determine predictors of ADHD symptom severity in adults and 2) study the acute effects of non-pharmacological interventions, such as dance and exercise, in this patient population. For Aim 1, 67 young adults (ages 18-24) with a formal diagnosis of ADHD underwent a series of psychological, cognitive, and behavioral assessments while having their brain activity measured. Symptoms of depression, sex, and brain activity typically associated with attention were the most significant predictors of ADHD symptom severity. For Aim 2, 63 of these participants returned a week later and were randomly assigned to one of three 30-minute interventions associated with a dance exergame: 1) sitting and watching the game, 2) riding a bike to the game, or 3) dancing along with/playing the game. They then underwent the same series of tests from their first visit. Results demonstrate that exercise suppresses brain activity associated with inattention and improves task switching. Moreover, the complexity of movements associated with dance suppressed inattentive brain activity in regions different from those impacted by biking. These results may aid in the development of quality measures for the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adulthood.