Neurotango® for Neurological Contexts

USE CASES

NEUROLOGY

NEUROLOGICAL TARGET GROUPS

NEUROTANGO® for NEUROLOGICAL TARGET GROUPS

Neurotango® does not rely on isolated stimuli. Instead, it creates learning-supportive conditions under which the brain can independently enable adaptation, regulation, and functional networking.

Neurotango® was specifically developed for neurological contexts in which movement, cognition, perception, and emotional regulation are impaired. The method intentionally uses neuroplastic learning mechanisms and combines movement, cognitive challenge, social interaction, and music-based structure to create a stable and safe learning framework.

Stroke
Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson's disease
Onset dementia
Alzheimer's
Relatives of dementia patients (for prevention and psychosocial support)

Why Neurotango® Is Suitable for Neurological Target Groups

Neurotango® is a movement-based, neurocognitive concept designed to support neuroplastic processes and functional reorganization in neurological populations through structured movement, motor learning, cognitive activation, and social interaction.

It aims to activate neuroplastic processes and functional adaptation through structured movement and motor learning.

Supports neuroplasticity and functional reorganization through structured movement and motor learning
Facilitates cognitive adaptation by learning new movement and thinking strategies
Strengthens emotional safety and co-regulation through human interaction
Uses music as an organizing and structuring factor for orientation and predictability
Activates neurobiologically relevant messenger substances such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and noradrenaline
Avoids overload through clear structures, repetition, and safe learning conditions

Core Brain Functions Addressed in the Neurotango® Concept

1. Multidimensional Learning Processes in the Brain – Cognitive, Motor, Emotional, and Social

Learning processes in the brain are closely linked to emotional activation. Emotions influence attention, memory formation, and the stability of newly acquired content. Neurotango® makes intentional use of this relationship, not through deliberate emotional triggering, but through natural, largely unconscious processes.

Emotional activation in Neurotango® occurs primarily on two levels:

Music
Music acts as a direct stimulus for emotional memory systems. It supports attention, orientation, and readiness to learn and often remains accessible even in the presence of neurodegenerative conditions.

Social interaction
The emotional relationship with the movement partner and the group fosters a sense of safety, belonging, and motivation. These social processes operate largely unconsciously and support stable learning conditions.

The stronger the emotional involvement, the more sustainably information can be anchored in memory. A well-known example of this mechanism is traumatic experience, in which intense emotions lead to particularly durable and detailed memory formation. The brain uses such pattern formation to recognize and avoid potential threats more efficiently in the future.

The same neurobiological mechanism also enables the development of positive patterns. When movement, proximity, and social resonance are experienced as supportive and regulating, new behaviors, habits, and forms of self-efficacy can emerge. On this basis, Neurotango® is also applied in addiction-related contexts. Needs such as recognition, bonding, experiences of success, and personal development can be addressed in a healthy way, without the negative side effects associated with addictive substances or behaviors.

2. Expansion of Neural Networks Through New Experiences

New synaptic connections can only develop when the brain is provided with new information and unfamiliar experiences. Even individual new connections can trigger extensive network expansion, as each new linkage can in turn connect multiple additional brain regions. Learning processes therefore never occur in isolation but always operate at a network level.

The learning content conveyed in Neurotango® is deliberately diverse and engages multiple functional domains of the brain. These include spatial orientation, counting and structuring, musical perception, sensory and haptic stimuli, motor coordination, as well as dialogical and communicative processes. Each newly acquired element can serve as a starting point for further functional networking.

In parallel with these cognitive and sensory learning processes, physical and neurobiological adaptations take place. Movement requires muscle activation, metabolic adjustment, neuronal signal transmission, and the integration of new movement patterns and movement possibilities. These processes are accompanied by changes in energy regulation, hormonal systems, and the release of neurobiological messenger substances.

All of these adaptations are based on a learning environment that continuously provides the brain with new, meaningful information. Learning processes are particularly effective when sensory perception, cognitive processing, and motor activity are engaged simultaneously and, ideally, embedded within an emotional context.

Under these conditions, new content can be acquired more efficiently, stabilized, and integrated into the neural network over the long term.

3. Pattern Formation Instead of Isolated Detail Information

The brain primarily learns through patterns and relationships rather than through isolated pieces of information. Learned movements, actions, or knowledge are always linked to sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social information. Multidimensional stimuli therefore gain more effective access to memory processes than fragmented, single inputs. Holistic learning and movement approaches that address motor, cognitive, and emotional levels simultaneously enable more stable and sustainable learning processes than one-sided training methods, such as the isolated strengthening of individual muscle groups or purely abstract learning without situational context.

Learned patterns are always reflected at the physical level as well. Experiences such as joy, success, stress, or social strain are not processed cognitively alone but are also represented in the body. This relationship is described by the concept of embodiment. The body responds to internal and external states through changes in posture, movement, muscle tone, breathing, and autonomic processes. Prolonged negative stimuli can also promote physiological reactions such as increased stress hormone release, cardiovascular changes, or metabolic adaptations.

Although these relationships are generally acknowledged, it is less commonly recognized that bodily processes can also be used deliberately in the opposite direction. Changes in posture, movement, and body language feed back into emotional and cognitive states. Even simple forms of physical expression can therefore exert regulating effects on the nervous system.

Neurotango® makes intentional use of this relationship by understanding learning through movement as a three-dimensional process that integrates perception, action, and emotional evaluation.

Through the combination of movement, structure, interaction, and sensory integration, new functional patterns emerge within the neural network, supporting learning, adaptation, and self-regulation.

4. Functional Compensation in Altered or Lost Information Pathways

Over the course of the aging process and in neurological disorders, neural networks undergo structural and functional changes. These changes affect not only cognitive content but also motor, sensory, and neurobiological information pathways. As a result, movement sequences, posture, and coordinated actions may become increasingly unstable. This process of “unlearning” does not affect isolated abilities but entire networks in which motor, cognitive, and emotional information are interconnected.

In this context, the brain follows the principle of use-dependent stabilization of neural connections, commonly described as “use it or lose it.” When specific functions are not activated over extended periods, the corresponding connections lose stability or are gradually dismantled. The loss of individual connections affects numerous additional processes, as neural networks are highly interconnected.

At the same time, neurological case observations demonstrate that the brain possesses the capacity for functional compensation. Under certain conditions, functions can be partially assumed by other brain regions, even when original structures are damaged or no longer accessible. This adaptive capacity is understood as an expression of neuroplastic reorganization.

In practical work with people living with Parkinson’s disease, it has been observed that structured movement and learning interventions can temporarily lead to improved motor coordination, cognitive presence, and psychosocial engagement. These effects were primarily evident during ongoing training phases and for a limited period thereafter.

Without continued activation, degenerative processes tended to re-emerge, underscoring the importance of regular, structured use of available resources.

<<Case examples from practice>>

5. Cumulative Effects Through Multidimensional Activation

In addition to the principle of use-dependent stabilization of neural connections (“use it or lose it”), the brain follows another fundamental functional principle: activation reinforces activation. The more different functional systems are meaningfully engaged at the same time, the more learning and adaptation processes can mutually support one another.

The combination of motor, cognitive, sensory, and psychosocial components used in Neurotango® leads to the simultaneous activation of multiple neural networks. This multidimensional engagement facilitates connectivity between different functional domains and can accelerate learning processes while increasing their stability.

In practical application, it has been observed that under these conditions a broader development of functional abilities as well as increased readiness for activation and participation may occur.

These effects can be explained neurobiologically by the strengthened coupling of movement, perception, attention, and social interaction.

6. Multidimensional Stimuli as the Basis for Sustainable Learning Processes

As described above, the brain requires multidimensional stimuli in order to anchor new movement patterns and learning processes efficiently and over the long term. What matters most is not the quantity but the quality of information. Stable neural adaptation requires the simultaneous engagement of multiple perceptual and processing levels.

From a neurobiological perspective, quality refers to the integration of different sensory modalities such as hearing, touch, vision, movement, and social communication. Additional factors such as sufficient oxygen supply, daylight, and appropriate nutrition provide the physiological foundation for learning and adaptive capacity.

Purely screen-based media cannot replace the quality of real experience. Visual perception on screens is often reduced to a fixed focal point and is associated with passive stimulus processing. Auditory stimuli also differ significantly from real interpersonal communication, as sound waves in direct interaction are perceived not only through hearing but also through vibration and bodily resonance. These differences are well documented in developmental neuroscience, for example in early language acquisition, which requires real human interaction.

The human brain is oriented toward real encounters, real movement, and immediate sensory feedback. Movement-based therapeutic settings involving partners, groups, music, spatial orientation, and diverse sensory demands fulfill these conditions to a high degree. Neurotango® intentionally uses these multidimensional stimuli to support learning, adaptation, and functional networking within the neural system.

7. Biochemical Stimuli and Neural Regulation

Changes in the availability and regulation of biochemical messenger substances play a central role in many neurological conditions. These alterations affect not only cognitive processes but also motor functions, autonomic regulation, metabolic processes, and emotional stability. A well-known example is reduced dopaminergic activity in Parkinson’s disease.

Movement, rhythm, music, and social interaction are recognized in neuroscientific research as relevant stimuli for activating endogenous neurobiological systems. In practical Neurotango® settings, participants frequently report subjectively perceived changes immediately following training, such as increased mobility, a sense of lightness, emotional balance, and bodily presence. These reports are based on self-assessment and do not constitute objective measurements, but they may indicate temporally limited regulatory effects.

Studies in dance and movement research suggest that movement-based, rhythmic, and socially embedded activities may be associated with changes in the release of neurobiological messenger substances. These include dopamine, endorphins, and opioid peptides, which are involved in motivation, pain modulation, emotional evaluation, and motor control. Such effects cannot be attributed to single factors but emerge from the interaction of movement, music, rhythm, physical contact, attention, and social resonance.

Neurotango® intentionally uses these biochemical stimulus conditions without pharmacological intervention and understands them as supportive frameworks for regulation, participation, and functional activation in neurological contexts.

8. Mirror Neurons and Social Co-Regulation

A distinctive feature of Neurotango® training is that many exercises can be performed in pairs. This engages neural systems involved in observation, imitation, and social coordination, commonly referred to as mirror neurons. These neural networks play an important role in perceiving movement, intention, and emotional expression in others.

Embodiment research shows that in everyday life people unconsciously mirror the movements, postures, and expressions of individuals with whom they feel connected or aligned. This bodily resonance is understood as a fundamental mechanism of social understanding and contributes to the development of trust, safety, and interpersonal orientation.

In paired exercises within many Neurotango® tools, mirroring or complementary movements are deliberately used. Practical observation indicates that even participants who initially appear distant or reluctant often develop increasing openness, synchronization, and mutual attentiveness over the course of shared movement. These processes occur largely unconsciously and are supported by the shared task and the experience of moving together.

The activation of mirror neuron-related processes is closely associated with empathy, outward-directed attention, and social resonance. On a psychological level, this can temporarily reduce self-focused attention and shift the focus toward contact, encounter, and cooperation. Such social co-regulation processes are considered important factors for emotional stabilization and social integration.

In an increasingly media-driven and individualized world, real encounters, shared movement, and bodily resonance gain particular importance. Neurotango® intentionally integrates these elements to support social connectedness, balance, and functional stability within the neural network.