BACKGROUND: Previous experiments have demonstrated that brainstem auditory evoked potential is affected by exercise,exercise duration,and frequency. OBJECTIVE: Comparing the brainstem auditory evoked potential of students studying folk dance to students studying other subjects. DESIGN: Observational contrast study. SETTING: Physical Education College,Shandong Normal University PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-five female students were enrolled at Shandong Normal University between September and December in 2005,including 21 students that studied folk dance and 34 students that studied other subjects. The age of the folk dance students averaged (19 ± 1) years and dance training length was (6.0 ± 1.5) years. The students that studied other subjects had never taken part in dance training or other physical training,and their age averaged (22 ± 1) years,body height averaged (162 ± 5) cm,body mass averaged (51 ± 6) kg. All subjects had no prior ear disease or history of other neurological disorders. All students provided informed consent for the experimental project. METHODS: The neural electricity tester,NDI-200 (Shanghai Poseidon Medical Electronic Instrument Factory) was used to examine and record Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential values of the subjects during silence,as well as to transversally analyze the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential values. The electrode positions were cleaned and degreased with soapy water,followed by ethanol. The selected bipolar electrodes were situated on the head: recording electrodes were placed at the Baihui acupoint,and the reference electrode was placed at the mastoid of the measured ear,with grounding electrodes in the center of the forehead. Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential values were elicited by monaural stimulation of a “click” though an earphone; the other ear was sheltered by the white noise. The click intensity was 102 db,the stimulation frequency was 30 Hz,the bandpass filters were 1 000-3 000 Hz,the sensitivity was 5 μV,and a total of 2 000 sweeps were averaged. Waveform identification and analysis: various components of the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential values were identified,and the peak latencies and peak-peak values were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Latency of Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ,Ⅴ and Peak-Peak Value of Ⅰ,Ⅲ,Ⅴ were measured. RESULTS: Fifty-five subjects were enrolled in the final analysis,without any loss. Compared to the students who studied other subjects ①Ⅰ-Ⅴ peak latencies (PL): Ⅳ PL of the right ear of the folk dance students was obviously longer (P < 0.05); ②Ⅰ,Ⅲ,Ⅴ peak-peak values: Ⅰ peak-peak values of the right ear were obviously higher (P < 0.05). CONCUSION: ① PL of the right ear of the folk dance students was obviously longer,which indicates that dancing results in a stronger sensibility to auditory stimuli. ②P?eak-peak values were obviously higher,which indicates that long-term exercise enhances the music senses and synchrony of auditory nerve impulses. BACKGROUND: Previous experiments have demonstrated that brainstem auditory evoked potential is affected by exercise, exercise duration, and frequency. OBJECTIVE: Comparing the brainstem auditory evoked potential of students studying folk dance to students studying other subjects. DESIGN: Observational contrast study. SETTING: Physical Education College, Shandong Normal University PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-five female students were enrolled at Shandong Normal University between September and December in 2005, 21 students that studied folk dance and 34 students that studied other subjects. The age of the folk dance students averaged ( 19 ± 1) years and dance training length was (6.0 ± 1.5) years. The students that studied other subjects had never taken part in dance training or other physical training, and their age averaged (22 ± 1) years, body height averaged ( 162 ± 5) cm, body mass averaged (51 ± 6) kg. All subjects had no prior ear disease or history of other neurological disorders. METHODS: The neural electricity tester, NDI-200 (Shanghai Poseidon Medical Electronic Instrument Factory) was used to examine and record Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential values ​​of the subjects during silence, as well as to transversally analyze the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential values. The electrode bipments were cleaned and degreased with soapy water, followed by ethanol. The selected bipolar electrodes were situated on the head: recording electrodes were placed at the Baihui acupoint, and the reference electrode was placed at the mastoid of the measured ear, with grounding electrodes in the center of the forehead. Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential values ​​were elicited by monaural stimulation of a “click ” though an earphone; the other ear was sheltered by the white noise. The click intensity was 102 db, the stimulation frequency was 30 Hz, the bandpass filters were 1 000-3 000 Hz, the sensitivity was 5 μV, and a total of 2 000 sweeps were averaged. Waveform identification and analysis: various components of the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential values ​​were identified, and the peak latencies and peak-peak values ​​were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Latency of Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ Ⅴ and Peak-Peak Value of Ⅰ, Ⅲ, Ⅴ were measured. RESULTS: Fifty-five subjects were enrolled in the final analysis, without any loss. Compared to the students who studied other subjects ①Ⅰ-Ⅴpeak latencies (PL): Ⅳ PL of the right ear of the folk dance students was obviously longer (P <0.05); ② peak-peak values ​​of Ⅰ, Ⅲ and Ⅴ: Ⅰ peak-peak values ​​of the right ear were obviously higher (P <0.05) ① PL of the right ear of the folk dance students was obviously longer, which indicates that dancing results in a stronger sensibility to auditory stimuli. ② P? Eak-peak values ​​were obviously higher, which indicates that long-term exercise enhances the music senses and synchrony of auditory nerve impulses.