Part 1 

In April my intern, Jeanne Masterson, and I traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to attend the 23^rd Annual Society for the Neural Control of Movement (NCM) Conference. I was the only movement educator at the NCM conference and I learned a lot while enjoying the gracious El San Juan Hotel, the beautiful beaches, glowing phosphorescence kayaking trips, salsa dancing, and stimulating discussions with a field of neuroscientists whose aim is to better understand how the brain controls movement.  I was literally giddy with excitement as I had casual conversations and listened to in-depth discussions ranging from basic research to clinical applications. I even managed to fit in a Booty Barre Class. I was left with one major takeaway to explore in the months to come: How can movement teachers and coaches work with movement neuroscientists to improve the understanding of how the brain perceives and creates movement? 

Meeting of the Minds

I’m sharing my keynotes from inspiring students and longtime researchers in the field below:

Ilana Nisky a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Haptics and Robotics in Medicine CHARM Laboratory at Stanford University. Nisky’s research looks at how to improve the use of robotics in surgery (such as with the da Vinci System, Intuitive Surgical Inc,) by looking at how users move.  As she explained her research to me, Nisky mentioned that the joint angles of expert users versus novice users change while using the da Vinci.  She took joint angle measurements at the shoulder, wrist and elbow.

I was intrigued by her findings. But I had something to add. From the perspective of a Pilates teacher, I looked at the slouching novice peering through a screen to work the robot and asked, “Have you thought about measuring the subject’s posture?”  In my practice, it’s a given that correct spinal posture is imperative for free and relaxed movements of the shoulder and arm joints.  Nisky listened, and said that might be a good idea for future study.  Our discussion made me think once again about the value that could come from a collaboration between movement teachers and people studying robotics.

 Michele Rotella, a graduate student in the CHARM Lab. At the conference Rotella presented her current research to determine if isometric movements might help with robotic-assisted rehabilitation or surgery. Her research is based on the idea that after a stroke, some people might not be able to move their limbs with concentric or eccentric movement, but might still be able to produce isometric force. Therefore a robotic system that can respond to isometric forces might be a viable option to improve post-stroke quality of life through robotic assistance.

Moheb Yani.  A Ph.D. candidate at University of Southern California (USC) Applied Mathematical Physiology Lab. Yani’s principal investigator is Jason J. Kutch, Ph.D. Yani is working to improve chronic pelvic floor pain in men.  His study measured where in the brain the pelvic floor is mapped (within the insula), and compared how this brain area compared with healthy pelvic floor subjects and those experiencing chronic pain.  My question to Yani was: “Have you ever thought of studying a population with good pelvic floor control like a Pilates teacher, or someone who teaches Kegels?’  I hope he follows through. Many Pilates teachers and women’s health educators, like Carolyne Anthony of The Center for Womens’ Fitness, teach pelvic floor activation. Anthony was the first teacher who taught me to pull up my pelvic floor from different regions and angles.  Before I worked with her, I never knew this was a possibility. I left my conversation with Yani excited about the labs researching the body brain connection and wondering how much more we can learn if varying disciplines cross-pollinated insights and ideas. 

Terry Sanger, head of The Sanger Lab at USC .  Sanger’s lab “uses engineering principles to understand childhood movement and to discover new treatments and enabling devices that will improve motor function in children with developmental disorders of movement.”  Sanger, a clinician and researcher, spoke avidly about the need for more interdisciplinary crossover amongst neuroscientists, engineers and movement educators to help elegantly study the neural control of movement.

The list goes on.  Some others to follow: Giovanni Mirabella from La Spienza who studies mirror neurons in Italy, and Hans Frossberg, MD PhD from the Karolinska Institute.  Frossberg led a session about motor disorder during development.

In the future I hope that the meeting of the minds can blend with the meeting of the bodies, as both are inextricably intertwined. 

More to come in blog post Two sides of the Same Coin: Brain Research & Movement Instruction Part 2.