SLOKA IYENGAR
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Stillness in saccades

5/23/2022

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Stillness in saccades 
In Episode 2 of Vichaar, we talked about movement in the brain and movement in Bharatanatyam. In the last post, we looked at stillness, and saw that the neural mechanisms of stopping movement are just as complex as those initiating and sustaining movement. 

As a way of providing the contrast between stillness and movement, I would like to talk about saccades. Saccades are quick movements of the eyes between one fixed point to another [1], and are used in Bharatanatyam as a way to provide a nuanced and subtle movement pattern in response to rhythm. I feel that saccades are like lightning bugs - their movement is so subtle and so precise, that if you blink, you miss it!  

In future posts, we will look at how the brain makes saccades possible [2], and how saccadic movements of the eyes can be used to diagnose movement disorders [3]. 
Citations:
  1. Ponmanadiyil R, Woolhouse MH. Eye movements, attention, and expert knowledge in the observation of Bharatanatyam dance. J Eye Mov Res. 2018;11(2):10.16910/jemr.11.2.11. Published 2018 Dec 28. doi:10.16910/jemr.11.2.11. Link here. 
  2. Enderle JD. Neural control of saccades. Prog Brain Res. 2002;140:21-49. doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(02)40040-4. PMID: 12508580. Link here. 
  3. Lal V, Truong D. Eye movement abnormalities in movement disorders. Clin Park Relat Disord. 2019 Aug 30;1:54-63. doi: 10.1016/j.prdoa.2019.08.004. PMID: 34316601; PMCID: PMC8288550. Link here. 
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Stay still! The neural mechanisms underlying stillness

5/19/2022

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Stay still! The neural mechanisms underlying stillness 
Why talk about stillness while talking about movement? As I was teaching my pup to "stay", I was thinking about how much of our lives we spend not moving. We reach towards our phone and stop moving, we walk to a location and stop, a cat stops moving while looking for its prey, a squirrel hops and jumps around, and then sits still on a brach, and the turtle stays absolutely still while sunning itself. 
What does stopping of movement mean in terms of brain functioning? 
The neural mechanisms of stillness are complex [1]. In the next few posts, I will look at how we stop moving, the neural mechanisms involved, and how this plays out in dance. In the meantime, check out Episode 2 of Vichaar where I talk about movement in dance, and movement in the brain. 

Citation:
  1. Noorani I, Carpenter RH. Not moving: the fundamental but neglected motor function. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2017;372(1718):20160190. doi:10.1098/rstb.2016.0190. Link to full-text. 
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My pup's movement and Episode 2 of Vichaar

5/13/2022

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My Pup's movement and Episode 2 of Vichaar 
  • I hope you enjoyed Episode 2 of Vichaar where I talk about: 
    • The types of movements and movement patterns in Bharatanatyam 
    • The complexity of movement 
    • How the brain perceives movement, and it is this perception of movement that shapes our reality 
​So what does my Pup have to do with all this? 

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Vichaar episode 2: Movement in Bharatanatyam and in the brain

5/2/2022

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Movement in Bharatanatyam, and movement in the brain: Episode 2 of Vichaar 
In this episode, I give a glimpse of the movement patterns in Bharatanatyam, talk about the complexity of movement, and see how the brain ascribes meaning to movement. A transcript of the episode can be found here. 
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    About Sloka 

    My name is Sloka.  I am a neuroscientist and dancer; you can find more about me here. 

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Last updated: January 27, 2023
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  • About me
    • Profile
    • Service
    • Invited talks and interviews
    • Contact me
  • Science
    • Science consulting
    • Global health >
      • Capacity building in global health >
        • Capacity building through leadership
        • Disaster relief
      • Mental health
      • Aging and palliative care
      • Neurological disorders
    • Clinical science
    • Preclinical science
    • Science advocacy >
      • Advocacy activities
      • ABC newsletters
    • Patient communication and advocacy >
      • Patient communication and advocacy (articles)
    • Science education
    • Publications
    • Awards
    • Continuing education
  • Dance
    • Dance resume >
      • Pictures and videos
      • Community engagement
    • Vichaar >
      • Vichaar: Episode 1 transcript
      • Vichaar: Episode 2 transcript
      • Vichaar: testimonials
    • Bharatanatyam for creative aging >
      • Bharatanatyam for all
      • Bharatanatyam for all: testimonials
      • Bharatanatyam for all: instructional videos
      • Resources for seniors