Sinapsis - Episodio 5: Danza y cerebro
Summary
TLDREl video explora la conexión entre la danza y el cerebro desde una perspectiva neurocientífica. A través de la historia, la danza ha sido una forma de expresión humana que combina el movimiento corporal, el sonido y el tiempo. El video explica cómo el cerebro coordina los movimientos necesarios para una coreografía, involucrando áreas motoras y sistemas como la propiocepción, el cerebelo y la corteza límbica. Además, destaca estudios sobre la plasticidad cerebral en bailarines y el impacto terapéutico de la danza en enfermedades como Alzheimer y diabetes, subrayando su poder social, emocional y artístico.
Takeaways
- 💃 La danza ha sido un medio de comunicación antes de la existencia del lenguaje verbal.
- 🧠 La ciencia cognitiva ha investigado cómo el cerebro de los bailarines cambia y se adapta con la práctica.
- 👁️ La propriocepción, la capacidad de percibir la posición del cuerpo, es crucial para bailar.
- 🕺 Las neuronas espejo en la corteza premotora se activan cuando observamos a otros bailarines.
- 🎶 La danza implica una coordinación compleja entre el equilibrio, la conciencia espacial y el ritmo.
- 🦜 La capacidad de bailar no es única en los humanos, como lo demostró el famoso loro bailarín Snowball.
- 🎥 Observar videos de danza activa redes cerebrales que ayudan en el aprendizaje de movimientos.
- ⚡ La plasticidad cerebral permite que el cerebro de los bailarines mejore su función a través de la práctica.
- 🎓 Estudios recientes buscan explorar el potencial terapéutico de la danza en enfermedades como el Alzheimer.
- ✨ La danza combina elementos de expresión emocional, entrenamiento físico y sincronización social.
Q & A
¿Qué medio utilizaban los seres humanos para comunicarse antes del lenguaje verbal?
-Antes del lenguaje verbal, los seres humanos se comunicaban mediante movimientos corporales, expresando sentimientos y estados de ánimo a través de gestos y movimientos.
Según Nietzsche, ¿qué ocurre cuando una persona baila?
-Según Nietzsche, cuando una persona baila, se expresa como miembro de una comunidad superior, olvidando cómo caminar y hablar. Al bailar, deja de ser un artista y se convierte en una obra de arte.
¿Qué se necesita para que el cerebro pueda planificar y coordinar movimientos en el baile?
-Para planificar y coordinar movimientos en el baile, el cerebro necesita la interacción de la corteza motora primaria, la corteza premotora y el área motora suplementaria, además de recibir información sobre la posición del cuerpo y el entorno.
¿Qué es la propiocepción y por qué es importante en la danza?
-La propiocepción es la capacidad de percibir la posición y movimiento del cuerpo sin necesidad de verlo. Es importante en la danza porque permite al cerebro tener un diagrama del cuerpo, facilitando la coordinación de movimientos precisos.
¿Cómo contribuye el cerebelo a la danza?
-El cerebelo integra señales de la corteza motora, los órganos de propiocepción y el oído interno para predecir y corregir errores de ejecución durante la danza, ayudando con el equilibrio y la coordinación.
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre la danza y otras actividades con movimientos complejos, como la gimnasia o la natación?
-La diferencia es que la danza debe apelar a la intención y la expresión emocional, características de la práctica artística, que dependen de la interacción entre las redes de movimiento y el sistema límbico, que maneja las emociones.
¿Qué descubrieron los investigadores al estudiar al loro Snowball?
-Los investigadores descubrieron que Snowball realizaba movimientos espontáneos, diversos y rítmicos al ritmo de la música, convirtiéndose en el primer caso documentado de un animal no humano que baila, demostrando que esta capacidad no es exclusiva de los humanos.
¿Qué es la 'red de observación de acciones' y cuál es su importancia en la danza?
-La 'red de observación de acciones' es un conjunto de áreas cerebrales que se activan cuando observamos a otros moverse. Es importante en la danza porque facilita el aprendizaje a través de la observación y la imitación de movimientos.
¿Qué beneficios tiene la danza sobre la plasticidad cerebral?
-La danza induce cambios en la función cerebral gracias a la neuroplasticidad, mejorando la integración de la información auditiva y las secuencias de movimiento. Estos beneficios pueden observarse tanto en adultos jóvenes como en mayores.
¿Por qué la danza se considera una actividad beneficiosa para la salud?
-La danza combina la experiencia musical, el entrenamiento físico y un estado mental meditativo, lo cual ha demostrado ser beneficioso para la salud física y mental, incluyendo el desarrollo de la empatía y la mejora de la cognición social.
Outlines
🕺 El nacimiento de la danza y su relación con el cerebro
Desde tiempos antiguos, los humanos se comunicaban a través de movimientos corporales, lo que dio origen a la danza. Nietzsche menciona que la danza convierte al hombre en una obra de arte. La danza, al igual que el cerebro, se basa en conexiones, ya que tanto los coreógrafos, los bailarines como los espectadores están sincronizados a través de sus movimientos y emociones. La neurociencia cognitiva estudia cómo el cerebro coordina los patrones precisos de movimiento necesarios para la coreografía, a través de la activación de la corteza motora, y cómo la percepción espacial es clave para ubicarnos en el espacio durante la danza.
🐦 El cerebro detrás del equilibrio y la danza animal
El cerebelo, encargado del equilibrio, recibe señales de la corteza motora y órganos de la propriocepción, permitiendo la corrección de errores al bailar. El sistema límbico también participa, integrando emoción y expresión. Un caso sorprendente es el del loro Snowball, que demostró ser capaz de moverse al ritmo de la música, siendo el primer animal no humano documentado que lo hace. Los investigadores sugieren que la evolución del cerebro danzante está vinculada al desarrollo del lenguaje, dado que ambos implican imitación, representación y comunicación social.
🎶 El poder de la neuroplasticidad en la danza
Estudios recientes han demostrado que bailar induce cambios en el cerebro, tanto en jóvenes como en adultos mayores, debido a la neuroplasticidad. Los bailarines desarrollan una mayor habilidad para integrar información auditiva y movimientos. Las investigaciones sugieren que, aunque observar no es lo mismo que bailar, los bailarines expertos activan más intensamente sus redes de observación de acciones al ver a otros bailar, lo que facilita la práctica mental de movimientos complejos, demostrando la importancia de la experiencia en la actividad cerebral.
💃 Danza, salud y emociones: conexiones profundas
La danza, además de mejorar la condición física, fomenta la memoria, las habilidades motoras y la expresión emocional. Los estudios sugieren que bailar tiene beneficios terapéuticos, desde la prevención de enfermedades como el Alzheimer hasta el tratamiento de la diabetes. Las neuronas espejo involucradas en la danza también están relacionadas con la empatía y la cognición social, lo que refuerza el poder de la danza para conectar a los seres humanos tanto física como emocionalmente.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Danza
💡Corteza motora primaria
💡Propriocepción
💡Sistema de observación de la acción
💡Cerebelo
💡Neuroplasticidad
💡Sistema límbico
💡Neurona espejo
💡Corteza insular
💡Empatía
Highlights
Dance is an artistic form born from human body movements and gestures.
Nietzsche in 'The Birth of Tragedy' describes dance as a way for humans to become a work of art.
Dance offers a form of expression and a way to release energy or fulfill an impulse.
The brain coordinates precise movement patterns for dance choreography.
Cognitive neuroscience explores the neural underpinnings of dance.
The Primary Motor Cortex is involved in the execution of dance movements.
The premotor cortex and supplementary motor area are essential for movement planning.
Proprioception, our sense of body position, is crucial for dancing.
Dance engages the cerebellum for balance and coordination.
Dance is distinguished from other complex movements by its artistic intention and emotional expression.
Neuroscientific studies have analyzed the brains of dancers using various techniques.
Dancers have a highly active 'action observation network', including mirror neurons.
Experienced dancers show more brain activity when observing dance, indicating mental practice.
Dance training can induce brain changes through neuroplasticity.
New technologies are enabling the measurement of brain activity during natural dance movements.
Dancers perceive their bodily states with greater accuracy than non-dancers.
Dance may have therapeutic potential for conditions like Alzheimer's disease or diabetes.
Dance integrates musical experience, motor experience, and a meditative state of mind.
Dance is a social activity that exercises memory, motor skills, and emotional expression.
The neuroscience of dance confirms its relevance and therapeutic power.
Transcripts
Even before verbal language was born
human beings had to communicate through body movements,
expressing feelings and moods
through gestures and movements.
Throughout its history, humanity has used this means
to transmit information in a ritual and social way,
giving birth to what we know today as dance
an artistic form where the aesthetic experience
arises from body movements in relation to sound and time.
In his book The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche stated:
"In song and in dance, man expresses himself
as a member of a higher community:
he has forgotten how to walk and speak. Dancing,
he is no longer an artist, he has become a work of art "
Regardless of the immense variety of dance styles,
practicing dance offers a form of expression,
a way to release energy or fulfill an impulse.
For those who observe it,
dance is visual spectacle produced by the human body,
based on the admiration of the countless possible
positions of our muscles and joints.
How does our brain coordinate
the precise movement patterns
necessary for a dance choreography?
In order to explore this universe, cognitive neuroscience
has approached the dance world by
measuring the changes in structure and function
happening in the brain of an experienced dancer,
and also by analyzing brain activity
when we perform rhythmic movements
or when we watch other people dance.
Both art and the brain work on the basis of connections:
A Synapse is the connection space between two neurons
and the magic of dance
takes place in the connection spaces
between choreographers, dancers and spectators.
I am Fernanda Pérez-Gay, I have a PhD in Neuroscience
and in this episode of SINAPSIS
we will talk about the neural underpinnings of dance
an art whose instrument
is nothing but the moving body.
SINAPSIS:Connections between art and your brain
EPISODE 4:DANCE
Movement is our only way of interacting with the world.
According to the neurologist Charles Sherrington,
“To move objects is all that man can do;
whether in whispering a syllable or felling down a forest,
for such the sole executant is muscle”.
The brain has different motor systems:
The cerebral cortex of the FRONTAL lobe, contains an area
which we have already spoken about in past episodes:
the Primary Motor Cortex.
Our body is represented part by part
by the neurons in that area of the brain.
These neurons send signals, through their axons,
down to the spinal cord,
where they activate other neurons
which in turn send signals to the muscles,
ordering them to contract.
This corresponds to the last step of the movement process:
Movement execution.
The question is: What happens before?
How are these actions planned and coordinated
so that we do not move in an erratic and random way,
but according to an ordered sequence of maneuvers
that allow us to interact with what surrounds us?
When it comes to movement planning,
Two other areas of the frontal cortex,
neighbors of the primary motor cortex, are essential:
the premotor cortex
and the supplementary motor area.
Primary motor cortex +
Premotor cortex +
Supplementary motor area =
Movement planning.
One of the key elements of the dance
is our ability to locate and move in space.
For the brain motor areas to do their job,
they must receive information
of the position of the body and its environment.
Have you ever heard of "PROPRIOCEPTION"?
If we close our eyes
and we leave our right hand just where it is,
we will still be able to perceive
where and in what position
is every finger of this hand,
without having to look at them directly.
This is thanks to a series of nervous receptors,
located in our muscles and joints,
which send signals to the brain's PARIETAL lobe,
where they generate a body diagram.
This sense of body position is called proprioception,
and some people affirm that it is our 6th sense.
When we dance, sensory information
- visual, spatial and proprioceptive -
goes to the posterior part of our parietal lobe,
where it is processed and sent to
the movement planning and execution areas,
located in the frontal lobe.
When we sway to the rhythm of a melody,
these structures communicate in a loop:
the motor cortex sends signals to contract our muscles
and move our joints,
and these, in turn, send proprioceptive signals back to the brain
to indicate our new position,
so that we can continue to move adequately.
In addition to these networks,
there are other systems that regulate the activity of the motor cortex.
The cerebellum,
located in the posterior part of the brain,
receives signals from the motor cortices,
the proprioception organs
and the inner ear
- important for balance -.
Integrating all this information allows the cerebellum
to predict and correct possible execution errors.
In summary:
Dancing implies spatial awareness,
awareness of body position,
balance, coordination
and rhythm.
But, what is the difference between dancing and other activities
with complex movements, such as gymnastics or swimming?
Dance must appeal
to what characterizes artistic practice:
intention and emotional expression,
which depend, as we have discussed in previous episodes,
on the interaction between movement networks
with the set of brain structures that deal with emotions:
The Limbic system.
In recent years, neuroscientific studies
have used different techniques to study
the structure and function of dancers' brains.
Stay with us on SINAPSIS
to discover the neural secrets that allow dancers
to “become works of art”.
"NEURO-WONDERS"
Are humans the only dancing animals?
Although we sometimes take it for granted,
human capacity for rhythmic and spontaneous movement
is an evolutionary novelty, and for a long time
it was thought to be uniquely human.
Although it's hard to believe
this idea was challenged by a cockatoo.
Yes, a cockatoo called Snowball.
This bird was made famous by a Youtube video, where it
appeared moving to the beat of a Backstreet Boys song.
After going viral,
the cockatoo impressed thousands of people with its way of dancing,
attracting the attention of a group of researchers
coordinated by Dr. Anirrudh Patel.
The researchers in this team wondered
if Snowball was really dancing to the music
or if its movements accidentally coincided with the rhythm.
To find out, they took the bird to the laboratory,
where they played 11 versions of the song with different beats
and they even changed the melody.
Surprised, they found that Snowball
speeded up or slowed down his movements with the music,
started his movement spontaneously
and used various parts of the body to dance,
concluding that this bird was the first documented non-human dancer.
Following this discovery, they found that 14 other species of parrots
also met the criteria
of spontaneous, diverse and rhythmic movements.
It is clear that the cultural development of human beings
have turned dance into a sophisticated art form
which goes well beyond the rhythmic bounces of these parrots.
Yet, like humans, parrots are capable
of a certain degree of imitation and vocal learning,
and also form strong social bonds.
Given these similarities,
researchers who studied Snowball suggest
that the evolution of the dancing brain
is closely related to that of the linguistic brain.
Based on imitation, representation
and used as a form of social communication,
dance and verbal language may have much more in common than we previously thought.
What enables dancers to accomplish the muscular prowesses
that never fail to impress us?
Over the past ten years, using different neuroimaging methods,
researchers began to study brain processes
underlying professional dance practice.
Analyzing the neural activity of a dancer in action
is quite a challenge, since neuroimaging
uses devices that normally compromise the mobility of the subject of study.
This is why most of the earliest neuroscientific studies of dance
rather applied themselves to analyzing
what goes on in the brains of dancers
when they watch videos of other dancers moving.
This approach is far from being far-fetched:
an important component of dance learning
goes through observation, so that we can imitate the movements of others.
These studies showed that dancers
have a very active "action observation network".
You may have heard of this network, since
it includes the famous "mirror neurons" - located in the pre-motor cortex.
Composed of FRONTAL cortices -of movement-
and PARIETAL cortices -which process visual and spatial information -
this network is activated when we watch someone else move.
If, in addition, we mentally simulate the action,
the primary and supplementary motor cortices will also be engaged.
When they watch dance videos,
dancers show greater activity
in this action observation network
- especially in the premotor cortex - than non-dancers.
In addition, the degree of this brain activity depends on expertise:
more experienced dancers show
more activity in their pre-motor cortex
when observing other dancers do their thing.
For example, one study compared brain activity in ballet dancers
when they observed either ballet movements
or capoeira movements.
The results showed that their action observation networks
were much more active
when watching ballet movements, their style of expertisee.
These findings suggest that, for expert dancers,
observing a known movement is sufficient to practice it mentally.
Of course, observing is not the same as dancing.
Neuroscience has also studied dancers
performing simplified dance movements,
such as moving their legs to the beat of music
or playing a dance video game.
The results showed that the dancers
not only activate their motor and sensory cortices
included in action networks more intensely,
but also they also had stronger activation in the
superior temporal gyrus, responsible for hearing.
Just like musicians,
dancers have a greater ability to integrate auditory information
and movement sequences,
an essential function to be able to synchronize with the music
and react to changes in rhythm and melody.
Just like music, dancing also induces brain changes
thanks to NEUROPLASTICITY.
A scientific article published in 2018
suggested that, in both young and older adults,
training motor skills related to dance
changed brain function.
This shows us that it is never too late to learn a new dancing style
and stimulate the many neural circuits
involved in this artistic activity.
With the development of new technologies,
we are getting closer and closer to the possibility
of measuring the brain activity of a dancer in action.
Thanks to portable electroencephalograms
and sensors placed on the joints,
new studies are already starting to approach
dance practice in a more natural way,
measuring the brain and muscle activity of the dancers,
throughout the whole spectrum of their movements.
For those who are in love with both the brain and dance,
the results of this new research lines are really promising.
"HUNTING FOR ANSWERS"
Some studies have shown that dancers can
perceive their bodily states with a greater accuracy than non-dancers.
This is one of the research interests of Dr. Francisco Gómez-Mont,
who uses the neural bases of dance to explain
how and why it can help us understand what's going on inside us
and how we can exploit its therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease or Diabetes.
Dancers have always known that the body thinks,
that it's not just the brain,
so that we are talking about an embodied, enactive cognition.
The great discovery since the application of brain imaging
techniques to dance practice is the description
of an "action observation system"
which is also the one that is activated in spectators
and that includes mirror neurons.
Another very important discovery
is the description of the insulas,
which are structures of the cerebral cortex
that integrate "interoceptive" information
with information about our identity and our self-image
According to the new theories of Dr. Tzakiris
whose group includes Julia Christensen and Mariana Bonmor,
the brain's insular cortices are fundamental in this process,
and some studies show that both dancers and musicians,
but particularly dancers,
have very privileged interoceptive capacities
-being more aware of their hormonal state
and the state of their viscerae-.
On the other hand, Dr. Christensen has documented the importance
of arts in general for the development of individuals
and has also raised an anti-addictive possibility of artistic activities
also linked to the insular cortices of the brain.
The question we ask ourselves is:
what does watching a good ballet gives us beyond eating a Häagen Dasz,
or having a sexual experience?
And the conclusion that is drawn is that
art does not only stimulate dopamine-related mechanisms
- anticipation of pleasure and pleasure as such -
but also somehow makes you think of yourself,
of your future, of what you could be,
since art somehow activates these other areas of the brain
which are not so much related with us as consumers, looking for
pleasure from dopamine,
but rather with our search for transcendence.
The best summary of all this is given by Fernando Pessoa,
who has been a very important figure in the six colloquiums on neuro-dance
that have been organized here in Mexico.
Fernando Pessoa says:“My soul is a hidden orchestra;
- in this case a series of brain modules
that process different types of information -
but all I can hear is the symphony"
This symphonic model of bodily and brain functioning
places neuro-arts in general and neuro-dance in particular
in a very privileged place.
In addition, in the medical field
there is a growing interest
to apply this knowledge of neuro-dance
to the treatment, for example, of Alzheimer's disease,
a coming epidemic,
or diabetes, another epidemic that has already hit us in Mexico.
The power of dance radicates in the
integration of musical experience,
with motor experience -similar to physical training-
and a meditative state of mind,
three ingredients that have each been documented
as being beneficial for our health.
Dancing is a sophisticated activity,
a mixture of athletic and artistic training
which requires the collaboration of our brain circuits
of perception, cognition, emotion and action.
In addition, dance is a social activity:
most of the time it depends
of coordination and synchronization with other human beings.
Imitating the movement of others
is essential to fully understand them:
the neurons which are activated in the observation network of the action
- the famous mirror neurons -
are also involved in emotional recognition
and in social cognition, fundamental for empathy.
Dancing is not only good for fitness:
it exercises our memory, refines our motor skills,
allows us to express our emotions and brings us closer to other human beings.
Today, the powerful discoveries in the neuroscience of dance
confirm that it is relevant to continue addressing its therapeutic power.
The Brain - wrote Emily Dickinson - is wider than the Sky
For - put them side by side -
The one the other will contain - with ease, and you beside.
We invite you to continue navigating the incredible skies of the brain with us!
You can do so by liking this video,
following our social media accounts
and subscribing to our Youtube channel
so you won't miss the next episodes of SINAPSIS:
Connections between Art ...
and your brain!
CREDITS Original idea, research, script and animation: Dr. Fernanda Pérez-Gay Juárez
// Production:Ivan Méndez Rivera // Production assistant: Pablo Sierra.
Editing, post-production and illustration: Rodrigo Pérez-Grovas Álvarez.
Specialist: Dr. Francisco Gómez-Mont
Dancers:-MDC Dance Academy - Me dicen Cuba -Neurocasineros Libres, TimbaMX and Somos Casineros in México -Swing it Academy, Mexico City -Zaira Cancino, Samba México
Dancers coordinator: Dr. Lucía Ledesma
Acknowledgments:Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico MDC Dance Academy; Neurociencias 30 days; Grupo interdisciplinario de arte y neurociencias; Centro especializado en Psicología de la Salud.
Music - Original compositions of -Manuel Velázquez -Album Into Madness -Scott Holmes, André Codeman, Dee Yan-Jey -Backstreet boys
English translation: Fernanda Pérez-Gay J. ** Funded by the Quebec Research Funds.
Original Project Funding:FONCA (Council for the Arts of Mexico) -ACT Program - Arte, Ciencia y Tecnologías (Art, Science and Technologies), Secretariat of Culture
Copyright:SINAPSIS:Conexiones entre el Arte y tu Cerebro. Mexico City, Mexico, 2019
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