Proprioception is the 6th sense that is mostly overlooked. According to IFL Science, it is the sense of knowing one's position within space that facilitates the body's ability to move itself in movements that are coordinated.
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Proprioception: Overlooked but Extremely Important
According to WebMD, proprioception is also known as kinesthesia. Unlike the other five senses, proprioception is entirely unconscious. Most people are unaware about how they are performing this sense. However, it is just as important as the other five senses.
Without proprioception, individuals cannot do any activities that require coordination. This includes coordinating one's head and arms during eating or even throwing a ball. WebMD notes how this sense is present across each and every movement of muscles.
IFL Science notes that according to Dr. Niccolò Zampieri, it is the sense's job to gather data from the joints and muscles that pertain to movement, posture, and position. This data is then forwarded to the CNS or central nervous system. He further states the sense is what enables the CNS to expel correct signals, routing in motor neurons, toward muscles so that the body is capable of performing specific actions.
The sense is executed through a complicated system of communication with the involvement of neurons across joints and muscles. These neurons forward information pertaining to muscle tension and stretch to the pSN or proprioceptive sensory neurons that can be found in the spinal cord's dorsal root ganglia.
Though lengthy nerve fibers that connect these two are the ones that facilitate the process, the underpinnings in a molecular level are still not understood deeply.
Study Sheds Light on Genes That Play a Role in the Functioning of pSN in Mice
The recent study published in Nature Communication sheds light on the specific genes involved in pSN functioning among mice. This also gives insight on the specific neural links that allow proprioception.
The researchers started with locating certain molecular markers that significantly categorize pSN based on the muscle types they manage, namely the limb, abdomen, or back.
According to IFL Science, lead author Stephan Dietrich expressed that they were indeed able to find certain genes for the specific pSN that were linked to each particular group of muscles. Dietrich also mentioned how they revealed how such genes have already been active at its embryonic phase and stay active for a certain period after birth.
Such findings indicate that fixed programs in the genes designate the muscle type to be innervated by the pSN.
Specially important genes are ones that are responsible for coding ephrins along with their receptors. Such proteins have a vital part in the development of the nervous system, as they help in guiding nerve fibers that just got formed to their aim.
The proponents of the study are hopeful that their findings may serve as a springboard for further research that delves into proprioception. IFL Science also notes how such efforts have the potential to assist patients that deal with injuries in their spinar cord, for example.
Zampieri concludes that if a deeper understanding of the 6th sense is obtained, it could be possible to come up with therapies that can effectively combat this type and other kinds of damage to the skeleton.
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