Proprioceptive

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of one's own parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement. It is sometimes described as the "sixth sense".

Proprioception is coordinated by proprioceptors in skeletal striated muscles and in joints. It is distinguished from exteroception, by which one perceives the outside world, and interoception, by which one perceives pain, hunger, etc., and the movement of internal organs.

The brain integrates information from proprioception and from the vestibular system into its overall sense of body position, movement, and acceleration. The term proprioception comes from Latin proprio, meaning "one's own", "individual", and capio, capere, to take or grasp, thus to understand where the body is in space.

History[edit | edit source]

The concept of proprioception was first described in the 19th century by scientists studying the human nervous system. An understanding of proprioception is crucial in the study of human movement sciences, as it affects motor control and motor learning.

Mechanism[edit | edit source]

Proprioception is mediated by proprioceptors, mechanosensory neurons located within muscles, tendons, and joints. There are several types of proprioceptors which are activated during different types of movement.

Clinical significance[edit | edit source]

Impaired proprioception is a feature of certain neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and stroke. Rehabilitation aimed at improving proprioceptive awareness has been shown to improve motor function in individuals with such conditions.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Proprioceptive Resources
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD