When moving around in their surroundings, humans heavily rely on what is known as proprioception, sometimes referred to as the “sixth sense.” This is the body’s subconscious ability to sense its own position, movements and location in space, via many tiny receptors that respond to mechanical strain located in the muscles, tendons and skin.
Researchers at University of Pisa, the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), and University of Rome Tor Vergata recently carried out a study investigating how artificially stretching the skin while people are moving their fingers influences proprioception. Their findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, suggest that precisely deforming the skin while people are flexing their fingers alters how they perceive their hand and finger postures.
“According to common belief, humans have only five senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch; yet physiology tells us there are more,” Eleonora Fontana, first author of the paper, told Medical Xpress. “An essential, often overlooked ‘sixth sense’ is proprioception—our body’s ability to perceive limb position and movement in space. While much of this information is processed subconsciously, it is central to guiding our everyday movements; in fact, individuals with proprioceptive deficits suffer from severe movement impairments.”
