Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
07:42
A Simple Non-invasive Method for Temporary Knockdown of Upper Limb Proprioception
Published on: March 3, 2018
The kinaesthetic senses.
1Department of Physiology, PO Box 13F, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. uwe.proske@med.monash.edu.au
The Journal of Physiology
|July 8, 2009
Summary
Kinaesthesia, the sense of limb position and movement, is re-evaluated. New findings show motor commands significantly influence position sense, impacting our understanding of neural mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Physiology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Kinaesthesia encompasses the senses of limb position and movement.
- Peripheral receptors like muscle spindles and skin receptors contribute to kinaesthesia.
- Joint receptors play a minimal role in most joints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and reassess current understanding of kinaesthesia's neural mechanisms.
- To incorporate recent findings on the role of motor commands in position sense.
- To differentiate between the senses of limb position and limb movement.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and recent observations.
- Analysis of neuroimaging studies.
- Examination of peripheral receptor contributions.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports distinct senses for limb position and limb movement.
- Muscle spindle primary endings contribute to both senses.
- Centrally generated motor command signals provide additional cues during muscle contraction.
Conclusions:
- Motor command signals are crucial for kinaesthesia, especially during active movements.
- Neuroimaging reveals cerebellum and parietal cortex involvement in a forward model for sensory comparison.
- Understanding motor command roles impacts interpretations of clinical conditions related to kinaesthesia.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Introduction to Special Senses
Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive functions.
01:27Tactile and Chemical Senses
Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
01:15Sensory Modalities
Sensation typically is the process by which the sensory receptors and sense organs detect stimuli from the internal and external environment and transmit this information to the central nervous system for processing.
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
01:17Auditory Perception
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...
01:33Somatosensation
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
01:16Sensory Functions of the Skin
The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...