Propriosepsi

Propriosepsi, often referred to as proprioception in English, is the sensory capacity to perceive the position, orientation, and movement of the body and its parts. It involves the integration of information about limb and body segment position with the sense of movement, providing a sense of where the body is in space without relying on vision.

The sensory input for propriosepsi arises from peripheral receptors in muscles, tendons, joints, and the skin. Muscle spindles convey information about muscle length and the rate of change, Golgi tendon organs report tension, joint receptors sense angle and movement at joints, and cutaneous receptors contribute to cues from skin stretch and contact. Afferent signals travel through the dorsal columns and spinocerebellar pathways to the brain, with major processing occurring in the cerebellum, somatosensory cortex, and parietal regions.

Functions of propriosepsi include maintaining balance and posture, guiding coordinated limb movements, and enabling motor learning and skilled actions. It supports joint position sense and kinesthesia, allowing rapid corrections during movement and reduced reliance on visual input when navigating the environment.

Clinically, propriosepsi can be impaired by nerve injury, diabetes and other neuropathies, stroke, multiple sclerosis, or aging. Deficits may present as clumsiness, impaired balance, difficulty localizing limb position, or reliance on vision. Assessment methods include joint position sense tests, movement detection thresholds, and balance or Romberg testing. Rehabilitation often features proprioceptive training, balance and perturbation exercises, sensory retraining, and strategies to enhance neural plasticity and motor relearning, sometimes with assistive devices to aid function.