The discussion revolves around how the brain locates the hand in space without visual or tactile feedback, focusing on the role of proprioception and neural signals in this process. Participants explore the mechanisms behind spatial awareness and the potential for technological interventions for those with proprioceptive dysfunction.
Participants generally agree on the significance of proprioception in spatial awareness, but there are varying opinions on the specifics of how this information is processed and the potential for technological interventions. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best methods for tracking hand movement in individuals with proprioceptive challenges.
Some claims about the mechanisms of proprioception and the integration of sensory information depend on specific definitions and assumptions that are not fully explored in the discussion.
From the nerve signals sent from the hand. You don't need sight to sense your body.AcidRainLiTE said:If I close my eyes (so as to remove my sense of sight) and spread my fingers so they do not touch (so as to remove sense of feeling) and then move my hand around, I still have a sense of where in space it is located. How is my brain figuring out the location of my hand under these conditions?
Yes, proprioception. It is the incredibly important sense that most don't realize they have or need. The few people who have completely lost their sense of proprioception have had their lives devastated. Oliver Sacks tells the story of one woman who lost it in his book "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat", in chapter 3, "The Disembodied Lady".atyy said:"Proprioception"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10812/
Do you mean for people who have dysfunctional proprioception? A less complicated and risky method could be to devise mechanical devices worn on the knees, elbows, shoulders and hips that apply pressure to different areas of the limb on the basis of how extended the joint is. Overtime perhaps patients will adapt to this; I've read a Sacks case wherein the patient could no longer balance. They improvised a small spirit level attached to his glasses so that he could tell if he was standing straight. After a lot of practice he could walk again and the action became automatic.AcidRainLiTE said:I wonder whether it is possible to read the signals from these nerves (by placing a electrode or something on your arm) and interpret them so as to be able to track your hand.