The Body's "Sixth Sense" - NIH Intramural Research Program

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The Body's "Sixth Sense"

February 26, 2020

You've probably been taught that humans have five senses: taste, smell, vision, hearing, and touch. However, an under-appreciated "sixth sense," called proprioception, allows us to keep track of where our body parts are in space. Alec Nickolls, a postdoctoral researcher in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, studies an extremely rare condition that causes the loss of this sense. His research could not only provide insights into how proprioception works, but could also potentially lead to new treatments for individuals with chronic pain.

Click here to learn more about the research being done in Alec’s lab.

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Categories: Postdocs Senses Pain Rare diseases Neuroscience