Five senses are usually named when the senses of the human body are discussed. However, the scientific community also counts a variety of other senses in several different categories, most of which the general public never even considers. Processing data is also considered a sense -- called the interoceptive sense. Being able to process data relating to the location of parts of the body, such as closing your eyes, sticking out your hand and still realizing where it is pointing, is called the proprioception sense. However, a deficit in this function, known in some circles as Descartes disease, is a disorder not generally known.
Tingling Sensations
Tingling sensations in the joints and limbs, or numbness, is one of the early signs of a sensory processing disorder. Because of the loss of the brain's ability to recognize different parts of the body, different areas begin to lose sensation and may tingle as they lose all conscious interaction with the brain. Nerves will still be intact and functioning; however, the inability of the brain to recognize their signals causes the tingling.
Vivid Dreams
Patients with proprioceptive disorder often describe the onset of the disorder aligning with intense and vivid dreams, where loss of control was the focal point of the dream. These dreams continue until a lack of coordination begins to be felt in day-to-day activities.
Lack of Coordination
From touching a finger to your nose to walking in a straight line, we perform a variety of balancing actions and motions throughout the day. However, when proprioceptive deficit disorder advances in an individual, performing simple acts of coordination between the mind and body becomes difficult. Even dressing without watching the actions of the hands and arms begins to become a challenge. Sitting down is a hindrance for people with proprioceptive deficit disorder, and difficulty in doing so can indicate a problem with this sense and part of the brain.
Proprioceptive Failure
"Knuckling" is recognized as one of the main ways to determine a proprioceptive deficit and is included in the Tufts University neurologic examination. Knuckling is seen in patients unconciously clenching their hands or objects in fists, often becoming white-knuckled through the effort. This is usually the case for people with a proprioceptive deficit when they sit, because they are generally not thinking about their hand movements.
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