American scientists have discovered in humans a gene responsible for the “sixth sense”, and this term means the ability to feel the position of parts of your body in relation to each other and in space.
Its loss can negatively affect coordination, speech, and even the ability to walk.
The discovery was made by pediatric neurologist Karsten Penneman of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, USA.
According to the journal Science, the doctor first drew attention to two patients, 9 and 19 years old, who had similar symptoms. Both suffer from scoliosis and have difficulty walking, with unusually bent arms, legs and fingers. In addition, both girls had problems with skin sensitivity.
Pennman then ran a series of tests. It became clear to him that both patients could walk normally and only touch their noses with their eyes open. Without visual control, they are no longer able to do this. At the same time, they did not feel the touch of a soft brush or a vibrating tuning fork on the skin. But the feeling of pain and fever remained.
Thus, it was possible to prove that the two girls completely lacked the “sixth sense”, that is, the instinctive awareness of their limbs in the surrounding space. They can be used, for example, for playing the piano or shifting gears in a car. The patient’s lack of proprioception was partially compensated by vision.
The scientist analyzed their DNA and found that they both have a rare and serious mutation in the PIEZO2 gene, and scientists say this is directly related to tactile sensations and coordination.
Mutations in the PIEZO2 gene can also cause some people to become more agile and successful in sports, while others become more clumsy.
Source: Russian newspaper
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from Technology - Asume Tech https://asumetech.com/find-the-responsible-gene-sixth-sense/
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