How many senses do humans have? From childhood we learn that there are five: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. But scientists say that this may only be part of the truth.
A team from Scripps Research has discovered that our bodies have a “secret sixth sense,” called interoception. This is an underdeveloped ability by science that allows the nervous system to receive and interpret the body’s physiological signals to keep vital functions in balance.
Through it, the brain understands when to breathe, when blood pressure drops, or when it is fighting an infection.
The team has secured a $14.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study this mysterious sense.
“Interoception is essential to almost every aspect of health, but it remains an unexplored area of neuroscience,” said Prof. Xin Jin, who will lead part of the study.
While the five classic senses are external and depend on sensory organs (eyes for seeing, noses for smelling, etc.), interoception operates through a neural network internal to the body. That's why researchers have called it the "secret sixth sense."
Signals coming from internal organs are widely spread and often mixed, making them difficult to measure. The neurons that carry these messages pass through tissues from the heart and lungs, to the stomach and kidneys, without clear anatomical boundaries.
With the new funding, the team will attempt to compile the first atlas of the internal sensory system, tracing how neurons connect to different organs, such as the heart and gastrointestinal tract.
Scientists say this atlas could have important implications for treating diseases. Problems with these nerve pathways have been linked to autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, and high blood pressure.
Interoception also plays a key role in mental health. Experts from Royal Holloway and UCL explain that the sixth sense influences decision-making, social skills and emotional well-being, while its disorders are linked to depression, anxiety and eating disorders, as well as common symptoms such as fatigue and sleep problems.
"By creating the first atlas of this system, we aim to lay the foundation for understanding how the brain keeps the body in balance, how this harmony can be disrupted in disease, and how we can restore it," said Prof. Jin. /GazetaExpress/
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