The role of proprioception in motor skill acquisition and performance

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Proprioception is a fundamental component of our ability to perceive body position, movement, and force. This intrinsic sensory system, which integrates inputs from muscles, tendons, joints, and skin mechanoreceptors, forms the foundation of every voluntary movement we make. Despite its essential role in daily activities and complex athletic feats alike, the mechanisms by which proprioception shapes motor skill acquisition and performance remain unclear.

The central aim of this Research Topic is to bring together state-of-the-art research exploring how proprioception facilitates the learning and refinement of motor skills. We seek to highlight the dynamic interplay between the sensory and motor systems, emphasizing how accurate proprioceptive input underpins motor control, adaptation, and precision, both in developing and expert performers.

The scope of this collection encompasses studies across lifespan development, clinical populations, and expert performers—from infants acquiring fundamental motor abilities to elite athletes and musicians honing fine motor skills. We invite basic science and translational work, including neurophysiological, behavioral, computational, and applied approaches. Contributions that examine the effects of proprioceptive training and neurorehabilitation interventions, as well as those exploring the neural substrates and plasticity associated with proprioceptive-motor integration, are encouraged.

Key topics we aim to cover include, but are not limited to:

• Mechanisms of proprioceptive processing and integration during movement.
• The role of proprioceptive feedback in motor learning and skill retention.
• Individual variability in proprioceptive acuity and its impact on skill acquisition.
• Proprioceptive dysfunction in neurological and musculoskeletal disorders.
• Rehabilitation strategies targeting proprioceptive enhancement for motor recovery.
• Sensory-motor plasticity: neural and behavioural adaptations induced by proprioceptive training or deprivation.
• Technological advances for assessing and augmenting proprioceptive feedback (e.g., wearable sensors, virtual reality, robotics).
• Emergence and refinement of proprioceptive acuity from infancy through adulthood.
• Age-related shifts in proprioceptive weighting and their implications for balance, gait, and dexterity.
• Neurophysiological and behavioral characterizations of proprioceptive dysfunction in clinical populations
• Computational and theoretical models that formalise proprioceptive roles in motor skill acquisition and learning
• Translational investigations into proprioceptive-based training, neurorehabilitation, and the design of sensory-augmented assistive technologies aimed at enhancing motor learning and performance.