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Somatosensation

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Published on: May 23, 2019

The tactile motion aftereffect revisited.

Peggy J Planetta¹, Philip Servos

¹Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Somatosensory & Motor Research

|June 24, 2008

Summary

The tactile motion aftereffect (MAE) duration, frequency, and vividness increased with adapting speed. Tactile MAE is less robust than visual MAE.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory Perception
Haptics

Background:

The tactile motion aftereffect (MAE) is a phenomenon where tactile stimulation leads to a perception of motion after the stimulus is removed.
Understanding the factors influencing tactile MAE is crucial for comprehending somatosensory processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of skin surface area and adapting speed on the tactile motion aftereffect (MAE).
To compare the robustness of tactile MAE with its visual counterpart.

Main Methods:

Two experiments were conducted using a rotating ridged drum to induce tactile MAE.
Experiment 1 varied the adapted skin surface (fingers and palm with/without thumb, fingers only).
Experiment 2 varied the adapting speed (15-75 rpm).

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Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator (TSPAS)

Published on: July 30, 2020

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Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Published on: May 23, 2019

A Tactile Automated Passive-Finger Stimulator (TAPS)

A Tactile Automated Passive-Finger Stimulator (TAPS)

Published on: June 3, 2009

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator (TSPAS)

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator (TSPAS)

Published on: July 30, 2020

Main Results:

No significant differences in tactile MAE duration, frequency, or vividness were found across different skin surfaces tested.
Tactile MAE duration, frequency, and vividness increased linearly with increasing adapting speed.
Tactile MAE was reported in approximately 50% of trials, indicating lower robustness compared to visual MAE.

Conclusions:

The extent of the skin surface does not influence the tactile MAE.
Tactile MAE's characteristics are dependent on the speed of the adapting stimulus.
Tactile MAE is less consistently experienced than visual MAE.