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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.

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

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The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
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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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Dissociative amnesia is a complex psychological condition that manifests as an inability to recall personal information, often tied to traumatic or stressful events. Unlike general amnesia, individuals with this condition retain the ability to perform routine activities and procedural tasks, such as operating a phone or navigating public transportation, yet experience profound gaps in autobiographical memory. These lapses may encompass significant life events, such as suicide attempts or...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 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

Illusory touch and tactile perception in somatoform dissociators.

Richard J Brown¹, Natalie Brunt, Ellen Poliakoff

¹School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK. richard.james.brown@manchester.ac.uk

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

|August 17, 2010

Summary

Individuals with somatoform dissociation experience more illusory tactile perceptions, particularly in ambiguous sensory situations. This suggests distorted perceptual processing contributes to somatoform dissociative symptoms.

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Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

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

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Published on: May 23, 2019

Testing Tactile Masking between the Forearms

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Design, Fabrication, and Administration of the Hand Active Sensation Test (HASTe)

Design, Fabrication, and Administration of the Hand Active Sensation Test (HASTe)

Published on: September 8, 2015

Area of Science:

Psychology
Neuroscience
Psychiatry

Background:

Somatoform dissociation, characterized by pseudoneurological symptoms, lacks clear understanding of its psychological mechanisms.
Tactile perception's role in somatoform dissociation is an area requiring further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate theoretical predictions on tactile perception's contribution to somatoform dissociative symptoms.
To investigate the link between somatoform dissociation and illusory tactile experiences.

Main Methods:

Eighty nonclinical participants were categorized as high or low on the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20).
Participants completed the Somatic Signal Detection Task (SSDT) to simulate somatoform symptoms.
A memory task was used to manipulate tactile representations before the SSDT.

Main Results:

High SDQ-20 participants showed a more liberal response criterion on the SSDT, indicating more false alarms (illusory touch).
This effect persisted after controlling for negative affectivity, somatosensory amplification, and depression.
Tactile sensitivity was comparable between groups, and memory manipulation had no significant effect.

Conclusions:

Individuals with somatoform dissociation are more prone to illusory perceptual events in ambiguous sensory conditions.
Findings support theories implicating distorted perceptual processing in somatoform dissociation.
The Somatic Signal Detection Task (SSDT) shows promise for future research in this field.