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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Assessment of Spatial Lingual Tactile Sensitivity using a Gratings Orientation Test

Assessment of Spatial Lingual Tactile Sensitivity using a Gratings Orientation Test

Published on: September 17, 2021

Anisotropy and spatial tactile acuity on human lips.

Gabrielle Todd¹

¹Discipline of Physiology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. gabrielle.todd@unisa.edu.au

Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology

|February 17, 2012

Summary

Human lips lack tactile anisotropy, meaning sensitivity to touch orientation is uniform across the lip surface. This finding contrasts with other body parts like fingers, where directional touch sensitivity is observed.

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Last Updated: May 24, 2026

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Published on: September 17, 2021

Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects

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Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator (TSPAS)

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator (TSPAS)

Published on: July 30, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory Physiology
Human Anatomy

Background:

Tactile perception involves processing stimuli from the skin.
Tactile anisotropy, a directional difference in tactile sensitivity, is well-documented in glabrous skin areas like the fingertips.
The human lips, densely innervated and crucial for sensory input, have not been extensively studied for tactile anisotropy.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether tactile anisotropy exists on the human lips.
To compare tactile spatial acuity across different orientations on the upper and lower lips.

Main Methods:

A three-alternative, forced-choice grating orientation task was used to assess spatial tactile acuity.
Circular probes with varying groove widths were applied to the midline of the upper and lower lips.
Participants identified the orientation of the grooves while blindfolded, and data were analyzed for threshold differences across orientations.

Main Results:

The threshold for tactile spatial acuity was significantly higher on the upper lip (1.5 mm) compared to the lower lip (1.0 mm).
No significant differences in tactile thresholds were found across vertical, horizontal, or oblique orientations on either lip.
There was no significant interaction between orientation and lip location.

Conclusions:

Tactile anisotropy is absent on the human lips.
The absence of lip tactile anisotropy is unexpected, given its presence in fingers, despite similarities in neural input and sensory processing.