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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Real-time Video Projection in an MRI for Characterization of Neural Correlates Associated with Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain

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The phantom illusion.

Alessandra Galmonte¹, Alessandro Soranzo², Michael E Rudd³

¹Department of Neurological, Biomedical and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy.

Vision Research

|October 28, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Invisible luminance gradients can create surprising visual illusions. Narrowing these imperceptible gradients causes assimilation effects, challenging our understanding of visual perception and contrast.

Keywords:

Contrast and assimilation effects Lightness perception Luminance gradients Visual illusions

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Area of Science:

Visual perception
Psychophysics
Neuroscience

Background:

Visible luminance gradients are known to induce contrast effects.
Previous research has focused on perceptible luminance transitions.
The role of imperceptible gradients in visual perception remains less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the perceptual effects of luminance gradients with reduced luminance ranges.
To explore the phenomenon of contrast and assimilation effects from invisible gradients.
To critically evaluate high- and low-level interpretations of the observed 'phantom' illusion.

Main Methods:

Utilized the phenomenological method, as proposed by Kanizsa.
Systematically manipulated the luminance range and width of gradual transitions.
Observed and analyzed the contrast and assimilation effects on surrounding surfaces.

Main Results:

Unnoticeable luminance gradients were found to generate contrast effects.
Narrowing the width of these imperceptible gradients resulted in assimilation effects, not contrast.
This 'phantom' illusion demonstrates novel interactions between gradient properties and visual response.

Conclusions:

Imperceptible luminance gradients can significantly influence visual perception.
Gradient width is a critical factor determining whether contrast or assimilation occurs.
The findings necessitate a re-evaluation of current models of visual contrast and assimilation.