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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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Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

Published on: July 30, 2020

Sensorimotor predictions and tool use: Hand-held tools attenuate self-touch.

Konstantina Kilteni¹, H Henrik Ehrsson¹

¹Brain, Body and Self Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden.

|May 2, 2017

Summary

The brain predicts touch sensations similarly for tool use and natural movements. This suggests effector-independent forward models guide sensory predictions, impacting how we perceive touch during actions.

Keywords:

Computational motor control Forward models Sensory attenuation Somatosensory predictions Tool use

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Last Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

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Published on: July 30, 2020

Estimation of Contact Regions Between Hands and Objects During Human Multi-Digit Grasping

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Measurement of Spatial Stability in Precision Grip

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Published on: June 4, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Sensory Perception

Background:

Human survival depends on rapid, accurate movements.
The brain employs internal forward models to predict sensory outcomes of actions, mitigating sensorimotor delays and noise.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if sensory predictions are computed similarly for tool-assisted actions and natural hand movements.
To test the hypothesis that predictive sensory attenuation occurs with tool use.

Main Methods:

Comparing perceived force sensation during self-touch with fingers versus a hand-held tool.
Manipulating the distance and alignment between the effector (finger or tool tip) and the receiving body part (index finger).

Main Results:

Sensory attenuation of touch was observed for direct finger-to-finger contact but not when hands were separated by 25cm.
Full sensory attenuation occurred when touch was applied with a tool held at a distance, provided the tool tip was aligned with the receiving finger.
Touch was attenuated only when the tool tip was aligned with the index finger, not when placed at a distance.

Conclusions:

Tool use and natural limb movements share common computational mechanisms for sensory predictions.
The brain utilizes effector-independent forward models, predicting sensation based on the effector's anticipated position (e.g., tool tip) rather than the body part itself.