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Related Concept Videos

Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

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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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Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

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The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
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Introduction to Sensory Receptors01:31

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Sensory receptors are vital in our ability to perceive and interpret the world. Sensory receptors are specialized cells in the peripheral nervous system that respond to various stimuli and enable one to experience different sensations. Based on specific criteria, sensory receptors are classified into distinct types.
The first classification criterion is based on cell type, position, and function. Some receptor cells are neurons with free nerve endings, where their dendrites are embedded in the...
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Introduction to Special Senses01:26

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Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
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Sensation01:21

Sensation

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Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of external stimuli, initiating the process known as sensation. This occurs when sensory input, such as light entering the eye, is detected by these receptors, causing chemical changes in the cells of the retina. These cells then convert the sensory stimulus into action potentials that are transmitted to the central nervous system, a process termed transduction.
Absolute thresholds can quantify the sensitivity of sensory...
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Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

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A Tactile Automated Passive-Finger Stimulator TAPS
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Human tactile detection thresholds: modification by inputs from specific tactile receptor classes.

D G Ferrington, B S Nail, M Rowe

    The Journal of Physiology
    |November 1, 1977
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Vibration detection thresholds in humans increase significantly when Pacinian corpuscles are stimulated. This suggests an inhibitory effect on tactile pathways, impacting vibration perception.

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    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Somatosensation
    • Human Physiology

    Background:

    • Tactile perception relies on various receptor classes, including Pacinian corpuscles, Meissner's corpuscles, and slowly adapting receptors.
    • Previous research in cats indicated that specific tactile stimuli could induce afferent inhibition in the cuneate nucleus.
    • The functional impact of such inhibitory mechanisms on human tactile detection performance remains to be fully elucidated.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate whether conditioning stimuli, known to activate specific tactile afferents, can modulate human detection thresholds for vibratory stimuli.
    • To determine if afferent inhibition, observed in animal models, influences subjective tactile performance in humans.
    • To identify which tactile receptor classes, when activated, exert inhibitory effects on tactile detection.

    Main Methods:

    • Human subjects (n=10) performed a tactile detection task using a vibratory stimulus on the index finger.
    • Conditioning stimuli were applied to the thenar eminence, including steady indentation, 30 Hz vibration (Meissner's corpuscles), and 300 Hz vibration (Pacinian corpuscles).
    • Detection thresholds were measured in the presence and absence of conditioning stimuli across various frequencies and amplitudes.

    Main Results:

    • A 300 Hz conditioning stimulus to the ipsilateral thenar eminence significantly increased detection thresholds for a 30 Hz test stimulus (mean increase 11.1 µm).
    • Conversely, 30 Hz conditioning vibration, steady indentation, or contralateral 300 Hz vibration had minor or insignificant effects on detection thresholds.
    • The inhibitory effect of 300 Hz conditioning extended across a wide range of test frequencies (10-450 Hz), impacting both Pacinian and rapidly adapting receptor inputs.

    Conclusions:

    • Stimulation of Pacinian corpuscles induces a significant elevation in human vibratory detection thresholds.
    • These findings support the hypothesis of an afferent-induced inhibitory action within the sensory pathway, predominantly mediated by Pacinian corpuscle input.
    • The results demonstrate a functional consequence of inhibitory mechanisms on human tactile perception.