Biomaterial Database

Stimulus-response functions of rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors in human glabrous skin area. 1973

M Knibestöl

1. Single unit impulses were recorded from the ulnar and median nerves of awake human subjects with tungsten electrodes inserted percutaneously in the upper arm.2. Forty-nine rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors with receptive fields in the glabrous skin area were studied. Thirty-nine units had small receptive fields with distinct borders (RA-receptors) while ten units had large fields with indistinct borders (PC-receptors).3. The afferent response to stimuli of varying indentation amplitude and velocity of indentation, was analysed.4. Amplitude thresholds varied from 0.05 to 1.65 mm for the RA-receptors. For the PC-receptors amplitude thresholds ranged from less than 0.05 to 1.95 mm.5. Velocity thresholds varied for the RA-receptors from 0.4 to 39.3 mm/sec, and for the PC-receptors from 0.5 to 19.6 mm/sec.6. The conduction velocities of the afferents were all in the A alpha-beta range. For the RA-receptors the conduction velocities ranged from 26 to 91 m/sec (mean = 55.3 +/- 3.4), and for PC-receptors the range was from 34 to 61 m/sec (mean = 46.9 +/- 3.6).7. The nerve impulse frequency as a function of indentation velocity was analysed for nineteen RA-receptors and four PC-receptors. A hyperbolic log tangent function of the type first introduced by Naka & Rushton (1966) in studies on S-potentials in the fish retina was found to be the best description of the stimulus-response function for sixteen RA-receptors and two PC-receptors. For the remaining units a pure logarithmic function was the best description. However, the logarithmic function may be, as found in the present study, a special case of the more general log tanh function.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008465	Mechanoreceptors	Cells specialized to transduce mechanical stimuli and relay that information centrally in the nervous system. Mechanoreceptor cells include the INNER EAR hair cells, which mediate hearing and balance, and the various somatosensory receptors, often with non-neural accessory structures.	Golgi Tendon Organ,Golgi Tendon Organs,Krause's End Bulb,Krause's End Bulbs,Mechanoreceptor,Mechanoreceptor Cell,Meissner's Corpuscle,Neurotendinous Spindle,Neurotendinous Spindles,Receptors, Stretch,Ruffini's Corpuscle,Ruffini's Corpuscles,Stretch Receptor,Stretch Receptors,Mechanoreceptor Cells,Bulb, Krause's End,Bulbs, Krause's End,Cell, Mechanoreceptor,Cells, Mechanoreceptor,Corpuscle, Meissner's,Corpuscle, Ruffini's,Corpuscles, Ruffini's,End Bulb, Krause's,End Bulbs, Krause's,Krause End Bulb,Krause End Bulbs,Krauses End Bulb,Krauses End Bulbs,Meissner Corpuscle,Meissners Corpuscle,Organ, Golgi Tendon,Organs, Golgi Tendon,Receptor, Stretch,Ruffini Corpuscle,Ruffini Corpuscles,Ruffinis Corpuscle,Ruffinis Corpuscles,Spindle, Neurotendinous,Spindles, Neurotendinous,Tendon Organ, Golgi,Tendon Organs, Golgi
D008475	Median Nerve	A major nerve of the upper extremity. In humans, the fibers of the median nerve originate in the lower cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord (usually C6 to T1), travel via the brachial plexus, and supply sensory and motor innervation to parts of the forearm and hand.	Median Nerves,Nerve, Median,Nerves, Median
D008839	Microelectrodes	Electrodes with an extremely small tip, used in a voltage clamp or other apparatus to stimulate or record bioelectric potentials of single cells intracellularly or extracellularly. (Dorland, 28th ed)	Electrodes, Miniaturized,Electrode, Miniaturized,Microelectrode,Miniaturized Electrode,Miniaturized Electrodes
D009431	Neural Conduction	The propagation of the NERVE IMPULSE along the nerve away from the site of an excitation stimulus.	Nerve Conduction,Conduction, Nerve,Conduction, Neural,Conductions, Nerve,Conductions, Neural,Nerve Conductions,Neural Conductions
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D009475	Neurons, Afferent	Neurons which conduct NERVE IMPULSES to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Afferent Neurons,Afferent Neuron,Neuron, Afferent
D010812	Physical Stimulation	Act of eliciting a response from a person or organism through physical contact.	Stimulation, Physical,Physical Stimulations,Stimulations, Physical
D004558	Electric Stimulation	Use of electric potential or currents to elicit biological responses.	Stimulation, Electric,Electrical Stimulation,Electric Stimulations,Electrical Stimulations,Stimulation, Electrical,Stimulations, Electric,Stimulations, Electrical
D004594	Electrophysiology	The study of the generation and behavior of electrical charges in living organisms particularly the nervous system and the effects of electricity on living organisms.