Biomaterial Database

Neural mechanisms of tactual form and texture discrimination. 1983

K O Johnson

The mechanisms of fine form discrimination and texture discrimination are discussed in terms of a set of working hypotheses. 1) The limits of fine form discrimination at the fingertips are set by peripheral, not central, factors. 2) The critical information is relayed by slowly adapting (SA) afferents. 3) Texture is coded by the relative discharge rates in the quickly adapting, Pacinian, and SA populations. 4) SA transduction and transmission properties are particularly adapted for signaling spatial information. 5) The skin of the finger pad behaves like an ideal continuous medium.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
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
D010812	Physical Stimulation	Act of eliciting a response from a person or organism through physical contact.	Stimulation, Physical,Physical Stimulations,Stimulations, Physical
D004192	Discrimination, Psychological	Differential response to different stimuli.	Discrimination, Psychology,Psychological Discrimination
D005385	Fingers	Four or five slender jointed digits in humans and primates, attached to each HAND.	Finger
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000064	Acclimatization	Adaptation to a new environment or to a change in the old.	Acclimation
D000344	Afferent Pathways	Nerve structures through which impulses are conducted from a peripheral part toward a nerve center.	Afferent Pathway,Pathway, Afferent,Pathways, Afferent
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D013028	Space Perception	The awareness of the spatial properties of objects; includes physical space.	Perception, Space,Perceptions, Space,Space Perceptions
D014110	Touch	Sensation of making physical contact with objects, animate or inanimate. Tactile stimuli are detected by MECHANORECEPTORS in the skin and mucous membranes.	Tactile Sense,Sense of Touch,Taction,Sense, Tactile,Senses, Tactile,Tactile Senses,Tactions,Touch Sense,Touch Senses