The tactile sensors in our fingers have variable sensitivity across the skin. Does this variability harm or help the CNS in touch perception? Work now shows that this variability may provide the CNS with more information about micropositioning and stimulus orientation.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Johnson, K.O. & Hsiao, S.S. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 15, 227–250 (1992).
Pruszynski, J.A. & Johansson, R.S. Nat. Neurosci. 17, 1404–1409 (2014).
Bensmaia, S.J., Denchev, P.V., Dammann, J.F., Craig, J.C. & Hsiao, S.S. J. Neurosci. 28, 776–786 (2008).
Johnson, K.O. & Phillips, J.R. J. Neurosci. Methods 22, 221–231 (1988).
Cauna, N. Am. J. Anat. 99, 315–350 (1956).
Johansson, R.S. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 281, 101–125 (1978).
Vega-Bermudez, F. & Johnson, K.O. J. Neurophysiol. 81, 2711–2719 (1999).
Horch, K.W., Whitehorn, D. & Burgess, P.R. J. Neurophysiol. 37, 267–281 (1974).
Sathian, K. & Zangaladze, A. Exp. Brain Res. 118, 131–134 (1998).
Wheat, H.E., Goodwin, A.W. & Browning, A.S. J. Neurosci. 15, 5582–5595 (1995).
Brisben, A.J., Hsiao, S.S. & Johnson, K.O. J. Neurophysiol. 81, 1548–1558 (1999).
Mountcastle, V.B., Talbot, W.H., Darian-Smith, I. & Kornhuber, H.H. Science 155, 597–600 (1967).
Wettels, N., Santos, V.J., Johansson, R.S. & Loeb, G.E. Adv. Robot. 22, 829–849 (2008).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blake, D. A touching tale: point sensor or pattern detector?. Nat Neurosci 17, 1290–1291 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3820
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3820