Articles tagged with Tactile Perception
Researchers at MDC discover that a lack of laminin-332 causes tactile stimuli to be perceived as painful, leading to increased sensitivity and branching of sensory neurons. The findings provide new insights into the disease's mechanisms and potential drug targets for therapy.
Researchers Anna Dornhaus and Benjamin Blonder found that ant colonies exhibit unique behavior, contradicting the assumption of universal properties in self-directed networks. The study recorded over 9,000 interactions between individual ants, providing insight into complex communication within the colony.
Daily practice enhances tactile sensitivity in blind participants, with proficient Braille readers showing exceptional performance. The study's findings challenge the long-held assumption that vision loss alone contributes to improved tactile abilities.
Researchers have found that itch receptors work through pain receptors on sensory neurons, suggesting a potential link between the two conditions. The study's findings could lead to new treatments for intractable itch, particularly in chronic diseases such as kidney and liver failure, diabetes, and cancer.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a model that simulates how rats use their whiskers to sense objects around them. The model enables further research on the human sense of touch and may provide insights into new technologies that could utilize the whisker system.
Researchers found people generally react positively to robotic touch, but perception of robot's intent makes a difference. The team plans to investigate ways to make robot touch more acceptable for future healthcare tasks.
Researchers found that the Stripe of Gennari develops in blind individuals from birth and remains intact, suggesting a role in processing tactile stimuli. This could contribute to improved Braille reading abilities and enhanced sense of touch.
Researchers at Northwestern University are studying the rat whisker system to gain a better understanding of how animals perceive touch. By developing models and simulating the rat's behavior, they aim to unlock the secrets of neural processing and potentially create new technologies that can mimic the senses of mammals.
Swiss researchers employ virtual reality and brain imaging techniques to investigate the science behind self-consciousness. By immersing subjects in avatar environments, they explore how the brain integrates touch and vision to create a coherent perception of the body.
Adults with insecure attachment styles may have difficulties regulating emotions, leading to increased risk for mental health problems. Cultural differences in the endowment effect suggest that independence and self-enhancement values influence giving up possessions.
Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a new touch-based directional device that can provide safe navigation cues to drivers, even when they're distracted by cell phones or visually impaired. The system uses gentle skin stimulation on the fingertips to convey directions, potentially reducing accidents and improving safety...
Researchers at Cardiff University are using advanced brain imaging techniques to investigate how people with autism process touch sensations. The study aims to provide a clearer understanding of sensory symptoms in autism and potentially lead to the development of new treatments.
A Yale-led team of psychologists found that physical sensations can shape our thoughts and perceptions, leading to different behaviors towards others. The study demonstrated how dramatic the impact of touch can be on our interactions with job applicants, relationships, and negotiations.
The new tactile learning book 'Touch the Earth' will be presented by NASA at the Earth Day Celebration on the National Mall. The book teaches middle school students about Earth's biomes using multimedia approaches, including sound, visual aids, and Braille. It aims to improve accessibility in science education.
Researchers at MDC Berlin-Buch discovered a protein filament that causes ion channels to open and shut in response to touch. The filament is 100nm long and links mechanosensitive ion channels to the extracellular matrix, rendering them highly sensitive to force.
A new study from Northwestern University has found that people with fragile X syndrome experience delayed development of the sensory cortex, leading to problems with brain wiring and tactile defensiveness. This delay may trigger a domino effect, causing further symptoms such as social withdrawal, hyperarousal, and anxiety.
A study in Psychological Science reveals that hand amputation distorts visuospatial perception of the action space. Participants with amputations underestimated distances relative to their intact limbs. The research suggests losing a hand may 'shrink' the action space, leading to permanent spatial perception distortions.
Merkel cells are essential for distinguishing shapes and textures, enabling hand dexterity through the sensory coding of light touch. The discovery confirms these cells are required for this function.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago found that a gentle touch application can decrease grip force required to lift objects in individuals with multiple sclerosis. This study suggests that applying a light touch from the opposite hand's finger may aid in regaining control and coordination, making everyday tasks more manage...
A study published in PLOS ONE found that sensations of touch can be felt and mislocalized towards where a virtual body is seen, altering the mapping of touch sensations in space. This research demonstrates the crucial role of brain mechanisms in multisensory processing for conscious experience.
Researchers Ennos and Warman found that fingerprints do not increase friction between the skin and objects, contrary to a long-held theory. In fact, the ridges in fingerprints can reduce skin contact and even loosen grip, making them less useful for grip than previously thought.
A study published in Current Biology confirms that parts of the brain responsible for object processing also activate when individuals touch objects. Despite struggling with visual input, HJA showed activity only for tactile objects, suggesting a direct connection between the sense of touch and object recognition.
Researchers found that visual motion influences tactile motion, and vice versa, using a unique tactile stimulator. This discovery suggests overlapping neural circuits for sensory processing.
Researchers found that visual motion affects tactile perception, causing subjects to perceive touch as moving in the opposite direction. Conversely, tactile motion gives rise to visual illusions of motion in the opposite direction.
A new study by Joann Peck and Suzanne B. Shu finds that touching objects boosts feelings of ownership and leads to higher prices. Researchers suggest retailers use touch experiences and ownership imagery to increase sales, both in-store and online.
Research at UCL found premature infants who required intensive care or surgery have reduced sensitivity to temperature and pain later in life. This study, published in the journal Pain, suggests that early medical interventions may alter how children respond to painful stimuli.
The study delves into the Old Frisian compensation tariffs, which linked financial compensation to injuries and insults, preventing blood feuds. Nijdam's research reveals a unique body-centred model of honor that emphasizes the interconnectedness of the human body and surroundings.
A new hand transplant has shown emerging sense of touch in a 54-year-old man's former 'hand area' of the brain 35 years after amputation. The brain's map of the individual fingers is still evolving with increasing sensation, but researchers are optimistic about the potential for future recovery.
Researchers develop new technology to analyze hair interactions, finding that mechanical and chemical changes cause rough feel. The study aims to optimize hair care product formulas by understanding how different components affect hair-to-hair interactions.
A team of scientists from MIT, Harvard, and McGill has designed a new tactile illusion to investigate perception and how different senses work together. The illusion produces changes in touch perception that are independent of changes in the stimulus, shedding light on brain function and conscious experience.
Rats use their whiskers to perceive shapes and textures, with high-speed video revealing detailed patterns of movements. The researchers found complex patterns on smooth surfaces and irregular movements on rough surfaces, shedding light on the rat's tactile environment.
A CCNY-led team has received a $330,000 NSF grant to develop a tactile surface facilitating communication between visually impaired and blind persons and computers. The project aims to create an affordable device that can convey graphic information in real-time through touch.
Researchers identified key brain regions involved in fine tactile spatial discrimination, including the right posteromedial parietal cortex and right posterior intraparietal sulcus. The study's findings may lead to the development of sensory-substitution devices for visually impaired individuals.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are developing a system that adds haptic feedback to robotic surgery tools, allowing surgeons to feel the work of mechanical helpers. The team is experimenting with techniques such as force sensors and computer models to convey tactile sensations to operators.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute develop a virtual simulator that allows surgeons to practice minimally invasive surgery with actual tool handles, improving depth perception and dexterity. The system uses haptic technology to provide an immersive experience, reducing the need for cadavers and animals in training.
Researchers discovered that signals from rat whiskers travel through distinct regions in the thalamus along separate pathways for movement, touch, and complex signals. These pathways function within parallel feedback loops, enabling the brain to implement new behaviors by building on lower-level sensory inputs.
A study found that consumers are less likely to buy a product if they believe it has been touched by someone else, with the value of the product being perceived as diminished. The researchers determined that disgust is the underlying reason for this phenomenon, and that its level increases with the perception of touch or use.
Researchers use functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the brain regions involved in illusory tactile perceptions. The study finds that the same sector of the brain is activated whether the sensation is real or illusory, suggesting a connection between conscious perception and somatotopic cortical processing.
A new study by Aradhna Krishna found that when blindfolded, subjects perceived the shorter glass with a wider surface area as having a larger volume. The study also revealed that visual distractions can influence consumer perceptions and behavior.
A new study by Queen's University psychologist Dr. Flanagan and international team reveals that humans use sensory cancellation to filter out self-motions, reducing touch perception. This mechanism is crucial for distinguishing between internal and external stimuli, and may underlie certain delusions in schizophrenia.
A study by Romo and de Lafuente found that the medial premotor cortex plays a crucial role in sensory perception, particularly in touch. The researchers used macaque monkeys as subjects and found that activity in this region correlated with the intensity of the stimulus, regardless of whether the monkey consciously felt it or not.
Researchers have designed a prototype prosthetic hand called the 'Southampton Remedi-Hand' that mimics human movement and grip, weighing only 400g. The hand features independent finger movement, a functional thumb with opposable motion, and integrated sensors to detect pressure and object slipping.
Researchers used tendon vibration to induce bodily illusions, altering subjects' sense of touch and highlighting the brain's dynamic and flexible nature. The study sheds light on the constant updating of the internal map that interprets new perceptions.
The winner's research explains how the nematode worm detects touch, a process that could inform studies on human reduced touch sensation. This knowledge may help develop new treatments for diabetes-related complications.
Researchers found that despite conflicting visual and tactile inputs, the brain keeps them separate, leading to 'cognitive dissonance.' The study used a visual illusion to trick subjects into perceiving motion in one direction or another. Brain activity scans revealed the middle temporal visual center responding to both visual and tact...
Researchers discovered that tactile input affects how we perceive rotating objects, suggesting a link between touch and object motion perception. Brain activity studies revealed increased activity in regions processing visual motion when subjects experienced both touch and sight simultaneously.
A virtual reality-based surgery simulator will allow surgeons to practice manipulating 3-D models of human organs using their sense of touch and vision, reducing operating room errors and improving patient outcomes. The simulator uses a novel computational technique to model human tissue and provide realistic touch feedback.
A recent study on sensory interaction found that the brain amplifies information from sight and smell when they fit together well, leading to a stronger perception of odors. Additionally, research on blind individuals revealed that their sense of touch is not inferior to sighted people's, contrary to popular belief.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University discovered that the brain's cortical map processes touch sensations based on perceived locations, not actual physical positions. This finding challenges long-held theories about the nature of the 'map' in the brain and sheds light on how the brain processes sensory information.
Researchers successfully transmitted haptic (touch) feedback across the Atlantic, enabling collaborative tasks like lifting a virtual box. The demonstration uses a robotic arm to simulate touch, allowing users to feel each other's manipulations in real-time.
Researchers have identified a protein called BNC1 that plays a crucial role in sensing light touch, allowing animals to detect gentle stimuli like a mosquito landing on their arm. The study found that knocking out the BNC1 gene greatly reduces the ability to sense light touch, but not completely eliminates it.
University of Iowa researchers have identified a protein, brain sodium channel 1 (BNC1), that plays a role in the perception of light touch in mice. The discovery provides an important first step towards understanding the molecular basis for this process.
A recent study by Dr. Ehud Ahissar finds that tactile information is encoded by both spatial and temporal data, suggesting the brain requires more than spatial patterning. The temporal pathway processes low-frequency stimuli for object location, while the spatial pathway focuses on high-frequency stimuli for object features.
Emory researchers verify the role of visual cortex in processing sensory information, including touch. The study reveals that visual imagery facilitates tactile discrimination tasks, such as distinguishing orientation via touch.
The MIT Touch Lab researches the hand's intricate mechanisms, aiming to enhance hand impairments diagnosis and virtual reality experiences. Advanced technologies, such as ultrasound microscopes and haptic interfaces, are being developed to study human perception and touch.
Researchers Matthew Botvinick and Jonathan Cohen found that the brain uses intersensory matches to identify the body as its own, leading to a sense of ownership and self-awareness. This study's findings could have implications for understanding clinical conditions such as phantom limb and alienation phenomenon.