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PSYC 304: Sensation & Perception > Ch. 13 > Flashcards

Ch. 13 Flashcards

1
Q

pain as a function

A

serves as a warning system that tells us when something might be internally wrong or when an external stimulus might be dangerous, enabling us to defend our bodies as quickly as possible

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2
Q

temperature sensations as a function

A

enable us to seek or create a thermally safe environment

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3
Q

mechanical sensations as a function

A

guide action, furthering perception, and play an important role in our intimate sexual and reproductive activities

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4
Q

social touch as a function

A

a powerful means of communicating our thoughts and emotions nonverbally and is a calming influence in the face of stress

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5
Q

touch

A

the sensations caused by stimulation of the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints;
Sensations caused by mechanical displacements of the skin
- includes the perception of temperature changes (thermal sensation), the sensation of pain, itchiness, pleasant effects of stroking, and the internal sensations of kinesthesia

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6
Q

tactile

A

referring to the result of mechanical interactions with the skin

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7
Q

kinesthesia

A

perception of the position and movement of our limbs in space

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8
Q

proprioception

A

perception mediated by kinesthetic and internal receptors

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9
Q

somatosensation

A

collectively, sensory signals from the skin, muscles, tendons, joints, and internal receptors

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10
Q

glabrous

A

in reference to skin, lacking hair
- touch receptors embedded all over the body, in both glabrous and hairy skin

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11
Q

touch receptors and neural fibers

A

A touch receptor is connected to a “nerve fiber” composed of its axon and myelin sheath, if present

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12
Q

four types of nerve fibers carry information about somatosensation

A

A-alpha fiber, A-beta fiber, A-delta fiber, C fiber

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13
Q

A-alpha fiber

A

a wide-diameter, myelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits signals from proprioceptive receptors in muscles and tendons; carry information from proprioceptive receptors in muscles and tendons

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14
Q

A-beta fiber

A

a wide-diameter, myelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits signals from mechanical stimulation; connected to receptors that respond to pressure and vibration

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15
Q

A-delta fiber

A

an intermediate-sized, myelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits pain and temperature signals; carry information about temperature, pain, and itch

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16
Q

C fiber

A

a narrow-diameter, unmyelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits pain and temperature signals; carry information about temperature, pain, and itch

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17
Q

mechanoreceptor

A

a sensory receptor that responds to mechanical stimulation (pressure, vibration, or movement)
- A-beta fibers

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18
Q

epidermis

A

the outer of two major layers of skin

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19
Q

dermis

A

the inner of two major layers of skin, consisting of nutritive and connective tissues, within which lie the mechanoreceptors

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20
Q

Meissner corpuscle

A

a specialized nerve ending associated with fast-adapting (FA I) fibers that have small receptive fields
- small receptive field
- fast adaptation rate
- Maximum feature sensitivity of temporal changes in skin deformation (~5-50 Hz); skin slip
- Primary perceptual function of low-frequency vibration and grasp stability

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21
Q

Merkel disc

A

a specialized nerve ending associated with slowly adapting (SA I) fibers that have small receptive fields
- Small receptive field
- Slow adaptation rate
- Maximum feature sensitivity of sustained pressure, very low frequency (< ~5 Hz)
- Primary perceptual functions of coarse texture and pattern

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22
Q

Pacinian corpuscle

A

a specialized nerve ending associated with fast-adapting (FA II) fibers that have large receptive fields
- Large receptive field
- Fast adaptation rate
- Maximum feature sensitivity of temporal changes in skin deformation (~50-700 Hz)
- Primary perceptual functions of high-frequency vibration and fine texture

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23
Q

Ruffini ending

A

a specialized nerve ending associated with slowly adapting (SA II) fibers that have large receptive fields
- Large receptive field
- Slow adaptation rate
- Maximum feature sensitivity of sustained downward pressure and lateral skin stretch (~5-50 Hz)
- Primary perceptual function of finger position

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24
Q

four types of mechanoreceptors can be independently classified according to two attributes describing how they function

A
  • size of the receptive field
  • rate of adaptation (fast versus slow)
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25
Q

tactile receptive field of mechanoreceptors

A

patch of the body where a stimulus will produce a response
- fields are generally classified as small (around 10-20 square millimeters) or large (from 60 square millimeters to the size of an entire finger)

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26
Q

rate of adaptation of mechanoreceptors

A
  • A fast-adapting (FA) receptor responds with bursts of action potentials, first when its preferred stimulus is applied and then again when the stimulus is removed
  • A slowly adapting (SA) receptor remains active throughout the period during which the stimulus is in contact with its receptive field
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27
Q

other labels for neural fibers

A

slowly adapting type I (SA I) fibers, slowly adapting type II (SA II) fibers, fast-adapting type I (FA I) fibers, fast-adapting type II (FA II) fibers

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28
Q

slowly adapting type I (SA I) fibers

A
  • Respond best to steady downward pressure
  • Fine spatial details
  • Very-low-frequency vibrations
  • Especially important for texture and pattern perception
  • When a single S I fiber is stimulated, people report feeling “pressure”
  • Assumed that these fibers terminate in Merkel discs
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29
Q

slowly adapting type II (SA II) fibers

A
  • Respond to sustained downward pressure and particularly to lateral skin stretch (Lateral skin stretch occurs when we grasp an object)
  • When a single SA II fiber is stimulated, people experience no tactile sensation at all
  • For stimulation to be detectable, more than one SA II fiber must be stimulated
  • Assumed to terminate in Ruffini endings, but recent research has questioned whether these expanded terminals are as numerous as traditionally believed
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30
Q

fast-adapting type I (FA I) fibers

A
  • Respond best to low-frequency vibrations
  • Helps you correct your grip
  • When a single FA I fiber is stimulated, people report a very localized sensation that they describe as “wobble” or “flutter”
  • These fibers are assumed to terminate in Meissner corpuscles
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31
Q

fast-adapting type II (FA II) fibers

A
  • Respond best to high-frequency vibrations
  • Such vibrations occur whenever an object first makes contact with skin, as, for example, when a mosquito lands on your arm
  • Such vibrations are also generated when an object that you’re holding contacts another object, so they help you determine how hard you’re tapping your pencil on your desk for example
  • When a single FA II fiber is stimulated, people report a more diffuse sensation in the skin that corresponds to a “buzz”
  • These fibers have been shown to terminate in Pacinian corpuscles
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32
Q

kinesthetic

A

referring to perception involving sensory mechanoreceptors in muscles, tendons, and joints

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33
Q

muscle spindles

A

muscle receptors that convey the rate at which the muscle fibers are changing in length
- perceive the angle formed by a limb at a joint

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34
Q

Golgi tendon organs

A

receptors in the tendons that provide signals about the tension in the muscles attached to the tendons

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35
Q

thermoreceptor

A

a sensory receptor that signals information about changes in skin temperature

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36
Q

two distinct populations of thermoreceptors

A

warmth fiber and cold fiber

37
Q

warmth fiber

A

a sensory nerve fiber that fires when skin temperature increases

38
Q

cold fiber

A

a sensory nerve fiber that fires when skin temperature decreases
- outnumber warmth fibers by a ratio of about 30:1

39
Q

neural fibers that serve kinesthetic receptors

A

A-alpha and A-beta fibers

40
Q

neural fibers that serve cold and warmth fibers

A

C fibers and A-delta fibers
- both have free nerve endings

41
Q

free nerve ending

A

the terminus of a neural fiber without a specialized ending
- nerve endings are bare

42
Q

thermoTRP channel

A

thermally sensitive transient receptor potential ion channel found in sensory neurons

43
Q

body is constantly working to regulate internal temperature so the skin is kept between 30°C and 36°C

A
  • Neither cold nor warmth fibers respond much while skin temperature remains within this range
  • If skin temperature rises above 36°C, warmth fibers will begin to fire
  • If skin temperature falls below 30 °C, cold fibers will begin to fire
  • Thermoreceptors also kick into gear when we make contact with an object that is warmer or colder than our skin
44
Q

nociceptor

A

a sensory receptor that responds to painful input, such as extreme heat or pressure
- have bare nerve endings

45
Q

neural fibers that serve nociceptors

A
  • A-delta fibers respond primarily to strong pressure or heat
  • C fibers respond to intense stimulation of various sorts: pressure, heat or cold, or noxious chemicals
46
Q

many painful events seem to occur in two stages, which may reflect the onset of neural fiber signals

A

1) a quick, sharp burst of pain –> A-delta fibers
2) followed by a throbbing sensation –> C fibers

47
Q

thermoTRP channels in enabling nociceptors

A

these channels allow nociceptive neurons to detect thermal and chemical stimulation that produces pain

48
Q

C tactile (CT) afferent

A

a narrow-diameter, unmyelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits signals from pleasant touch
- Preferably responds to mechanical stimulation in the form of slow moving, lightly applied forces (like petting)
- Located only in hairy skin

49
Q

labeled lines

A

a theory of sensory coding in which each nerve fiber carries a particular stimulus quality

50
Q

dorsal horn

A

a region at the rear of the spinal cord that receives inputs from receptors in the skin
- Where axons enter the spinal cord
- organized into multiple layers (laminae)

51
Q

from skin to brain

A
  • the axons of various tactile receptors are combined into single nerve trunks
  • information must move up through the spinal cord
  • inputs of the cord are organized in a somatotopic manner
  • once in the spinal cord, touch information proceeds upward toward the brain via two major pathways: spinothalamic pathway, dorsal column-medial lemniscal (DCML) pathway
  • from the thalamus, much of the touch information is carried up to the cortex into somatosensory area 1
  • neurons in S1 communicate with somatosensory area 2 and other cortical areas
52
Q

laminae of the dorsal horn

A
  • Pain and pleasant touch fibers enter the uppermost laminae
  • A-beta fibers from mechanoreceptors enter in a deeper layer of the laminae
53
Q

somatotopic

A

referring to normal somatosensation; referring to spatial mapping in the somatosensory cortex in correspondence to spatial events on the skin

54
Q

Once in the spinal cord, touch information proceeds upward toward the brain via two major pathways

A
  • spinothalamic pathway
  • dorsal column-medial lemniscal (DCML) pathway
55
Q

spinothalamic pathway

A

the route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries most of the information about skin temperature and pain
- Slower of the two pathways
- Carries most of the information from thermoreceptors and nociceptors

56
Q

dorsal column-medial lemniscal (DCML) pathway

A

the route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries signals from skin, muscles, tendons, and joints
- Includes wider-diameter axons and fewer synapses
- Conveys information more quickly to the brain
- Tactile and kinesthetic information carried along this pathway is used for planning and executing rapid movements
- Neurons in this pathway first synapse in the cuneate and gracile nuclei, near the base of the brain
- Activity is then passed on to neurons that synapse in the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus

57
Q

somatosensory area 1 (S1)

A

the primary receiving area for touch in the cortex
- Located in the parietal lobe just behind the postcentral gyrus

58
Q

somatosensory area 2 (S2)

A

the secondary receiving area for touch in the cortex
- Lies in the upper bank of the lateral sulcus

59
Q

homunculus

A

a maplike representation of regions of the body in the brain
- Twin homunculus because there are corresponding spatial maps in the left and right hemispheres

60
Q

body image

A

the mental representation of how our bodies appear in space
- People’s body image proves to be systematically distorted toward top-heaviness, with expanded shoulders and upper arms but with lower arms and legs reduced in size
- The body representation can be changed by experience as well as direct transformation to the body itself

61
Q

anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

A

a region of the brain associated with the perceived unpleasantness of a pain sensation

62
Q

substantia gelatinosa

A

a region of interconnecting neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord; where neurons carrying nociceptive signals arrive at the dorsal horn

63
Q

gate control theory

A

a description of the pain-transmitting system that incorporates modulating signals from the brain
- According to this theory, the bottom-up pain signals from the nociceptors can be blocked via a circuit located in the spinal cord

64
Q

neurons in the dorsal horn actively inhibit pain transmission…

A

what is transmitted to somatosensory areas in the brain is the combined output of pain excitation from the nociceptors and this inhibition

65
Q

inhibitory neurons in the dorsal horn receive input signals from two different sources

A
  • A-beta fibers coming from the skin, which respond to benign touch rather than pain
  • The top-down pathways from the brain
66
Q

areas of the brain that correspond to the emotional aspects of painful experiences

A

Thalamus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

67
Q

analgesia

A

decreasing pain sensation during conscious experience; damping of pain sensations

68
Q

responses to noxious stimulation can be affected by…

A

analgesic drugs, effects of anticipation, religious belief, prior experience, or excitement

69
Q

endogenous opiate

A

a chemical released by the body that blocks the release or uptake of neurotransmitters necessary to transmit pain sensations to the brain

70
Q

placebo effect

A

decreasing pain sensation when people think they’re taking an analgesic drug but actually are not
- Placebos actually inhibit nociceptive processing as early as the dorsal horn
- Placebos can enhance positive effects as well as reduce negative ones

71
Q

hyperalgesia

A

an increased or heightened response to a normally painful stimulus
- when pain surpasses normal expectations

72
Q

inflammatory

A

an increased or heightened pain response to a normally painful stimulus

73
Q

nocebo effect

A

increasing pain sensation when people expect pain

74
Q

neuropathic pain

A

Pain that arises in the absence of immediate trauma because of damage to or dysfunction of the nervous system

75
Q

neural plasticity

A

the ability of neural circuits to undergo changes in function or organization as a result of previous activity

76
Q

phantom limb

A

sensation perceived from a physically amputated limb of the body

77
Q

biomimetic feedback

A

a system that attempts to closely mimic biological signals
- found in bionic limbs
- Stimulates residual nerves so that the user can experience sensations like in tactile events

78
Q

tactile sensitivity across the body

A
  • Your skin is sensitive to mechanical pressure all over, but not uniformly so
  • Thresholds vary across different sites of the body
  • In general, tactile pressure sensitivity is highest on the face, followed by the trunk and upper extremities (arms and fingers), and then the lower extremities (thigh, calf, foot)
  • Sensitivity to temperature changes and pain varies as a function of body site
79
Q

two-point touch threshold

A

the minimum distance at which two stimuli (e.g., two simultaneous touches) are just perceptible as separate
(spatial acuity)
- varies across the body
- mediated by the SA I (and possible FA I) tactile receptors

80
Q

common method requires participants to decide whether two tactile pulses delivered to the skin appear to be either simultaneous or successive in time

A

Participants can resolve a temporal difference of only 5 milliseconds

81
Q

people may differ in tactile sensitivity

A
  • Tactile sensitivity declines with age
  • Studies of blind people who read Braille are an exception to this trend
  • Genes affect tactile sensitivity
82
Q

haptic perception

A

knowledge of the world that is derived from sensory receptors in skin, muscles, tendons, and joints, usually involving active exploration

83
Q

exploratory procedures

A

a stereotyped hand movement pattern used to touch objects in order to perceive their properties; each procedure is best for determining one (or more) object properties
- Each exploratory procedure is optimal for obtaining precise details about one or two specific properties

84
Q

types of exploratory procedures

A
  • lateral motion –> texture
  • pressure –> hardness
  • static contact –> temperature
  • unsupported holding –> weight
  • enclosure –> global shape, volume
  • contour following –> global shape, exact shape
85
Q

tactile agnosia

A

the inability to identify objects by touch; caused by lesions of the parietal lobe

86
Q

frame of reference

A

the coordinate system used to define locations in space

87
Q

egocenter

A

the center of a reference frame used to represent locations relative to the body

88
Q

endogenous

A

in reference to spatial attention, a form of top-down (knowledge-driven) control in which attention is voluntarily directed toward the site where the observer anticipates a stimulus will occur

89
Q

exogenous

A

in reference to spatial attention, a form of bottom-up (stimulus-driven) attention reflexively (involuntarily) directed toward the site at which a stimulus has abruptly appeared

PSYC 304: Sensation & Perception (9 decks)

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