Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

psyc 212 - perception > chapter 15: cutaneous senses > Flashcards

chapter 15: cutaneous senses Flashcards

1
Q

the somatosensory system is broken down into 3 subcategories what are they?

A
  • cutaneous senses
  • proprioception
  • kinesthesis
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what is the heaviest and the largest organ of the body

A

skin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

name the functions of the skin

A
  • warning
  • prevents bodily fluid from escaping and protects body from bacteria, chemical agents and dirt
  • provides info about various stimuli that comes into contact with it
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

name the layers of the skin

A
  • epidermis
  • dermis
  • hypodermis
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

mechanoreceptors are …

A

receptors that respond to mechanical stimulation such as pressure, stretching and vibration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

name the 2 mechanoreceptors that are located near the epidermis

A
  • Merkel receptor
  • Meissner corpuscle
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

receptors located near the surface of the skin have … receptive fields, whereas receptors located deep within the skin have … receptive fields

A

small; large

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

why are Merkel receptors called slowly adapting (SA1) fiber, and Meissner corpuscles called rapidly adapting (RA1) fiber

A
  • Merkel: fires continuously, as long as stimulus is on
  • Meissner: fires only when stimulus is first applied and removed
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what are the types of perception associated with Merkel receptors and Meissner corpuscles

A

Merkel: details, shape, texture
Meissner: controlling handgrip, and perceiving motion across the skin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Ruffini cylinders are to … as Pacinian corpuscles are to …

A

Merkel receptors; Meissner corpuscles
slowly adapting vs rapidly adapting

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

name the 2 pathways from somatosensory receptors to the brain

A
  • medial lemniscal pathway
  • spinothalamic pathway
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what functions do each pathway carry

A

lemniscal: proprioception and perception of touch
spinothalamic: temperature and pain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

in which part of the brain does both pathway synapse

A

ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

which brain region is important in sensing light touch

A

insula

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

which brain region is important in feeling pain

A

anterior cingulate cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what are the two regions that receive signals from the thalamus

A

primary somatosensory cortex (S1)
secondary somatosensory cortex (S2)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

true or false? there is no communication between S1 and S2

A

false

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what is the Jacksonian march

A

seizures progress over the body in an orderly way; seizure in one body part is followed by seizure in neighboring body part

  • spread of neural activity across maps in motor area of brain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Penfield stimulated points in different part of the S1 causing participants to report sensations (touch and tingling) on various part of their bodies. in which part of their body did they perceive sensations if these regions were stimulated:
a. ventral
b. higher section
c. dorsal

A

a. lips and face
b. hands and fingers
c. legs and feet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

how do we call the body map

A

homunculus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

define tactile acuity

A

capacity to detect details of stimuli presented to the skin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

explain the two-point threshold procedure that is used to measure tactile acuity

A

minimum separation between 2 points on the skin that when stimulated is perceived as 2 points

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

explain the procedure used to measure grating acuity

A
  • grooved stimulus pressed onto skin
  • Ps asked to indicate orientation of grating
  • acuity measured by determining narrowest spacing for which orientation can be judged
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

explain why when a grooved stimulus is applied to the skin, the Merkel receptor’s firing reflects the pattern of the grooved stimulus, but the Pacinian corpuscles does not

A
  • Merkel: small RF + fires continuously = can detect details
  • Pacinian: large RF + fires when stimulus applied and removed = not sensitive to details
25
where is there a high density of Merkel receptors
fingertips
26
why are regions of high acuity represented by larger areas on the cortex
to provide extra neural processing to accurately sense fine details
27
which mechanoreceptors are primarily responsible for sensing vibrations
Pacinian corpuscles
28
why do Pacinian corpuscles respond poorly to slow and constant pushing
- corpuscle made of series of layer with fluid in between - transmit rapidly repeated pressure to nerve fiber - fiber received rapid changes in pressure
29
what happens if the corpuscle is removed and constant pressure is applied directly to the fiber
- fiber fires - properties of corpuscle cause fiber to respond poorly to continuous stimulation
30
what is the duplex theory of texture perception
perception of texture depends on both spatial cues and temporal cues
31
differentiate spatial and temporal cues
- spatial: surface elements that can be felt both when the skin moves across surface and when pressed onto elements - temporal: texture can't be detected unless fingers move across surface
32
what are the two cortical responses to surface texture
1. different textures cause different firing patterns 2. different neurons respond differently to same texture
33
neurons that fire to coarse textures receive input from which receptors and neurons that fire to fine texture receive input from which receptors
coarse: SA1 neurons (Merkel) fine: pacinian corpuscle receptors
34
differentiate between active touch and passive touch
active: touch in which person actively explores an object passive: touch stimulus is applied to the skin
35
define haptic perception
perception in which three-dimensional objects are explored with the fingers and hands
36
what are the 3 systems used when identifying objects
1. sensory system 2. motor system 3. cognitive system
37
for passive touch, you experience ..., and for active touch, you experience ...
- stimulation of the skin - objects that you are touching
38
what are exploratory procedures (EPs) and name 4 examples
distinctive movements used to identify an object (depend on object qualities) - lateral motion, pressure, enclosure, contour following
39
true or false? all neurons responsible for tactile object perception are specialized
false, neurons in ventral posterior nucleus have center-surround receptive fields
40
how can attention influence cortical response to tactile object identification
size of response is affected by attention, thinking, etc - ↓ attention = ↓ response
41
define interpersonal touching (social touch)
one person touching another person
42
where can we find CT afferent nerve fibers (C-tactile)
on hairy skin
43
what is the difference between CT afferent fibers and other receptors found on non-hairy skin
CT are unmyelinated fibers = nerve impulse more slowly
44
explain the technique called microneurography
activity recorded by inserting a metal electrode with a very fine tip just under the skin
45
which brain region is activated by CT afferents
insula
46
what is the social touch hypothesis
CT afferents and their central projections are responsible for social touch
47
the CT system was recognized as a new touch system different from previously known touch systems. name the functions associated with each
affective function of touch (CT system): sensing, pleasure, positive emotions discriminative function of touch (old): details, texture, vibration, objects
48
describe the experiment that showed CT afferents were specialized for slow stroking
- response of SA1/SA2 increased up to 30cm/sec - response of CT afferents peaked at 3-10cm/sec and decreased
49
slow stroking creates connections between which part of the insula. name the functional connection too
back of insula (sensory info) + front of insula (emotional area) = pleasurable response to social touch
50
how does top-down processes affect social touch
people's thoughts about who/what is touching them can influence their perception of pleasantness
51
name and explain the 3 types of pain
- inflammatory: damage to tissue/inflammation of joints/tumor cells - neuropathic pain: lesion or other damage to NS - nociceptive pain: activation of nociceptors (specialized to respond to tissue damage/potential damage
52
name two things that could not be explained by the direct pathway model of pain
1. not feeling pain from extensive wounds 2. phantom limbs
53
explain the gate control model
pain signals → spinal cord → brain *additional pathways that close/open gates in spinal cord determines signal strength*
54
explain the three pathways through which the gate control system occurs
- nociceptors: excitatory synapses send excitatory signals to transmission cells → open gate = ↑ firing = more pain - mechanoreceptors: nonpainful tactile stimulation: inhibitory signals → close gate = ↓ pain - central control: expectation, attention, distraction = ↓ pain
55
what is the difference between a placebo and a nocebo effect
placebo: decrease in pain nocebo: increase in pain
56
describe the experiment that showed the effect of expectation on pain ratings (Bingel 2011)
- no expectation (given drug but told its still saline *no change*): pain slightly reduced bc effect of drug - positive expectation (presented w drugs): pain greatly reduced bc both drug+expectation - negative expectation (were given drugs but now removed): pain increased bc expectation
57
the placebo and the nocebo effect are associated with increased activity in which brain area
placebo: areas associated with pain perception nocebo: hippocampus
58
how can attention affect pain perception
shift attention = pain ↓
59
how can emotions affect pain perception
positive emotions ↓ pain

psyc 212 - perception (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions