Touch

Question 1

C fiber

Answer 1

A narrow-diameter, unmyelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits pain and temperature signals.

Question 2

Merkel cell neurite complex

Answer 2

A specialized nerve ending associated with slowly adapting (SA I) fibers that have small receptive fields.

Question 2

placebo effect

Answer 2

Decreasing pain sensation when people think they’re taking an analgesic drug but actually are not.

Question 2

warmth fiber

Answer 2

A sensory nerve fiber that fires when skin temperature increases.

Question 3

dermis

Answer 3

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

Question 4

egocenter

Answer 4

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

Question 5

cold fiber

Answer 5

A sensory nerve fiber that fires when skin temperature decreases.

Question 6

exploratory procedure

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Pacinian corpuscle

Answer 7

A specialized nerve ending associated with fast-adapting (FA II) fibers that have large receptive fields.

Question 8

haptic perception

Answer 8

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

Question 9

kinesthesis

Answer 9

Perception of the position and movement of our limbs in space.

Question 10

mechanoreceptor

Answer 10

A sensory receptor that responds to mechanical stimulation (pressure, vibration, or movement).

Question 10

thermoreceptor

Answer 10

A sensory receptor that signals information about changes in skin temperature.

Question 11

anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

Answer 11

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

Question 12

substantia gelatinosa

Answer 12

A jellylike region of interconnecting neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

Question 13

prefrontal cortex

Answer 13

A region of the brain concerned with cognition and executive control.

Question 14

dorsal column–medial lemniscal (DCML) pathway

Answer 14

The route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries signals from skin, muscles, tendons, and joints.

Question 15

hyperalgesia

Answer 15

An increased or heightened response to a normally painful stimulus.

Question 15

somatotopic

Answer 15

Spatially mapped in the somatosensory cortex in correspondence to spatial events on the skin.

Question 16

spinothalamic pathway

Answer 16

The route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries most of the information about skin temperature and pain.

Question 17

Ruffini ending

Answer 17

A specialized nerve ending associated with slowly adapting (SA II) fibers that have large receptive fields.

Question 17

two-point touch threshold

Answer 17

The minimum distance at which two stimuli (e.g., two simultaneous touches) are just perceptible as separate.

Question 19

endogenous spatial attention

Answer 19

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

Question 21

epidermis

Answer 21

The outer of two major layers of skin.

Question 22

phantom limb

Answer 22

Sensation perceived from a physically amputated limb of the body.

Question 22

somatosensation

Answer 22

Collectively, all sensory signals from the body.

Question 23

exogenous spatial attention

Answer 23

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

Question 24

homunculus

Answer 24

A maplike representation of regions of the body in the brain.

Question 25

dorsal horn

Answer 25

A region at the rear of the spinal cord that receives inputs from receptors in the skin.

Question 27

Meissner corpuscle

Answer 27

A specialized nerve ending associated with fast-adapting (FA I) fibers that have small receptive fields.

Question 28

kinesthetic

Answer 28

Referring to perception involving sensory mechanoreceptors in muscles, tendons, and joints.

Question 29

neural plasticity

Answer 29

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

Question 31

somatosensory area 1 (S1)

Answer 31

The primary receiving area for touch in the cortex.

Question 33

endogenous opiate

Answer 33

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

Question 34

haptic virtual environment

Answer 34

A synthetic world that may be experienced haptically by operation of an electromechanical device that delivers forces to the hand of the user.

Question 35

body image

Answer 35

The impression of our bodies in space.

Question 36

proprioception

Answer 36

Perception mediated by kinesthetic and vestibular receptors.

Question 37

frame of reference

Answer 37

The coordinate system used to define locations in space.

Question 38

somatosensory area 2 (S2)

Answer 38

The secondary receiving area for touch in the cortex.

Question 39

gate control theory

Answer 39

A description of the pain-transmitting system that incorporates modulating signals from the brain.

Question 40

A-delta fiber

Answer 40

An intermediate-sized, myelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits pain and temperature signals.

Question 41

muscle spindle

Answer 41

A sensory receptor located in a muscle that senses its tension.

Question 43

analgesia

Answer 43

Decreasing pain sensation during conscious experience.

Question 44

tactile agnosia

Answer 44

The inability to identify objects by touch.