The sense of touch is the mechanism by which the body registers the forces or objects that come into contact with it. Proprioception, cutaneous sensations, and internal organs are all part of the faculty. It is commonly known as exteroception. It is also known as tactition or somatosensation. It is a perception that comes about as a result of brain receptors being activated (Campbell, 2009). Pressure changes trigger a response from the brain receptors. It can also be described as the sense detected by skin-based tactile organs or brain receptors. Other neurons then transmit the sensed stimuli to the brain for processing. Perception of touch and how it is relayed to the brain.
Touch is controlled by the somatosensory system. There are specialized receptors that are responsible for the specific sensations felt in the body (Bossomaier, 2012). These receptors include; mechanoreceptors, thermos receptors, pain receptors, and proprioceptors.
Mechanoreceptors are responsible for the perception of pressure, texture and vibrations. The brain gets the information from these receptors mainly from the finger tips. Thermoreceptors are responsible for perception of temperature changes.
Pain receptors detect pain that can damage the skin or other tissues of the body. The receptors cause a feeling of sharp pain that encourages someone to move away from the harmful stimulus.
Transmission of the stimuli to the brain
The sensations felt by the somatosensory system has to reach the brain for them to effected in the body. The nervous system is responsible for this task (Schettler, 2010). The messages are received and trans mitted by neurons (Bossomaier, 2012). When the hand touches an object, the mechanoreceptors in the skin are activated. The nearest neurons are signaled that something has been touched. This message is transmitted via a chain of neurons until it reaches the brain. The message is processed and sent back to hand through a similar pathway. The processed message lets the hand know if it should continue touching or stop touching the object.
Touch Disorders/ Tactile disorders
Tactile disorders, or sensory disorders, influence the feeling of touch. In these unsettling influences, sensation might be felt too seriously or too unobtrusively, or objects may in different ways appear to be unrecognizable when held in the hand (Madder & Windelspecht, 2016). Tactile disorders are established in the brain and central nervous system and may come about because of neural dysregulation or from brain tumors, damage or surgery.
Central touch disorders
Central touch disorders involve an extensive variety of shortfalls in somatosensory recognition that can happen after harm to the central nervous system (Weiss & Hertenstein, 2011). They fluctuate from shortfalls in the identification of a touch complex psychological deficiencies, for example, the failure to perceive objects through touch or the experience of having an extra body part, for example, a third arm.
Primary somatosensory/Tactile disorders
Primary tactile disorders comprise of a failure to recognize basic somatosensory perspectives, including debilitated sensitivity to weight connected to the skin, (i.e. hindered spatial sharpness), loss of vibratory sense, or shortages in proprioception. Primary tactile hindrances have been accounted for more often than not after harm to the contralateral SI, the thalamus, or the subcortical rising somatosensory pathways. These shortfalls can specifically influence one somatosensory sub modality while others remain practically in place (Corkin et al. 1978). Clearly, primary tactile disorders can prompt issues in higher touch disorders, for example, a failure to perceive objects by touch. In any case, higher order tactile disorders can be available without basic deformities.
Tactile Apraxia
Tactile apraxia is a tactile disorder of object investigation. It includes an unsettling influence of hand movement while controlling an object within the sight of movements without the utilization of an object (e.g., redundant movements or signals) (Conn, 2014). Those with tactile apraxia experience issues adjusting hand movements to the qualities of an object in specific situations
Tactile Agnosia/ somatosensory agnosia
A patient with tactile agnosia can't perceive objects by touch. As indicated by the Mayo Clinic Department of Neurology, tactile agnosia is an unpretentious and debilitating disorder. This tactile disorder comes about because of injuries, tumors or harm to the mesial temporal, retrosplenial and additionally mesial occipital cortices of the brain (Weiss & Hertenstein, 2011). Those with tactile agnosia typically have no trouble in distinguishing objects through their other different faculties.
Treatment of Tactile disorders
Diagnosis is clinical, regularly including neuropsychological evaluation (NPE), with brain imaging (e.g., Cat Scan (CT), Magnetic Reasoning Imaging (MRI)) to distinguish the reason. Prognosis of both tactile apraxia and tactile agnosia relies upon the nature and degree of harm and patient age. The neurological abnormalities associated with the diseases are also treated through brain surgery. However, there is no specific treatment of the disorders.
Glossary
Biological term
Meaning
Central Nervous System (CNS).
It is part of the nervous system. It is composed of the brain and the spinal cord.
Diagnosis.
This refers to the identification of a disease from its causes.
Exteroception.
This is the sensitivity to stimuli that originates from the external part of the body (Bossomaier, 2012).
Magnetic Reasoning Imaging (MRI)
It is a technique used in radiology to determine the physiological processes of the body.
Mechanoreceptor
A cell organ that responds to mechanical stimuli
mesial temporal.
It is a specific pattern of hippocampus neural cell loss (Weiss & Hertenstein, 2011).
Neuro receptors.
These are specialized neurons which transduce and relay sensory information to the brain.
Neurons.
These are specialized cells of the nervous system.
Neurological abnormalities
These are disorders relating to the nervous system.
Neuropsychological evaluation (NPE).
This is a process that helps doctors to the damage to the brain that causes loss of tactition among other problems (Bossomaier, 2012).
Pain receptors
A cell organ that selectively receives stimuli.
Prognosis.
The prediction of a cause of a disease.
Proprioception.
The reception of stimuli or the ability to sense stimuli that arises from within the body (Weiss & Hertenstein, 2011).
Receptors.
These are organs that are able to respond to external stimuli (Weiss & Hertenstein, 2011).
Retrosplenial cortex (RSC).
It is a cordial area in the brain connected to the hippocampus (Schettler, 2010).
somatosensory perspectives
Sensory activities originating outside the body (Weiss & Hertenstein, 2011).
Somatosensory system.
This is a huge network of touch receptors and nerve endings in the skin.
Stimuli
Anything that exerts feeling
Tumor.
A body swelling without inflammation (Dandy, 1991).
References
Bossomaier, T. R. (2012). Introduction to the senses: From biology to computer science. (Introduction to the senses.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Campbell, N. A. (2009). Biology: Concepts & connections. San Francisco: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings.
Conn, P. M. (2014). Receptors. Elsevier Science.
Dandy, W. E. (1991). Benign tumors in the third ventricle of the brain: Diagnosis and treatment. Birmingham, AL: Classics of Neurology & Neurosurgery Library.
Jerome, B. A., Keck, N., Childers, N., & Visual Learning (Company). (2010). Senses. Brandon, VT: Visual Learning Co.
Mader, S. S., & Windelspecht, M. (2016). Human biology.
Ricker, J. H. (2004). Differential diagnosis in adult neuropsychological assessment. New York: Springer Pub. Co.
Schettler, S. P. (2010). Hippocampal and retrosplenial cortex contributions to learning, memory, and executive function in the non-human primate.
Weiss, S. J., & Hertenstein, M. J. (2011). The handbook of touch: Neuroscience, behavioral, and health perspectives. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co.
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