ReviewThe cutaneous sensory system
Section snippets
Introduction to the somatosensory system
The primary sensory modality subserving the body senses is collectively described as the somatosensory system. It comprises all those peripheral afferent nerve fibers, and specialised receptors, subserving proprioceptive (joint, muscle) and cutaneous sensitivity. The former processes information about limb position and muscle forces which the central nervous system uses to monitor and control limb movements and to ensure that a planned action or movement is executed fluently via elegant
The peripheral nervous system
The skin is the most extensive and versatile of the body's organs and in a fully grown adult covers a surface area approaching 2 m2. Apart from its role as a sensory organ the skin contains in excess of 2 million sweat glands and 5 million hairs, that may be either fine vellous types covering all surfaces apart from the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands (glabrous skin). Skin consists of an outer stratified squamous epithelium of ectodermal origin – the epidermis – and an inner,
The central projections
The submodalties of skin sensory receptors and nerves that convey information to the brain about mechanical, thermal, and painful/pruritic stimulation of the skin are grouped into three different pathways in the spinal cord and project to different target areas in the brain. They differ in their receptors, pathways, and targets, and also in the level of decussation (crossing over) within the CNS. Most sensory systems en route to the cerebral cortex decussate at some point, as projections are
Conclusion
This overview of the cutaneous senses provides a landscape view of the system's structure and function, with the following review papers in this Special Issue highlighting specific aspects and properties of the skin senses and their roles in sensation, affect and cognition. Cutaneous sensitivity is central to human functional, emotional and social life, as is evidenced by it being the most developed sensory modality at birth, contributing to brain and cognitive development throughout infancy
References (95)
- et al.
Neuroimmunology of stress: skin takes center stage
J. Invest. Dermatol.
(2006) - et al.
Finding sensory neuron mechanotransduction components
Curr. Top. Membr.
(2006) - et al.
TRPV3, TRPV4 mediate warmth-evoked currents in primary mouse keratinocytes
J. Biol. Chem.
(2004) Pathophysiology of pain
Mayo Clin. Proc.
(1994)- et al.
Effects of skin surface temperature on epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis
J. Invest. Dermatol.
(2007) - et al.
FMRI of the responses to vibratory stimulation of digit tips
NeuroImage
(2000) - et al.
Sensory, cognitive and response factors in the judgement of sensory magnitude
- et al.
Fetal plasma cortisol and B-endorphin response to intrauterine needling
Lancet
(1994) - et al.
Cutaneous mechanoreceptors of the hand: experimental studies and their implications for clinical testing of tactile sensation
J. Hand Ther.
(1993) - et al.
Electrically evoked itch in humans
Pain
(2005)
Functional vanilloid receptors in cultured normal human keratinocytes
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Com.
A pain in the thalamus
Pain
The sensory somatotopic map of the human hand demonstrated at 4T
NeuroImage
Functional neuroimaging studies of human somatosensory cortex
Behav. Brain Res.
The sensory mechanotransduction ion channel ASIC2 acid sensitive ion channel 2 is regulated by neutrophin availability
Neuroscience
The McGill pain questionnaire: major properties and scoring methods
Pain
The TRP channels, a remarkably functional family
Cell
A modality specific somatosensory area within the insula of the rhesus monkey
Brain Res.
A system of unmyelinated afferents for innocuous mechanoreception in the human skin
Brain Res.
Spinothalamic lamina 1 neurons selectively sensitive to histamine: a central neural pathway for itch
Nat. Neurosci.
Organization and receptive fields of primate spinothalamic tract neurons
J. Neurophysiol.
DEG/EnaC ion channels involved in sensory transduction are modulated by cold temperature
PNAS
The synthetic experiment
Am. J. Psychol.
Response of cutaneous sensory units with unmyelinated fibers to noxious stimuli
J. Neurophysiol.
Four channels mediate the mechanical aspects of touch
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
Peripheral neural mechanisms of nociception
C-polymodal nociceptors activated by noxious low temperature in human skin
J. Physiol.
Slowly conducting afferents activated by innocuous low temperature in human skin
J. Physiol.
Epithelial sodium channel related to proteins involved in neurodegeneration
Nature
The capsaicin receptor: a heat-activated ion channel in the pain pathway
Nature
Impaired nociception and pain sensation in mice lacking the capsaicin receptor
Science
TRP channels as cellular sensors
Nature
Distributed processing of pain and vibration by the human brain
J. Neurosci.
How do you feel—now? The anterior insula and human awareness
Nat. Neurosci. Rev.
The sense of touch: performance and peripheral neural processes
Thermal sensibility
Vanilloid receptor-1 is essential for inflammatory thermal hyperalgesia
Nature
Epidermal keratinocytes as the forefront of the sensory system
Exp. Dermatol.
Closing in on a mammalian touch receptor
Nat. Neurosci.
Conduction velocity along afferent vagal dendrites: a new type of fiber
J. Physiol.
Denervation of skin in neuropathies: the sequence of axonal and Schwann cell changes in skin biopsies
Brain
Receptor encoding of moving tactile stimuli in humans. II. The mean response of individual low-threshold mechanoreceptors to motion across the receptive field
J. Neurosci.
Psychophysical assessment of the affective components of non-painful touch
NeuroReport
The representation of pleasant touch in the brain and its relationship with taste and olfactory areas
NeuroReport
Some characteristics of tactile channels
Behav. Brain Res.
Prediction of vibrotactile masking functions
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
Cited by (303)
Social touch to build trust: A systematic review of technology-mediated and unmediated interactions
2024, Computers in Human BehaviorEffects of non-pharmacological interventions on gait and balance of persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A narrative review
2024, Multiple Sclerosis and Related DisordersSimilarities and differences in peripheral itch and pain pathways in atopic dermatitis
2024, Journal of Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyTasty vibes: Uncovering crossmodal correspondences between tactile vibrations and basic tastes
2023, Food Research International