Study Explains Why Sense of Touch Varies Among Individuals

Credit: Joseph Ciano

The three fingers illustrated here have different densities of Meissner’s corpuscles. Blue and red ovals depict Meissner’s corpuscles located within the skin, with blue corpuscles inactive and red corpuscles those that are activated by a tactile stimulus that deforms the skin’s surface. Note that a greater corpuscle density is associated with greater tactile sensitivity.

« Study Explains Why Sense of Touch Varies Among Individuals

Credit: Joseph Ciano

Lateral view of finger, with the skin regions that were sampled and analyzed. Labels: TIP (fingertip), DPAD (distal finger pad), DIP (skin over distal interphalangeal joint), IPAD (intermediate finger pad), PIP (skin over proximal interphalangeal joint), and PPAD (proximal finger pad).

« Study Explains Why Sense of Touch Varies Among Individuals

Credit: Joseph Ciano

Palmar view of hand, with skin regions that were sampled and analyzed. Labels: TIP (fingertip), DPAD (distal finger pad), DIP (skin over distal interphalangeal joint), IPAD (intermediate finger pad), PIP (skin over proximal interphalangeal joint), and PPAD (proximal finger pad). Note that regions sampled from digit #1 include only the TIP (fingertip), DPAD (distal finger pad), IP (skin over interphalangeal joint), and PPAD (proximal finger pad).

« Study Explains Why Sense of Touch Varies Among Individuals

Credit: Joseph Ciano

An example of a histological image used in this study, with Meissner’s corpuscles indicated with yellow arrows.

« Study Explains Why Sense of Touch Varies Among Individuals

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