Tactile sensitivity in the rat: a correlation between receptor structure and function.

Single cutaneous fibers were recorded in the median nerve of the deeply anesthetized rat and the receptor morphology in the forelimb glabrous skin was analyzed to establish a probable correlation between receptor anatomy and physiology. Receptor complexes in the glabrous skin of the rat forelimb were stained immunologically with antibodies NF-200 and PGP-9.5, confirming the presence of Meissner corpuscles and Merkel complexes within the dermal papilla similar to other mammals including primates.

Correlation of fingertip shear force direction with somatosensory cortical activity in monkey.

To examine the activity of somatosensory cortex (S1) neurons to self-generated shear forces on the index and thumb, two monkeys were trained to grasp a stationary metal tab with a key grip and exert forces without the fingers slipping in one of four orthogonal directions for 1 s. A majority (∼85%) of slowly adapting and rapidly adapting (RA) S1 neurons had activity modulated with shear force direction. The cells were recorded mainly in areas 1 and 2 of the S1, although some area 3b neurons also responded to shear direction or magnitude.

Novel FUS deletion in a patient with juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Background: Juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS) refers to a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in which a progressive upper and lower motor neuron degeneration begins before 25 years of age. It is generally associated with slow disease progression. During the past decade, a number of genes have been reported to cause JALS.

Role of friction and tangential force variation in the subjective scaling of tactile roughness.

The present study examined the contribution of normal (Fz) and tangential (Fx) forces, and their ratio, kinetic friction (Fx/Fz), to the subjective magnitude estimations of roughness. The results suggested that the rate of variation in tangential stroking force is a significant determinant of roughness perception. In the first experiment, six volunteer subjects scaled the roughness of eight surfaces explored with a single, active scan of the middle finger.