Touch

1. Touch By: Hayley, Jennifer, Anton

2. Essential Questions • Can you explain an example of touch or skin related disorder? • Can you notice the differences between vestibular, kinesthetic and cutaneous sense?

3. Vestibular Sense • Vestibular Sense- a sensory system located in structures of the inner ear that registers the orientation of the head • Inner ear- The semicircular canals and cochlea, which form the organs of balance and hearing and are inside the temporal bone. • Semicircular canals-Three fluid-filled channels in the inner ear and they provide information about maintaining balance • Utricle- The larger of the two fluid-filled cavities forming part of the maze of the inner ear • Somato Sensory Cortex- A strip of the parietal lobe which controls the sense of touch

4. Kinesthetic Sense • Kinesthetic sense- the sense of body position and movement of body parts relative to each other • Also called kinesthesis • Provides constant sensory feedback about what your muscles in your body are doing motor activities • The receptors for kinesthetic are in your joints, muscles, and tendons • The process happens naturally without any thought- Unless you are purposely learning movements for a new physical skill, like learning a new dance trick or swinging a golf club • This sense tells you which hand is closer to the phone when it rings • Makes you aware of you crossing your legs • Tells you whether to continue reaching for your cup before you knock it over

5. Kinesthetic Sense • Phantom Limb- the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached to the body and is moving appropriately with other body parts but it’s not physically there • 2 out of 3 combat veterans report this feeling • This part of the brain is found in the parietal lobe

6. Cutaneous Sense • Cutaneous Sense- the faculty by which external objects or forces are perceived through contact with the body • Pain- dominates all other senses • Dealing with the pain- aspirin, ibuprofen, prescription narcotics- Morphine- mimics Endorphins • Pain tolerance- one study showed that people who were given the same electric shock, some were unaffected by it, where some felt a very painful sensation • Brain scans of people who have a very low tolerance for pain have a very active thalamus than people who have a high tolerance • Gate Control Theory- An explanation for pain control that proposes that we have a neural “gate” that can, under some circumstances block incoming pain signals

7. Cutaneous Receptors • Cutaneous Receptors- A type of sensory receptor found in the dermis or epidermis. They are a part of the somatosensory system. • Cutaneous receptors include cutaneous mechanoreceptors, nociceptors (pain) and thermo receptors (temperature). • Mechanoreceptors- A sense organ or cell that responds to mechanical stimuli such as touch or sound • Thermoreceptors- a sensory receptor that responds to hot and cold • Nocireceptors- receptors that are sensitive to pain

8. Cutaneous Sense This illustrates the different types of Mechanoreceptors

9. Common Sensory Disorders • Julie Malloy- Hereditary sensory neuropathy type 2 (HSN2), a genetic disorder so rare that only 50 cases were reported in medical literature as of 2004 • http://www.ydr.com/ci_15326760

10. Acupuncture and Lamaze • Acupuncture- A system of complementary medicine that involves pricking the skin or tissues with needles, used to alleviate pain and to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions • Lamaze- relating to a method of childbirth involving exercises and breathing control to give pain relief without drugs