CHAPTER XVII 



Touch and kinesthesis 



VERNON B. 



JERZY E. ROSE 

 MOUNTCASTLE 



Departments 0/ Physiology and Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins 

 University School oj Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 



CHAPTER CONTENTS 



Introduction 

 Definitions 



Tactile stimuli 

 Kinesthetic stimuli 

 Electrophysiological Methods for Study of Somatic Afferent 

 Systems 

 Methods of stimulation 

 Excitability states of central neurons 

 Methods of recording 

 Current Theories of Cutaneous Sensations 

 Classic Concept 

 Pattern Theory 

 Concept of Head 

 Some Properties of Peripheral Somatic Afferent System 

 Receptors 



Specificity of receptors 

 Types of discharges 

 Receptor potential 

 Peripheral Cutaneous Nerve Fibers 

 Impulses in peripheral nerve fibers 



Impulses evoked in fibers of different size by tactile stimuli 

 Relation of cutaneous stimuli to activity in fibers of 



different size 

 Relation of elevations of electroneurogram to modalities of 



sensation 

 Summary 

 Central Tactile and Kinesthetic Systems 

 General Remarks 



Classification of Central Tactile and Kinesthetic Systems 

 Medial Lemniscal System 

 Anatomical Definition 

 Physiological Properties 

 Projection Patterns in Medial Lemniscal System 

 Patterns in Dorsal Columns 

 Patterns in Dorsal Column Nuclei 

 Patterns in Thalamic Relay Nucleus 

 Definition of thalamic relay nucleus 

 Direct spinocortical and bulbocortical pathways 

 Ipsilateral pathway from dorsal column nuclei to ventro- 

 basal complex 



Patterns in tactile thalamic area 

 Patterns in Postcentral Homologue of Cerebral Cortex 

 Modality Components of Medial Lemniscal System 

 Touch-Pressure 



Adaptive properties of receptors and of central neurons 

 Peripheral recepti\'e fields 



Projection of peripheral receptive fields upon central neu- 

 rons 

 Response Patterns of Neurons of Medial Lemniscal System 

 Repetitiveness of response to single stimulus 

 Response of system to single stimulus 

 Response to two stimuli at different intervals 

 Response to repetitive stimuli at diflerent frequencies 

 Afferent inhibition 

 Summary 

 Kinesthesis or Sense of Position and Movement of Joints 

 Muscle Stretch Receptors and Kinesthesis 

 Innervation of Joints 



Joint Receptors and Their Discharge Patterns 

 Central Projection of Joint Aflferents 

 Projections of Deep Receptors Other Than in Joints 

 Functional Organization of First Somatic Cortical Field 

 Spinothalamic System 



Location of Tactile Fibers in Spinothalamic System 

 Origin of Spinothalamic System 

 Termination of Spinothalamic System 

 Topical Organization of Spinothalamic System 

 Ipsilateral Pathways of Spinothalamic System 

 Some Further Observations on Somatic Sensory System 

 Relaying of Somatic Afferent Impulses 

 Centrifugal Pathways Impinging LTpon Sensory Somatic 



Synaptic Regions 

 Activation of Brain Stem Reticular Formation by Sensory 



Somatic Discharges 

 Cortical Fields Other Than Primary Receiving Area Which 

 Are Activated by Tactile Stimuli 

 Anatomical evidence 

 Electrophysiological evidence 

 Experimental psychological esidence 

 Concluding Remarks 



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