Response of monkey glabrous skin mechanoreceptors to random noise sequences: II. Dynamic stimulus state analysis. Looft, F. J. Somatosens Mot Res, 13(1):11--28, 1996.
abstract   bibtex   
The responses of monkey glabrous skin slowly adapting (SAI, Merkel cell), rapidly adapting (RA, Meissner) and Pacinian corpuscle (PC) mechanoreceptors were analyzed as a function of the instantaneous position, velocity, and acceleration of a dynamic stimulus. For these experiments, a vibrotactile punctate stimulator was driven by a non-repeating-noise sequence. The resulting data (sampled stimulus waveform, windowed impulse) were processed in several ways. Initially, input-output correlation analysis was implemented to generate spike-aligned averages of the stimulus waveform preceding and following impulse initiation. From this analysis, it was determined that dual-responding RA and PC afferents--that is, those afferents that responded to both indenting and extracting stimulus movements--universally responded in a nearly perfectly symmetrical manner to the stimulus. Subsequently, two-dimensional (position, velocity) state histograms were generated and used to assess mechanoreceptor dynamic stimulus sensitivities. From these state histograms, it was determined that the threshold for impulse initiation by SAI afferents was preferentially sensitive to the indentation position of the stimulus, with only a minor sensitivity to stimulus velocity. RA afferent thresholds were sensitive to a continuum of dynamic stimulus velocities and positions. At the extremes, RA afferent impulses could be initiated by either a highly indented, low-velocity stimulus or high-velocity stimulus with a limited indentation position. PC afferents appeared to be preferentially sensitive to a combination of stimulus velocity and acceleration, but the data-sampling interval was too coarse to adequately resolve the full range of dynamic stimulus sensitivities.
@article{ Looft96a,
  author = {F. J. Looft},
  title = {Response of monkey glabrous skin mechanoreceptors to random noise
	sequences: {II. D}ynamic stimulus state analysis},
  journal = {Somatosens Mot Res},
  year = {1996},
  volume = {13},
  pages = {11--28},
  number = {1},
  abstract = {The responses of monkey glabrous skin slowly adapting (SAI, Merkel
	cell), rapidly adapting (RA, Meissner) and Pacinian corpuscle (PC)
	mechanoreceptors were analyzed as a function of the instantaneous
	position, velocity, and acceleration of a dynamic stimulus. For these
	experiments, a vibrotactile punctate stimulator was driven by a non-repeating-noise
	sequence. The resulting data (sampled stimulus waveform, windowed
	impulse) were processed in several ways. Initially, input-output
	correlation analysis was implemented to generate spike-aligned averages
	of the stimulus waveform preceding and following impulse initiation.
	From this analysis, it was determined that dual-responding RA and
	PC afferents--that is, those afferents that responded to both indenting
	and extracting stimulus movements--universally responded in a nearly
	perfectly symmetrical manner to the stimulus. Subsequently, two-dimensional
	(position, velocity) state histograms were generated and used to
	assess mechanoreceptor dynamic stimulus sensitivities. From these
	state histograms, it was determined that the threshold for impulse
	initiation by SAI afferents was preferentially sensitive to the indentation
	position of the stimulus, with only a minor sensitivity to stimulus
	velocity. RA afferent thresholds were sensitive to a continuum of
	dynamic stimulus velocities and positions. At the extremes, RA afferent
	impulses could be initiated by either a highly indented, low-velocity
	stimulus or high-velocity stimulus with a limited indentation position.
	PC afferents appeared to be preferentially sensitive to a combination
	of stimulus velocity and acceleration, but the data-sampling interval
	was too coarse to adequately resolve the full range of dynamic stimulus
	sensitivities.},
  institution = {Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic
	Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, USA. fjlooft@ee.wpi.edu},
  keywords = {Afferent Pathways, physiology; Animals; Attention, physiology; Macaca
	mulatta; Mechanoreceptors, physiology; Median Nerve, physiology;
	Merkel Cells, physiology; Models, Neurological; Orientation, physiology;
	Pacinian Corpuscles, physiology; Regression Analysis; Sensory Thresholds,
	physiology; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Skin, innervation;
	Touch, physiology; Ulnar Nerve, physiology},
  language = {eng},
  medline-pst = {ppublish},
  owner = {doyen},
  pmid = {8725645},
  timestamp = {2010.09.07}
}

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