The Significance of Somatosensory Stimulation to the Hand: Implications for Occupational Therapy Practice

Abstract

The hands contain numerous nerve endings that are intimately connected to the brain. Mounting evidence supports the concept that willful manipulation of objects contributes to expansion or reorganization of the somatosensory cortex and can produce therapeutic outcomes. In the past decade, research has demonstrated that cortical plasticity can continue throughout adulthood. Brain plasticity is a core principle that demonstrates the ability of the central nervous system to respond to stimuli and modify its structural organization and function as an adaptive response. Occupation-based interventions, which engage the use of the hands, are conceived in this article as a "mindbody" experience because of the vast potential for perceptual learning and neurologic reorganization. Many types of neuroplasticity have been identified, but "activity-dependent neuroplasticity" is an essential concept for occupational therapy practice. In addition, the concept of "cross-modal plasticity" will also be delineated with regard to implications to clinical practice. Guidelines for tactile or somatosensory stimulation will be derived from a systematic review of the neuroscience literature.

My true face: Unmasking one's own face representation

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“…The interplay between the mirror and face recognition reveals very interesting aspects about how we conceive our sense of self. It is important to consider the age at which someone can recognize him/herself and whether he/she possesses an accurate perception of the actual dimensions of his/her face (Dieguez et al 2011;McCormack 2014;D'Amour and Harris 2017;Mora et al 2018). All these aspects enter the dynamics between recognition of one's own face and self-perception, on which basis the recognition and distinction of the other is constructed.…”