Vibrotactile sensitivity and the frequency response of the Pacinian corpuscle

Vibrotactile adaptation on the face

“…However, the separation of the curves does not change systematically as a function of frequency, as would be expected if two mechanisms differing in their spatial integration characteristics determined threshold at low and high frequencies, respectively. Specifically, the lack of separation of the two functions in the case of Subject M makes clear that Pacinian corpuscles, which show marked spatial summation (Bolanowski et al, 1988;Verrillo, 1968), are not the receptor system underlying the high-frequency limb of his threshold functions-a conclusion that is further borne out by the slope of this branch (-6 dB/octave), which is only half as steep as that of the Pacinian system (Verrillo, 1966). This lack of evidence VIBROTACTION ON THE FACE 23 of Pacinian involvement for any subject confirms Barlow (1987) and Verrillo and Ecker (1977).…”

Some characteristics of tactile channels

“…The duplex theory of mechanoreception was supported by neurophysiological data obtained by recording from cutaneous nerve fibers. Verrillo [24], in comparing his psychophysical threshold data with the neurophysiological tuning curves of Sato [19] for single Pacinian corpuscles in cat, discovered that it was this receptor that was the neural element mediating the U-shaped portion of the psychophysical threshold function. The neural element mediating detection of vibration at lower frequencies was subsequently identified as rapidly adapting nerve fibers associated with Meissner corpuscles [15,20].…”

Vibrotactile intensity and frequency information in the Pacinian system: A psychophysical model

“…The Pacinian system has been found to mediate the tactile perception of high-frequency vibrations (Bolanowski, Gescheider, Verrillo, & Checkosky, 1988;Horch, 1991;Hyvärinen, Sakata, Talbot, & Mountcastle, 1968;Mountcastle, Talbot, Darian-Smith, & Kornhuber, 1967;Mountcastle, Talbot, Sakata, & Hyvärinen, 1969;Ochoa & Torebjörk, 1983;Talbot, Darian-Smith, Kornhuber, & Mountcastle, 1968;Verrillo, 1966). However, despite the abundance of studies on this sensory channel, few have investigated its ability to convey information about nonsinusoidal waveforms (see Bensmaïa & Hollins, 2000;Formby, Morgan, Forrest, & Raney, 1992;Horch, 1991;Lamoré, Muijser, & Keemink, 1986;Morley, Archer, Ferrington, Rowe, & Turman, 1990;Weisenberger, 1986).…”