biolpsy_lecture08

Sensation

The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.

Stimulus

Any event or object that can provoke a response from a receptor in the nervous system.

Receptor

A sensory nerve ending that responds to a specific stimulus, sending signals to the nervous system.

Receptor Potential

The change in membrane potential of a receptor cell in response to stimulation.

Labeled Lines

Specific pathways through which different receptors transmit signals to particular parts of the nervous system.

Receptive Field

The specific area or region that influences the activity of a sensory neuron.

Somatosensory System

A complex system that processes input from touch, temperature, pain, and proprioception.

Nociceptors

Receptors responsible for the sensation of pain, consisting of free nerve endings.

Dermatome

The area of skin that is mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve root.

Phantom Pain

Pain experienced in a limb that has been amputated, often involving the perception of discomfort in the absence of the physical limb.

Plasticity in the Somatosensory Cortex

The ability of the somatosensory cortex to adapt or change in response to injury or the loss of a body part.

Mirror Therapy

A treatment approach for phantom pain that uses visual feedback from a mirror to reduce discomfort by creating the illusion of movement in an absent limb.

Top-down modulation of pain

The process by which the perception of pain can be influenced by higher cognitive processes.

Adequate Stimuli

Specific types of stimulation that are particularly effective at activating a receptor.

Sensory Pathway

The path taken by neural signals from receptors to the thalamus and then to the appropriate sensory cortices.

Meissner's Corpuscles

Touch receptors that adapt quickly and are sensitive to light touch and changes in texture.

Merkel's Discs

Touch receptors that respond to steady pressure and texture, providing detailed form information.

Pacinian Corpuscles

Receptors that respond to vibration and deep pressure, providing information about texture.

Ruffini's Endings

Receptors that respond to skin stretch, playing a role in detecting the position of limbs.

Free Nerve Endings

Nerve endings that detect pain, temperature, and some types of tactile information.

Piezo Receptors

Receptors such as Piezo1 and Piezo2 that respond to mechanical forces and are involved in touch perception.