Brain and cognitive sciences: Touch

Brain and Cognitive Sciences: Touch
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Abstract
The sensory modality of touch plays an extremely important role in the human way of living and has a wide variety of functions. Many different neurons combine to form a pathway that transmits information received from the touch receptors to the central nervous system. Though all sensory modalities function in cohesion in the human body, the modality of touch can become heightened and work as a substitute in situations where any other sensory modality is impaired. Scientists working in the field of haptics are trying to use this capability to help visually impaired people and develop devices that can replicate the human touch pathways and work in situations where a human being is unable to function.
Keywords: Touch, sensory modalities, haptics.
“Touch has a memory.” These four words so poignantly penned down by John Keats describe the basic essence of what touch means in the context of human life. Studies show that the touch modality probably evolved as a means of protection against dangerous stimuli and helped in increasing the chances of survival of a species or organism in a hostile environment. It has been seen that the human embryo begins to perceive tactile stimulation as early as the eighth week of gestation.
This modality serves various functions; in fact we rely on touch for almost all of our daily activities beginning from social interaction, protecting our body from harm, sex…