Deck 13: Touch

Question 1

Which term describes the perception of the position and movement of our limbs in space?

A) Homunculus
B) Thermoception
C) Nociception
D) Neural plasticity
E) Kinesthesis

Answer 1

Kinesthesis

Question 2

Proprioception is perception mediated by

A) positive attitudes.
B) variations in vibrations.
C) kinesthetic and vestibular receptors.
D) cognitive and emotional processing.
E) olfactory and gustatory contributions.

Answer 2

variations in vibrations.

Question 3

Which functionality would be most affected if you lost your SA I (Merkel) touch receptors?

A) Texture perception and pattern/form perception, like for reading Braille
B) Sensitivity to finger position and downward skin pressure, as when holding an object
C) The ability to detect stable grasp and whether an object is slipping
D) The ability to feel when an object you are holding contacts another object, or a mosquito landing on your arm
E) The ability to sense cold and warmth of objects touching the skin

Answer 3

Texture perception and pattern/form perception, like for reading Braille

Question 4

Which functionality would be most affected if you lost your FA I (Meissner) touch receptors?

A) Texture perception and pattern/form perception, like for reading Braille
B) Sensitivity to finger position and downward skin pressure, as when holding an object
C) The ability to detect stable grasp and whether an object is slipping
D) The ability to feel when an object you are holding contacts another object, or a mosquito landing on your arm
E) The ability to sense cold and warmth of objects touching the skin

Question 5

Which functionality would be most affected if you lost your SA II (Ruffini) touch receptors?

A) Texture perception and pattern/form perception, like for reading Braille
B) Sensitivity to finger position and downward skin pressure, as when holding an object
C) The ability to detect stable grasp and whether an object is slipping
D) The ability to feel when an object you are holding contacts another object, or a mosquito landing on your arm
E) The ability to sense cold and warmth of objects touching the skin

Question 6

Which functionality would be most affected if you lost your FA II (Pacinian) touch receptors?

A) Texture perception and pattern/form perception, like for reading Braille
B) Sensitivity to finger position and downward skin pressure, as when holding an object
C) The ability to detect stable grasp and whether an object is slipping
D) The ability to feel when an object you are holding contacts another object, or a mosquito landing on your arm
E) The ability to sense cold and warmth of objects touching the skin

Question 7

Mechanoreceptors that have a slow adaptation rate and small receptive field size are called

A) Meissner corpuscles.
B) Ruffini endings.
C) Pacinian corpuscles.
D) Merkel cell neurite complexes.
E) muscle spindles.

Question 8

Mechanoreceptors that have a slow adaptation rate and large receptive field size are called

A) Meissner corpuscles.
B) Ruffini endings.
C) Pacinian corpuscles.
D) Merkel cell neurite complexes.
E) muscle spindles.

Question 9

Mechanoreceptors that have a fast adaptation rate and small receptive field size are called

A) Meissner corpuscles.
B) Ruffini endings.
C) Pacinian corpuscles.
D) Merkel cell neurite complexes.
E) muscle spindles.

Question 10

Mechanoreceptors that have a fast adaptation rate and large receptive field size are called

A) Meissner corpuscles.
B) Ruffini endings.
C) Pacinian corpuscles.
D) Merkel cell neurite complexes.
E) muscle spindles.

Question 11

_______ fibers respond best to steady pressure, fine spatial details, and very low frequency vibrations of 5 Hz or less, and they terminate in Merkel cell neurite complexes.

A) SA I
B) SA II
C) FA I
D) FA II
E) Extrafusal muscle

Question 12

_______ fibers respond best to sustained pressure and particularly to lateral skin stretch, and they terminate in Ruffini endings.

A) SA I
B) SA II
C) FA I
D) FA II
E) Extrafusal muscle

Question 13

_______ fibers respond best to low-frequency vibrations from about 5 to 50 Hz, such as are produced when an object slips from one's grasp, and they terminate in Meissner corpuscles.

A) SA I
B) SA II
C) FA I
D) FA II
E) Extrafusal muscle

Question 14

_______ fibers respond best to high-frequency vibrations from about 50 to 700 Hz, which occur when an object first makes contact with the skin or when two objects contact each other, and they terminate in Pacinian corpuscles.

A) SA I
B) SA II
C) FA I
D) FA II
E) Extrafusal muscle

Question 15

_______ are sensory receptors that signal information about changes in skin temperature.

A) Thermoreceptors
B) Thermal neurons
C) Mechanoreceptors
D) Kinesthetic receptors
E) C tactile afferents

Question 16

Which sensation would you become insensitive to if you lost your thermoTRP receptors?

A) The burn of chili peppers
B) The cooling sensation from mint
C) Pain associated with touching an extremely cold surface
D) Pain associated with touching an extremely hot surface
E) All of the above

Question 17

Touch receptors can be found in the epidermis and

A) skull.
B) dermis.
C) muscle spindles.
D) spinothalamic pathway.
E) intrafusal muscle fibers.

Question 18

Refer to the figure.
The figure demonstrates the locations of four types of

A) skin layers.
B) muscle spindles.
C) mechanoreceptors.
D) neuronal axons.
E) neurotransmitters.

Question 19

Which of the following is not a type of mechanoreceptor?

A) Meissner corpuscle
B) Ruffini ending
C) Pacinian corpuscle
D) Retinal ganglion cell
E) Merkel cell neurite complex

Question 20

The _______ horn is the region at the rear of the spinal cord that receives inputs from receptors in the skin.

A) dorsal
B) ventral
C) medial
D) lateral
E) anterior

Question 21

The _______ pathway is the route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries most of the information about skin temperature and pain.

A) dorsal column-medial lemniscal
B) primary somatosensory
C) dorsalateral
D) spinothalamic
E) ventricular

Question 22

If you stick your hand in a bucket of ice water for a few moments you will most likely feel both cold and pain sensations. Which pathway, from the spinal cord to the brain, carries this information?

A) Dorsal column-medial lemniscal
B) Primary somatosensory
C) Dorsolateral
D) Spinothalamic
E) Ventricular

Question 23

The _______ pathway is the route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries signals from skin, muscles, tendons, and joints.

A) dorsal column-medial lemniscal
B) primary somatosensory
C) dorsalateral
D) spinothalamic
E) ventricular

Question 24

When you walk on an uneven surface your brain senses the information from your skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to help you keep your balance. Which pathway, from the spinal cord to the brain, carries this information?

A) Dorsal column-medial lemniscal
B) Primary somatosensory
C) Dorsolateral
D) Spinothalamic
E) Ventricular

Question 25

Refer to the figure.
As shown in the figure, from the thalamus, much of the touch information is carried up to the cortex into

A) the spinal cord.
B) the homunculus.
C) somatosensory area 1 (S1).
D) somatosensory area 2 (S2).
E) the central sulcus.

Question 26

The _______ is a maplike representation of regions of the body processed in the brain.

A) homunculus
B) somatosensory receiving area
C) topographic map
D) tonotopic map
E) retinotopic map

Question 27

Suppose you are a patient in one of Penfield's famous experiments involving stimulation of the somatosensory cortex. During the procedure, the brain stimulation causes you to feel a tingling in your right arm. If Penfield moves the probe a centimeter along the cortex and stimulates the brain there, which part of your body will most likely feel a tingle?

A) Lips
B) Right leg
C) Right foot
D) Right elbow
E) Eyes

Question 28

Which part of the body has the largest representation in the somatosensory map?

A) Eye
B) Forearm
C) Back
D) Neck
E) Hand

Question 29

Suppose the amount of cortical area dedicated to processing skin sensations from your elbow dramatically increased. This would most likely result in a(n) _______ in your touch sensitivity and _______ in the two-point touch threshold in your elbow.

A) increase; an increase
B) decrease; a decrease
C) decrease; an increase
D) increase; a decrease
E) increase; no change

Question 30

_______ means mapped in correspondence to the skin.

A) Topographic
B) Somatosensory
C) Somatotopic
D) Kinesthetic
E) Skintopic

Question 31

In the brain, the _______ is associated with the perceived unpleasantness of pain sensation.

A) primary somatosensory cortex (S1)
B) secondary somatosensory cortex (S2)
C) extrastriate body area (EBA)
D) prefrontal cortex
E) anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

Question 32

Whereas _______ cortex processes the intensity of touch sensations, _______ cortex processes their pleasantness.

A) somatosensory; anterior cingulate
B) anterior cingulate; somatosensory
C) homunculus; somatotopic
D) somatotopic; homunculus
E) anterior cingulate; somatotopic

Question 33

Suppose two people experience the same painful stimulation (e.g., putting their hand in a bucket of ice water for one minute), but one feels less emotional unpleasantness than the other. Activation of which brain area probably differs between the two people?

A) Primary somatosensory cortex (S1)
B) Secondary somatosensory cortex (S2)
C) Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)
D) Extrastriate body area (EBA)
E) Prefrontal cortex

Question 34

In the brain, the _______ is associated with cognition and executive control and is involved when, for example, cancer patients dread facing another round of chemotherapy because they remember the pain of the first round.

A) primary somatosensory cortex (S1)
B) secondary somatosensory cortex (S2)
C) extrastriate body area (EBA)
D) prefrontal cortex
E) anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

Question 35

The story of soldiers in battle who did not feel painful wounds until the stress was over describes a reduction of pain sensations known as

A) analgesia.
B) blocked pain.
C) delayed pain perception.
D) phantom limb phenomenon.
E) battle frenzy.

Question 36

_______ are chemicals released by the body that block the release or uptake of neurotransmitters necessary to transmit pain sensations to the brain.

A) Hyperalgesics
B) Endogenous opiates
C) Touch neurotransmitters
D) Heterogeneous fibers
E) Corticosteroids

Question 37

An increased or heightened response to a normally painful stimulus is called

A) hyperalgesia.
B) analgesia.
C) the placebo effect.
D) the endogenous opiate effect.
E) habituation.

Question 38

Which concept explains why a cut on your finger is more sensitive to pain until it heals?

A) Analgesia
B) The placebo effect
C) Hyperalgesia
D) The endogenous opiate effect
E) Habituation

Question 39

Nociceptors transmit information about

A) skin stretch and downward pressure.
B) noxious or painful stimuli.
C) muscular pain.
D) high frequency vibrations on the skin.
E) body position.

Question 40

The A-delta and C fibers are types of

A) photoreceptors.
B) thermoreceptors.
C) nociceptors.
D) mechanoreceptors.
E) Both b and c

Question 41

When you stub your toe, you first feel a quick, sharp pain transmitted by _______, and then a moment later, a dull, throbbing pain transmitted by _______.

A) C fibers; A-delta fibers
B) C fibers; thermoTRP receptors
C) A-delta fibers; C fibers
D) A-delta fibers; thermoTRP receptors
E) thermoTRP receptors; C fibers

Question 42

_______ are narrow-diameter, unmyelinated sensory nerve fibers that transmit signals from pleasant touch.

A) PT nerves
B) P tactile efferents
C) C tactile efferents
D) P tactile afferents
E) C tactile afferents

Question 43

The _______ describes the system that transmits pain and incorporates modulating signals from the brain.

A) two-point threshold
B) gate control theory
C) pain sensitization theory
D) theory of vestibulation
E) theory of kinesthetics

Question 44

Suppose you hit your shin on a piece of furniture and it starts to hurt. Which theory explains why rubbing your shin might make it hurt less?

A) Theory of vestibulation
B) Pain sensitization theory
C) Theory of kinesthetics
D) Two-point threshold
E) Gate control theory

Question 45

_______ are sensory receptors located in a muscle that sense the muscle's tension.

A) Thermoreceptors
B) A-beta fibers
C) A-delta fibers
D) C fibers
E) Spindles

Question 46

_______ refers to our mental representation of our bodies in space.

A) Touch sense
B) Touch image
C) Body sense
D) Body agnosia
E) Body image

Question 47

The perceived sensation from a physically amputated limb of the body is known as

A) fake sensation.
B) phantom limb.
C) nonexistent limb.
D) missing limb.
E) illusory limb.

Question 48

Suppose you have surgery to amputate your left leg. You wake up from the surgery and still feel like your left leg is there. You are experiencing a(n)

A) nonexistent limb.
B) missing limb.
C) fake sensation.
D) phantom limb.
E) illusory limb.

Question 49

Which of the following describes the ability of neural circuits to undergo changes in function or organization as a result of previous activity?

A) Neural rewiring
B) Neural recoding
C) Neural pliability
D) Neural plasticity
E) Neural regression

Question 50

Which concept explains why people with an amputated arm might feel a touch on their face as occurring both on their face and on their missing arm?

A) Neural plasticity
B) Neural rewiring
C) Neural recoding
D) Neural pliability
E) Neural regression

Question 51

The _______ is the minimum distance at which two stimuli are just perceptible as separate.

A) haptic separation threshold
B) simultaneous touch threshold
C) two-point touch threshold
D) minimum amplitude
E) minimum two-touch distance

Question 52

Which of the following is the correct order of body parts, from the largest two-point threshold to the smallest?

A) Lips; back; forehead
B) Forehead; back; lips
C) Forehead; lips; back
D) Back; lips; forehead
E) Back; forehead; lips

Question 53

For people who are blind, what typically happens to their tactile acuity as they get older?

A) It decreases steadily as they age, starting in their 20s.
B) It stays the same until their 70s, and then decreases rapidly.
C) It stays the same for their entire life span.
D) It improves steadily as they age, starting in their 20s.
E) It stays the same until their 70s, and then improves rapidly.

Question 54

_______ perception is knowledge of the world that is derived from sensory receptors in skin, muscles, tendons, and joints, and usually involves active exploration.

A) Comprehensive body
B) Haptic
C) Active
D) External
E) Reactive

Question 55

Suppose you reach into the depths of your backpack without looking and find a pencil using your sense of touch alone. You have just engaged in _______ perception.

A) comprehensive body
B) active
C) external
D) somatosensory
E) haptic

Question 56

If you pick up a novel object that you've never seen before and run your fingers along it to get a better sense of its shape, you are engaging in

A) proprioceptive feedback.
B) two-point touch.
C) a haptic exploratory procedure.
D) nociception.
E) increased touch sensitivity.

Question 57

Exploratory procedures are used to

A) contact objects in order to perceive their properties.
B) transmit touch signals from nerve endings to the brain.
C) alert the brain to especially hot objects.
D) filter out unnecessary stimuli in the environment.
E) walk around a new environment to learn the layout.

Question 58

Refer to the figure.
This figure illustrates an apparatus used to

A) measure bodily reaction to hot and cold stimuli.
B) measure signals from the fingers to the brain.
C) display targets to the fingertips.
D) administer painful sensations to the fingertips.
E) measure pain thresholds.

Question 59

_______ is a method of communication that uses touch sensations only.

A) Kinesthesia
B) Braille
C) Affection
D) Haptic perception
E) Sign language

Question 60

_______ is the inability to identify objects by touch.

A) Somatosensory agnosia
B) Sensorineural aphasia
C) Prosopagnosia
D) Tactile agnosia
E) Kinesthagnosia

Question 61

Refer to the figure.
This figure illustrates the study of

A) tactile stimuli.
B) competition between sensory modalities.
C) how hot and cold stimuli affect touch sensations.
D) the response to painful sensations.
E) cooperation between sensory modalities.

Question 62

Frame of reference is used to

A) perceive touch.
B) define locations in space.
C) identify objects.
D) refer to specific objects.
E) envelope objects with the hand.

Question 63

_______ describes the center of a reference frame.

A) Haptic center
B) Haptic origin
C) Kinesthetic origin
D) Somatosensory origin
E) Egocenter

Question 64

Suppose a rat pup is born to a mother who does not lick and groom her offspring but is raised by a foster mother who does lick and groom the rat pup. What can we expect of the rat pup's behavior as they mature?

A) The rat pup will be less timid but still unlikely to groom its own offspring.
B) The rat pup will be less timid and more likely to groom its own offspring.
C) The rat pup will be more timid and unlikely to groom its own offspring.
D) The rat pup will be more timid but more likely to groom its own offspring.
E) The rat pup will be more timid but unchanged in its likelihood to groom its own offspring.

Question 65

When you stub your toe, why is there a short delay between sensing that you hit your toe and feeling the pain from the impact?

Question 66

What is the sensory homunculus?

Question 67

Describe some exploratory procedures people use in haptic perception.

Question 68

What sort of frame of reference do we use for haptic object localization?

Question 69

Describe the four types of mechanoreceptors in the skin and the sorts of stimuli that they best respond to.

Question 70

Describe how touch sensitivity is measured and how it varies across different parts of the body.

Question 71

What are some ways that touch perception interacts with other sensory modalities?