Phantom Limbs Research Paper

We are all ever aware of the things that our bodies can feel, whether they are actual objects or internal pain. Although we are aware of these textures, pressure, and sensations most of us probably do not realize that it is the job of our nervous system to make sure we are conscious of these things. XXX So what about our nervous system helps us identify these sensations? In order for our bodies to perceive vibrations we need Pacinian corpuscles. The Pacinian corpuscles are located our fingers and hands where they detect vibrations by responding to rapid wavelength vibrations. Additionally, we are able to perceive texture through the use of three cues: Surface texture, spatial cues, and temporal cues. These cues allow us to experience physical
textures, surface elements, and change in texture. Our nervous system also plays a big role in our perception of pain. When there is damage or inflammation in the joints our nervous system causes us to feel inflammatory pain. Neuropathic pain is experienced when our nervous system is damaged. Finally nociceptive pain is experienced when our nocicpetors are activated.
Although most nervous systems function the same way, not everyone experiences these sensations in the same way.
For example, in many cases people who have lost limbs often still have the awareness of a limb that is no longer there. This phenomenon is known as Phantom Limbs. Individuals who experience this will often times try to use their missing limbs without or even feel sensations in said limbs. The reason behind this is probably due to the fact that although the limb is missing the nerves in the nervous system that send signals to the limb are not and there fore there may be a mixing of signals in the brain and spinal cord. Phantom Limbs is one of the most interesting way in which people experience sensation differently. Another way in which different people experience these sensations differently is through tactical acuity. Tactical acuity is the ability to detect details on the skin which can be measure by comparing two-point thresholds in the brain which can tell us which parts of the body are more sensitive than others. The reason that some areas of the body may be more sensitive on different people may be because in certain people more receptors are concentrated in different areas. This idea also accounts for why some people are more ticklish than
others. Being aware of how our nervous system works definitely changes the way you view specific sensations. For example, individuals that must rely on senses other than sight and hearing to be involved in day-to-day activities seem to develop heightened sensitivity to touch so that they can read Braille. Also, the further understanding of how our nervous systems handle specific sensation helps us to understand that our nervous system plays a huge role in how we experience the world by allowing our body to perceive vibrations, texture, pain, and objects. All of these perceptions allow us to more easily get a feel for the world around us.