ABSTRACT

The findings and analysis presented in this monograph support the conclusion that, for the glabrous skin of the hand, four separate and independent channels operate in the sense of touch. Each channel has a set of unique properties that endow it with the capacity to respond optimally, but not exclusively, to highly specific types of tactile stimulation. Each of the unique channels provides information about specific aspects of the tactile stimulus to which it is optimally responsive, and this specialization of function greatly facilitates information processing.