ABSTRACT
The results of our analysis of psychophysical and neurophysiological data support the hypothesis that four separate information-processing channels, each with its own specific receptors and peripheral nerve fibers, are responsible for the perception of tactile stimuli. However, fundamental questions remain concerning the nature of how these channels, with their individual properties, operate together in the perception of tactile stimuli encountered in the natural world. We hypothesize that suprathreshold stimulation at an intensity level high enough to activate all of the channels produces tactile perceptions that represent integration within the central nervous system of the activities of the separate channels. Evidence supporting this hypothesis will now be considered.
