Spatial summation of cold and warm detection: Evidence for increased precision when brisk stimuli are delivered over larger area

Courtin, Arthur; Delvaux, Aurore; Dufour, Arthur; Mouraux, André

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137050

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…For instance, a recent study found that larger thermal stimuli produce psychophysical functions with higher precision than smaller stimuli, suggesting that averaging over multiple afferents reduces sensory noise. 48 Population coding, in which sensory quality depends on a balance of activity across many different afferents, potentially differing in physiological type as well as in location, may play a crucial role in robust and stable thermosensation. 49 In the thermal system, spatial summation is a well-known feature in both object-level perception and in thermoregulation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, larger thermal stimuli produce psychophysical functions with higher precision than smaller stimuli, suggesting that averaging over multiple afferents reduces sensory noise. 33…”

Section: The Sensory Quality Evoked By Spot Stimulation Is Variablementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contrasting microstimulation with our psychophysical data might suggest either that the inconsistency observed in our study arises in the process of transduction at the receptors, or that the labelled line concept is incorrect. While receptor noise may account for whether a stimulus is detected or not, 33 we are unaware of any receptor mechanism that could result in a switch to detecting a different quality.…”

Section: Revisiting a Classical Model Of Sensationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Revisiting a classical theory of sensory specificity: assessing consistency and stability of thermosensitive spots

Ezquerra-Romano¹,

Clements

Costa³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Thermal sensitivity is not uniform across the skin, and is particularly high in small (~1mm2) regions termed 'thermosensitive spots'. These spots are thought to reflect the anatomical location of specialised thermosensitive nerve endings from single primary afferents. Thermosensitive spots provide foundational support for 'labelled line' or specificity theory of sensory perception, which state that different sensory qualities are transmitted by separate and specific neural pathways. This theory predicts a highly stable relation between repetitions of a thermal stimulus and the resulting sensory quality, yet these predictions have rarely been tested systematically. Here we present the qualitative, spatial and repeatability properties of 334 thermosensitive spots on the dorsal forearm sampled across 4 separate sessions. In line with previous literature, we found that spots associated with cold sensations (112 cold spots, 34%) were more frequent than spots associated with warm sensations (41 warm spots, 12%). Still more frequent (165 spots, 49%) were spots that elicited inconsistent sensations when repeatedly stimulated by the same temperature. Remarkably, only 13 spots (4%) conserved their position between sessions. Overall, we show unexpected inconsistency of both the perceptual responses elicited by spot stimulation and of spot locations across time. These observations challenge the traditional view that thermosensitive spots reflect the location of individual thermosensitive primary afferents serving as specific labelled lines for corresponding sensory qualities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Sensory Quality Evoked By Spot Stimulation Is Variablementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Revisiting a Classical Model Of Sensationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Revisiting a classical theory of sensory specificity: assessing consistency and stability of thermosensitive spots

Ezquerra-Romano¹,

Clements

Costa³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…It operates by iteratively updating a posterior probability distribution on these parameters based on each response of the participant, to optimize stimulus placement for threshold and slope estimations. A similar approach was previously used to estimate the threshold and slope of psychometric functions for cold and warm detection [45,46].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Individual Sensitivity to the Thermal Grill Illusion: A Two-Dimensional Adaptive Psychophysical Approach

Sardeto Deolindo,

Ehmsen,

Courtin

et al. 2024

Preprint

Self Cite

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In the thermal grill illusion (TGI), the spatial alternation of non-noxious warm and cold temperatures elicits burning sensations that resemble the presence of noxious stimuli. Previous research has largely relied on the use of specific temperature values (i.e., 20°C and 40°C) to study this phenomenon in both healthy individuals and patient populations. However, this methodology fails to account for inter-individual differences in thermal sensitivity, limiting the precision with which TGI responses can be evaluated across diverse populations. To address this gap, we created a Two-Dimensional Thermal Grill Calibration (2D-TGC) protocol, enabling an efficient and precise estimation of the combinations of warm and cold temperatures needed to elicit burning sensations tailored to each individual. By applying the 2D-TGC protocol in 43 healthy participants, we demonstrated key findings: (1) The TGI can be thresholded using an adaptive psychophysical method. (2) Multiple combinations of warm and cold temperatures can elicit this phenomenon. (3) The protocol facilitated the identification of temperature combinations that elicit TGI with varying levels of probability, intensity, and perceived quality ranging from freezing cold to burning hot. (4) TGI responsivity can be quantified as a continuous variable, moving beyond the conventional classification of individuals as responders vs. non-responders based on arbitrary temperature values. The 2D-TGC offers a comprehensive approach to investigate the TGI across populations with altered thermal sensitivity, and can be integrated with other methods (e.g., neuroimaging) to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for perceptual illusions in the thermo-nociceptive system.

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Female thermal sensitivity and behaviour across the lifespan: A unique journey

Filingeri,

Blount,

Valenza

2024

Experimental Physiology

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Women are a group of individuals that undergo unique anatomical, physiological and hormonal changes across the lifespan. For example, consider the impact of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, all of which are accompanied by both short‐ and long‐term effects on female body morphology (e.g., changes in breast size) and temperature regulation, heat tolerance, thermal sensitivity and comfort. However, empirical evidence on how skin thermal and wetness sensitivity might change across the lifespan of women, and the implications that this has for female‐specific thermal behaviours, continues to be lacking. This paper is based on a symposium presentation given at Physiology 2023 in Harrogate, UK. It aims to review new evidence on anatomical and physiological mechanisms underpinning differences in skin thermal and wetness sensitivity amongst women varying in breast size and age, in addition to their role in driving female thermal behaviours. It is hoped that this brief overview will stimulate the development of testable hypotheses to increase our understanding of the behavioural thermal physiology of women across the lifespan and at a time of climate change.

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Spatial summation of cold and warm detection: Evidence for increased precision when brisk stimuli are delivered over larger area

Cited by 4 publications

References 36 publications

Revisiting a classical theory of sensory specificity: assessing consistency and stability of thermosensitive spots

Revisiting a classical theory of sensory specificity: assessing consistency and stability of thermosensitive spots

Assessing Individual Sensitivity to the Thermal Grill Illusion: A Two-Dimensional Adaptive Psychophysical Approach

Female thermal sensitivity and behaviour across the lifespan: A unique journey

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