Objectives
Determine how the stimulus characteristics are reflected in the spiking activity of neural afferents, and the
relationship between spiking activity and elicited sensations. This project will study the spiking activity of single, identified
tactile receptors in the human skin: their responses to complex tactile stimuli (such as natural textures, motion, stretch, or
active exploration) and the relationship between spiking activity, brain processing, and elicited sensations of touch. This
objective will be achieved by using two advanced techniques, such as microneurography coupled with intraneural
microstimulation. Insights into the human tactile system will be applied for advances in robotics and prosthetics.
Expected Results
New insights into coding of tactile information in the different classes of human tactile afferents, with
bearing on discriminative and emotional sense of touch.
Planned Secondments
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SISSA:
recordings and psychophysics on animals
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SensArs:
protocols for implants for residual nerve stimulation
Enrolments (in Doctoral degree/s)
University of Gothenburg
Supervisors
J. Wessberg, S. Panzeri, M. Diamond, F. Petrini
Tags
Biological Touch
Prosthetics
Technologies for Touch
