Effects of Prolonged Isolation of the Skin on Cutaneous Sensitivity

Autor: John P. Zubek, Marion S. Aftanas
Rok vydání: 1963
Předmět:
Zdroj: Perceptual and Motor Skills. 16:565-571
ISSN: 1558-688X
0031-5125
DOI: 10.2466/pms.1963.16.2.565
Popis: Srmmury.-Isolation of a circumscribed area of the skin on the forearm for a week resulted in an increase in tactual acuity. Application of constant pressure to the same area resulted in decreased taccual acuity. These changes were still evident two days after the experiment. It is believed that central rarher than peripheral factors are responsible for these changes. Temperature and pain sensitivity were not affected. In a recent symposium on sensory deprivation (Kubzansky & Leiderman, 1961 ), several discussants commented on the need to study systen~arically the . . differential behavioral consequences of an absence of sensory stimularion (sensory deprivation) from those of constant unpatterned srimulation (perceptual deprivation). Several such comparative studies have been reported but they all concern vision and hearing (Freedman & Greenblatt, 1959; Freedman & Held, 1960; Rosenbaum, Dobie, 8: Cohen, 1959; Zubek, et al., 1962). In general they involve a comparison of the behavioral effects of darkness and silence versus unpatterned light and white noise. The present experiment represents an extension of chis type of research into another sense modality, cutaneous sensitivity. Its main purpose is to determine (a) the effects of a prolonged period of no tactual stimulation of a circumscribed area on the forearm and (b) the possible similarity of these effects to those resulting from the application of constant pressure co the same area. METHOD A group of 36 male university scudencs were used, 12 in each of three conditions. The first condition involved an absence of tactual stimulation. This was achieved by fastening a perforated plastic cup, 1 un. in height and 4 cm. in diameter, onto the volar surface of the forearm, 8 cm. below the elbow. The purpose of the perforations was to provide venrilation for the underlying skin. The attachment was made by a porous Elastoplast bandage. The second condition consisted of the application of constant light pressure to the same region. This was accomplished by placing a slightly curved perforated disc, 4 un. in diameter, on the skin and covering it with rwo perforated plastic cups, one inside the other, and separated by porous cushioning material. The inner cup applied a pressure ro rhe disc, and hence to the skin, of approximately 20 gm/cm2. The outer cup functioned solely as a shield to protect the disc from being subjected to undue variations in pressure from the external environment. In the third condition, 'This project was supported by the Defence Research Board, Canada, Project 9425-08.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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