Modelling the effects of age-related morphological and mechanical skin changes on the stimulation of tactile mechanoreceptors
| Autor: | Rikeen D. Jobanputra, Daniele Dini, Colin J. Boyle, Marc Arthur Masen |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Aging
Materials science Biomedical Engineering Stimulation 02 engineering and technology Tactile perception Stimulus (physiology) Modelling Mechanoreceptor Fingers Biomaterials Merkel nerve ending 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Dermis Finite element 0903 Biomedical Engineering medicine Humans 0912 Materials Engineering Aged Skin integumentary system 030206 dentistry 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Ageing medicine.anatomical_structure Touch Mechanics of Materials Meissner Corpuscle 0210 nano-technology Mechanoreceptors Biomedical engineering 0913 Mechanical Engineering |
| Popis: | Our sense of fine touch deteriorates as we age, a phenomenon typically associated with neurological changes to the skin. However, geometric and material changes to the skin may also play an important role on tactile perception and have not been studied in detail. Here, a finite element model is utilised to assess the extent to which age-related structural changes to the skin influence the tactile stimuli experienced by the mechanoreceptors. A numerical, hyperelastic, four-layered skin model was developed to simulate sliding of the finger against a rigid surface. The strain, deviatoric stress and strain energy density were recorded at the sites of the Merkel and Meissner receptors, whilst parameters of the model were systematically varied to simulate age-related geometric and material skin changes. The simulations comprise changes in skin layer stiffness, flattening of the dermal-epidermal junction and thinning of the dermis. It was found that the stiffness of the skin layers has a substantial effect on the stimulus magnitudes recorded at mechanoreceptors. Additionally, reducing the thickness of the dermis has a substantial effect on the Merkel disc whilst the Meissner corpuscle is particularly affected by flattening of the dermal epidermal junction. In order to represent aged skin, a model comprising a combination of ageing manifestations revealed a decrease in stimulus magnitudes at both mechanoreceptor sites. The result from the combined model differed from the sum of effects of the individually tested ageing manifestations, indicating that the individual effects of ageing cannot be linearly superimposed. Each manifestation of ageing results in a decreased stimulation intensity at the Meissner Corpuscle site, suggesting that ageing reduces the proportion of stimuli meeting the receptor amplitude detection threshold. This model therefore offers an additional biomechanical explanation for tactile perceptive degradation amongst the elderly. Applications of the developed model are in the evaluation of cosmetics products aimed at mitigating the effects of ageing, e.g. through skin hydration and administration of antioxidants, as well as in the design of products with improved tactile sensation, e.g. through the optimisation of materials and surface textures. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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