The somatosensory system relays many signals ranging from light touch to pain and itch.
Touch is critical to spatial awareness and communication. However, in disease states …

The peripheral nervous system detects different somatosensory stimuli, including pain,
temperature, and touch. Merkel cell-neurite complexes are touch receptors composed of …

Itch sensation provokes the scratch reflex to protect us from harmful stimuli in the skin.
Although scratching transiently relieves acute itch through activation of mechanoreceptors, it …

The Merkel cell–neurite complex is a unique vertebrate touch receptor comprising two
distinct cell types in the skin. Its presence in touch-sensitive skin areas was recognized more …

Touch submodalities, such as flutter and pressure, are mediated by somatosensory afferents
whose terminal specializations extract tactile features and encode them as action potential …

The sense of touch is fundamental as it provides vital, moment-to-moment information about
the nature of our physical environment. Primary sensory neurons provide the basis for this …

In mammalian skin, Merkel cells are mechanoreceptor cells that are required for the
perception of gentle touch. Recent evidence indicates that mature Merkel cells descend from …

Epithelial-neuronal signaling is essential for sensory encoding in touch, itch, and
nociception; however, little is known about the release mechanisms and neurotransmitter …

Sensory systems for detecting tactile stimuli have evolved from touch-sensing nerves in
invertebrates to complicated tactile end organs in mammals. Merkel discs are tactile end …

The cellular and molecular basis of vertebrate touch reception remains least understood
among the traditional five senses. Somatosensory afferents that innervate the skin encode …