Our sense of touch emerges from an array of mechanosensory structures residing within the
fabric of our skin. These tactile end organ structures convert innocuous forces acting on the …

Injury to or disease of the nervous system can invoke chronic and sometimes intractable
neuropathic pain. Many parallel, interdependent, and time-dependent processes, including …

The brush of a feather and a pinprick are perceived as distinct sensations because they are
detected by discrete cutaneous sensory neurons. Inflammation or nerve injury can disrupt …

Mechanotransduction, the conversion of physical forces into biochemical signals, is
essential for various physiological processes such as the conscious sensations of touch and …

The sense of touch provides critical information about our physical environment by
transforming mechanical energy into electrical signals. It is postulated that mechanically …

Chronic pain affects one in five of the general population and is the third most important
cause of disability-adjusted life-years globally. Unfortunately, treatment remains inadequate …

Pain results from the activation of a subset of sensory neurones termed nociceptors and has
evolved as a “detect and protect” mechanism. However, lesion or disease in the sensory …

Tissue injury and inflammation markedly alter touch perception, making normally innocuous
sensations become intensely painful. Although this sensory distortion, known as tactile …

Mechanical stimuli drive many physiological processes, including touch and pain sensation,
hearing, and blood pressure regulation. Mechanically activated (MA) cation channel …

Specialized peripheral sensory neurons known as nociceptors alert us to potentially
damaging stimuli at the skin by detecting extremes in temperature and pressure and injury …