Exploring factors affecting touch sensitivity

Researchers have found that touch sensitivity may decline on the glabrous skin of the fingertips but may not be affected on the hairy skin of the forearm and cheek, according to a study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

The researchers used calibrated monofilaments delivering precise forces to measure the tactile detection thresholds on the right index finger pad, ventral forearm and cheek of 96 healthy female patients aged 20 to 75 years — with the goal of determining how touch sensitivity may change with age at different body sites.

The researchers demonstrated that the tactile detection threshold and spatial discrimination ability on the index fingertip deteriorated linearly with age. However, they also identified a high variability in the touch sensitivity of older patients. Additionally, no significant age-related changes in tactile detection were found on the forearm or cheek skin.

The researchers proposed that although certain aspects of touch may decline with age, there may be individual differences in overall touch sensitivity unrelated to aging.

Read more: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

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