New Study Reveals How Fingertip Mechanical Memory Influences Tactile Neuron Activity

A new study published in eLife has revealed how a fingertip’s mechanical memory of prior forces influences the activity of tactile neurons. The researchers found that the viscoelastic nature of fingertips, where deformations last longer than the applied force, impacts the information sent to the brain by tactile neurons. This indicates that the brain receives both current force data and a “memory” of previous forces. The findings have implications for understanding hand control in daily tasks and tactile-based actions. Using robots to mimic natural object interactions, the researchers observed the neural responses of different types of tactile neurons to varied forces. The study found diverse responses, suggesting that the neurons relay rich information about the fingertip’s viscoelastic state and hold a “memory” of past interactions. The research could open doors to understanding how tactile information helps the brain formulate accurate motor commands to control the hands in object manipulation and haptic tasks.