Two-Point Discrimination Lab

(courtesy of Mr Thiel; modified by Mrs Winward)

Background Information:
The nervous system is responsible for sensing changes in both the internal and external
environment and making adjustments to insure stability of the internal environment. It is
composed of specialized cells called neurons that communicate information to and from
the brain. Sensory neurons exist throughout the body to "sense" changes that may
threaten proper functioning of the body's internal environment. Interneurons relay what
is sensed by the sensory neurons to and from the brain through the spinal cord. Motor
neurons carry the brain's response, mostly to muscles, to induce a change in tissue,
organ, or body function.

There are many different types of sensory neurons that are organized in specific regions
of the body. Each sensory neuron is equipped with a specialized receptor that is
sensitive to specific types of stimuli. Examples shown below:

 Stretch receptors in the stomach, intestines, bladder, skin, muscles, tendons, and
ligaments
 Chemical receptors in the nose and tongue
 Vibration receptors in the cochlea of the ear
 Touch, temperature, and pain in the skin
 Baroreceptors, found in arteries, sense changes in blood pressure

Variations in the concentration of sensory neurons will give a higher or lower sensitivity
to the stimulus. The greater the number of sensory neurons firing, the greater the
sensation in the brain.

Sensory maps in the cortex are "distorted". Although tactile sensory maps in the
cerebral cortex are faithful to the locations of the sensory receptors, they do not reflect
the correct proportions of the skin areas. Rather, the cortical area devoted to receiving
information from a spot on the skin reflects the density of sensory receptors there, and
this number in turn reflects the importance of that body area for gathering information.
The fingertips, for example, contain about 100 times more receptors per square
centimeter than the skin on the back. Because of this, more CNS neurons must be
devoted to receiving fingertip sensations, and consequently the cortical area that
receives input from the fingertips is huge compared to the area that receives input from
skin on the back.

If pictures of the parts of the body are drawn next to their corresponding brain areas, the
fingers are very large and the arms and back are small. This type of picture is called a
homunculus, literally, "little man" or person.

All sensory systems feed information into the cerebral cortex in orderly maps, even
though the other peripheral sensory receptors, unlike those of the touch or tactile
system, are concentrated in small organs: eyes, ears, nose, and tongue. Information
from each of these senses is mapped onto a different brain area.

The Two Point Discrimination Test:

Neurologists, doctors who specialize in diseases of the nervous system, sometimes test
patients for two-point discrimination. They may do this if they suspect a problem with
sensory information entry to the skin, the pathways to the brain, or the interpretation of
sensory information. For example, if a patient has cut a finger badly, a neurologist may
test for two-point discrimination at the time of injury to see if the nerve was cut. After the
original injury has healed for a number of weeks, the neurologist will again test two-point
discrimination and compare it with the normal fingers.

The two point discrimination test involves placing the tips of two objects a certain
distance apart on the skin and asking the patient if they are able to sense the presence
of one or two stimuli. Moving the points closer or further apart can identify the range of
sensitivity in different regions of the body.
SUPPLIES

 large paperclip, unbent

 data recording sheets
 metric rulers
 graph paper

PROCEDURE

1. In your lab group, choose one person to act as data recorder, one to be the
subject, and one to act as neurologist.
2. The subject must close his/her eyes. The subject may not watch the procedure—
this would give away the answer!
3. Wipe the paperclip ends with an alcohol swab. The tester should start with two
ends of the paperclip about 50 millimeters (mm) apart. Make sure that the two
points touch the skin at the same time. (Do not poke the subject.)
4. The data recorder asks how many points the subject feels. If the person feels
two, move the points closer together—about 40 mm apart, and check again.
Continue the procedure until you find the smallest distance the points can be
separated for the person to feel two points instead of one. When the person
reports “one point” for the first time, move the two points apart only one or two
millimeters at a time and try to make a very accurate measurement.
5. When the smallest distance is found, the data recorder can measure the distance
in millimeters between the two points while the experimenter holds them on the
subject.
6. Continue this process for the rest of the skin areas on the Data Sheet.
7. Wipe the paperclip ends with an alcohol swab if another person becomes a
subject.
DATA RECORDING TABLE

Skin Area For Minimum Distance (For 2 point

Testing Discrimination Test - in mm)

Forehead

Cheek

Back of
Forearm

Palm of Hand

Tip of Thumb

Tip of Index
Finger

Back of Lower
Leg

DATA AND OBSERVATIONS

After you have measured and recorded all distances on the Data Sheet, make a
histogram of your results. (Body areas on the X-axis and minimum distance for two
point discrimination on the Y-axis)

Questions:

1. Identify the three different types of neurons and describe their functions.

2. If a neuron responds to stimuli completely or not at all, how can you explain
different levels of pain (mild pain versus severe pain)?

3. Regarding your experiment, how do your results compare with other lab groups?
4. Which parts of the body enabled the subject to tell that there were two points
even when the points were very close together?

5. Which skin areas do you think have more receptors, areas that have small two-
point distances, or large two-point distances? Why do you think so?

6. How does information from sensory receptors in the skin get to the brain?

7. The data table below shows results from a two-point discrimination threshold
experiment (published in The Skin Senses, edited by D. R. Kenshalo, Springfield,
IL, 1968).

Site Threshold Distance

Fingers 2-3 mm
Upper Lip 5 mm
Cheek 6 mm
Nose 7 mm
Palm 10 mm
Forehead 15 mm
Foot 20 mm
Belly 30 mm
Forearm 35 mm
Upper arm 39 mm
Back 39 mm
Shoulder 41 mm
Thigh 42 mm
Calf 45 mm

How did your measurements compare?