THE INFLUENCE OF SPINAL IRRADIATION ON CUTANEOUS SENSATIONS

Abstract

In 8 subjects for experiments with pain points and 4 for experiments with touch points, the localizations of pressure and pain points underwent characteristic changes when a spinal irradiation was brought about by pinching up a small area on the forearm. The accuracy in localization of pain points was improved while the localization of touch points was impaired. These changes were not produced by changes in threshold since they were independent of the intensity of the stimulus. The experiments indicate that an alteration of the sensory part of the spinal cord is inadequately described by hyper- or hypo-esthesia, because qualitative changes in the sensations which lead to quantitative deviations in the accuracy of localization are not taken into account. The importance of the experimental results for the physiology and patho-physiology of the spinal cord is briefly discussed.