4 ms·

This isn't surprising or really new. There are 4 types of mechanoreceptors in the skin, plus pain and temperature sensors. Each of those types have individual e

This isn't surprising or really new. There are 4 types of mechanoreceptors in the skin, plus pain and temperature sensors. Each of those types have individual endings or sensors that have a specific range of intensity to which they respond most strongly. Also, they compete locally with each other. So the idea that neurons are "computing shapes" is really no different than computing edges, corners, specific patterns of vibration, a rapid change in temperature, or any other sensation that is more than a single point in time and space. In general the peripheral nervous system does a lot of computation and, given that many species don't have, or can do without, a brain, we shouldn't be surprised when things that are done in the neo-cortex are also done by the antecedent computational substrate.

jrapdx3 12y ago
I'm thinking about the findings in skin neurons from a slightly different angle, well maybe two angles. For one, study of brain increasingly points to widely distributed circuitry as the way functionality is implemented. But the brain doesn't exist isolated from the rest of the body, on the contrary, endocrine, immune, gut systems are highly interconnected with brain circuits. IOW it's plausible neural circuits throughout the body are part of the brain's distributed circuitry, and contribute to functions we identify as "brain functions". The idea of "brain" as synonymous with "brain function" may be a great oversimplification. The second idea might support a concept of body-wide distribution of information processing circuits. In embryogenesis, brain and skin both stem from the outer layer or ectoderm of early embryonic development. We can speculate this common origin means neurons in the skin, and throughout the nervous system, are endowed with computational capability and continue to participate in non-local computations. This idea implies neurons winding up at locations far from the brain could still be included in the distributed network. It will be interesting to find out where the research on neurons in fingers takes us. It might turn out to be a wild ride.
- xg15 12y ago
  We do know that amputations and organ transplantations are possible without causing brain damage, though. So this can only be true to an extend - or at least the body has the ability to tolerate loss of information.

jrapdx3 12y ago

I'm thinking about the findings in skin neurons from a slightly different angle, well maybe two angles. For one, study of brain increasingly points to widely distributed circuitry as the way functionality is implemented. But the brain doesn't exist isolated from the rest of the body, on the contrary, endocrine, immune, gut systems are highly interconnected with brain circuits. IOW it's plausible neural circuits throughout the body are part of the brain's distributed circuitry, and contribute to functions we identify as "brain functions". The idea of "brain" as synonymous with "brain function" may be a great oversimplification. The second idea might support a concept of body-wide distribution of information processing circuits. In embryogenesis, brain and skin both stem from the outer layer or ectoderm of early embryonic development. We can speculate this common origin means neurons in the skin, and throughout the nervous system, are endowed with computational capability and continue to participate in non-local computations. This idea implies neurons winding up at locations far from the brain could still be included in the distributed network. It will be interesting to find out where the research on neurons in fingers takes us. It might turn out to be a wild ride.

xg15 12y ago
We do know that amputations and organ transplantations are possible without causing brain damage, though. So this can only be true to an extend - or at least the body has the ability to tolerate loss of information.