The effect of cooling on the vibrotactile sensitivity of the tongue

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of cooling on the sensitivity of the tongue to vibration. In the first experiment the temperature of the tongue was held at 36°, 28°, or 20° C while the thresholds for detecting 30- and 250-Hz vibrations were measured using a two-alternative forced-choice paradigm. Cooling the tongue to 20° reduced the sensitivity to 250-Hz vibration but did not disturb the sensitivity to 30-Hz vibration. The second experiment established that cooling continued to reduce the sensitivity to the 250-Hz stimulus even when intensity levels were raised to 30 dB SL. The results are discussed in relation to (1) which types of mechanoreceptors mediate the perception of vibration on the dorsal surface of the tongue, (2) the effect of a rigid surround on lingual vibrotactile sensitivity, and (3) the possible impact of temperature on perception of the mechanical characteristics of foods. © 1987 Psychonomic Society, Inc.